Copland depicted "scenes of daily activity for the bride and her farmer-husband" in appalachian spring through "five variations on the Shaker melody Simple Gifts."
There are five minor departure from a Shaker melody. The melody, sung by a solo clarinet, was taken from an accumulation of Shaker songs assembled by Edward D. Andrews, and distributed under the title "The Gift to Be Simple." The tune acquired and utilized actually is called "Simple Gifts."