A major force in the preservation of Logan County’s Shaker heritage passed away recently. Ruth Morriss, who brought Shaker lyrics and melodies to life through hundreds of memorable performances over the years, has left a definite legacy. With remarkable talent and relentless drive she helped to motivate countless students to do their very best, all the while documenting and preserving an important genre of American music.
In the summer of 1962, local citizens and students from WKU were involved in the final rehearsals for the first performance of “Shakertown Revisited.” The script based on Shaker manuscript records had been written by Russell Miller, a faculty member in Western’s drama department. Ruth Morris was asked to provide music for the production, both original Shaker melodies and turn of the century standards, which she researched and arranged in four-part harmony. The first performances were held on July 20, 21 and 22 in the Auburn High School gym and initial response was overwhelming.
After 10 years in the Auburn High School gym, the pageant moved to a large tent in the back yard of the Centre House in the summer of 1972. Ruth Morriss continued to direct the music for the pageant each season, attracting a growing number of volunteers. Newspaper articles from the time heralded the music as the main attraction of the play, especially the colorful “picnic scene” in the second to last act. Ruth and the chorale were even invited to participate in the Shaker Bicentennial celebration in Cleveland in 1974. Once more, the “Shakertown Revisited” singers received tremendous reviews.
Ruth’s affection for Shaker music eventually led her to form a group called the Western Shaker Singers, composed primarily of students from WKU’s music department. Invited to sing annually at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, the Western Shaker Singers drew capacity crowds in the village Meeting House. The group’s personnel changed as students graduated through the years but Ruth Morriss’ fine arrangements and uncompromising leadership remained constant until the Western Shaker Singers disbanded in the late 1980s.
Today, music research is one of the most active areas of scholarship in the field of Shaker studies. Original melodies and lyrics are continually being extracted from 19th century manuscripts for study and performance. Ruth Morriss was doing this over 50 years ago. She drew attention not only to Shaker music but to the very early preservation efforts going on at South Union. Through her love for music, her desire to teach fundamentals, and her dedication to quality performance, Ruth Morriss helped to entertain and to teach thousands of audience members over the years. She also helped put South Union “on the map,” and for all of that, we are most grateful.
Tommy Hines has long been associated with Shaker music and has been executive director of the South Union Shaker Village since 1985.