for Martha" – a title as simple and direct as the Shaker tune, Simple Gifts, quoted in the music. Shortly before the premiere, Graham suggested Appalachian Spring, a phrase from a Hart Crane poem, "The Dance", from a collection of poems in his book, The Bridge. O Appalachian Spring! I gained the ledge; Steep, inaccessible smile that eastward bends And northward reaches in that violet wedge Of Adirondacks! The word spring denotes a source of water in the Crane poem; however, the ballet is a journey to meet springtime. Because he composed the music without the benefit of knowing what the title was going to be, Copland was often amused when people told him he captured the beauty of the Appalachians in his music, a fact he alluded to in an interview with NPR's Fred Calland. Instrumentation The original 1944 version was scored for: 1 flute, 1 clarinet in B, 1 bassoon, piano, 2 violin I, 2 violin II, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and 1 double bass The 1945 Orchestral Suite is scored for: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A and B♭, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 2 trombones, timpani, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tabor, wood block, claves, glockenspiel, triangle, harp, piano, and strings. Ballet storyline The story tells of a spring celebration of the American pioneers of the 19th century, after building a new Pennsylvania farmhouse. Among the central characters are a bride, a groom, a pioneer woman, a preacher, and his congregation. The Los Angeles Times provides a concise summary of the storyline in its transitions between the choreographed sequences stating:Created in 1944, the ballet tells a simple story. A young farm couple ruminate on their lives before getting married and setting up house in the wilderness. An itinerant preacher delivers a sermon. An older pioneer woman oversees the events with sympathy and wisdom. The newlyweds muse on their future as night falls. In the course of the dance, Graham reveals the inner lives of the four principal characters – Wife, Husbandman, Pioneer Woman and Preacher. She shows that the couple will face a future that will not be all sweetness and light, but she also draws out the private and shared emotional resources they will be able to bring to the challenges. Such is the power of Graham's images, however, that this very particular story broadens out to