In the early days of Quakerism, music was rejected as part of worship. As the early Quakers tried to distance themselves from the practices of the English Church at the time, they also distanced themselves from the traditions of singing music, even Psalms. The practice was at times also viewed as frivolous, and not in line with the value of Simplicity. However, they did approve of "singing in the spirit," when the act of singing and making music was a natural and organic method of expressing belief.
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19th and 20th Century
Although Quaker Meetings for Worship remain silent, for the most part, with music rarely used, the attitudes towards music began to shift towards a more relaxed view in the mid-nineteenth century. In particular, many of the poems of John Greenleaf Whittier were set to music and well received.
The hymnal "How Can I Keep from Singing?," first published in 1868 by Robert Lowry, was adopted by twentieth century Quakers. The lyrics to the first verse are as follows:
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth's lamentation,
I hear the sweet, tho' far-off hymn
That hails a new creation;
Thro' all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?
One of the most notable versions was created and performed by Peter Seeger, who was told it was a Quaker song. The song was, and continues to be, such a favorite of the Quaker community that is often wrongly attributed to Quaker or Shaker origins.
Contemporary British Quaker choral music
Historically, British Quakers had been especially reluctant to include music in their Meetings. However, London Quaker youth arts group, The Leaveners, was founded in 1978 and have since brought organized music to the Quaker community. They have commissioned and performed multiple pieces, and developed the Quaker Festival Chorus.
Contemporary American Quaker musicians
Jon Watts is a Quaker musician, poet, and filmmaker. He has created and released six musical albums, combining spoken word, rap, hip hop, and folk styles. Specifically, he practices Liberal Quakerism, and uses his music to speak about the Liberal Quaker experience and ideals. He currently travels and performs his music, and speaks about his life in the Society of Friends. He is also the director of “QuakerSpeak,” a YouTube channel which focuses on interviews with Quakers of different backgrounds.
Watts graduated from the Quaker Leadership Scholarship Program at Guilford College in 2006. It was for his senior project at Guilford that Watts created the album A Few Songs Occasioned, composed of songs about the beginnings of the Quaker movement. This work inspired him to pursue a career creating “Spirit-led music.” His most popular, and most controversial, song to date is "Friend Speaks My Mind," for which he created a YouTube video entitled "Dance Party Erupts During Quaker Meeting for Worship."