‘Testament of Ann Lee’ Composer Daniel Blumberg Wrote ‘Clothed by the Sun’ on His First Attempt

According to composer Daniel Blumberg, director Mona Fastvold possessed the ideal artistic sensibility for "The Testament of Ann Lee," a historical drama premiering on Christmas Day. The film features Amanda Seyfried as the 18th-century mystic Ann Lee, who founded the Shaker religious movement and led her disciples from persecution in England to a new life in America. Blumberg told Variety that Fastvold's innate grasp of physicality and audio was essential for a project where Shaker hymns and ecstatic dance are central to the plot. "The script reflected Mona's distinct personal and artistic vision, which connected with me instantly," he said. "Her dual expertise in choreography and composition made her the only logical choice to direct."

Fastvold's path to this subject began serendipitously. While sourcing period music for her 2020 frontier drama "The World to Come," starring Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston, she discovered a Shaker hymn titled "Pretty Mother's Home." Although she ultimately didn't use it, researching the song's origins ignited a deep fascination with the Shakers and their enigmatic founder. Fastvold found herself captivated not just by the narrative of a pioneering female religious leader, but also by the group's vast creative heritage, which encompasses an archive of more than a thousand hymns. The Shakers—officially the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing—were a celibate, communitarian Christian sect known for their rapturous worship rituals, minimalist furniture design, and progressive agricultural techniques. Their cultural impact, especially in music and craftsmanship, endures despite the sect's dramatic decline in membership.

The film's score represents a deliberate fusion of old and new. Fastvold and Blumberg integrated over a dozen genuine Shaker hymns with completely original material. They identified key narrative moments needing music, and when no historical piece matched the tone, Blumberg would compose something new. This process yielded the end-credits song "Clothed By the Sun," performed by Amanda Seyfried. Fastvold conceived of the track as a modern tribute to Ann Lee—"a kind of gift"—and specifically requested Seyfried sing it as herself, not as her character, creating a deliberate link between the past and present. "The goal was to construct a bridge from the 18th century to the modern viewer," Fastvold explained, noting the Shakers' surprisingly progressive views on gender equality and communal living, which resonated with contemporary themes.

For Blumberg, the song's creation was unusually immediate. "I sat down with my electric guitar, and the whole composition, complete with lyrics, emerged in one uninterrupted session," he remembered, adding that his most resonant work often arrives with that kind of unforced clarity. Fastvold sees the finished piece as a poetic endpoint for the entire production. She was particularly struck by the transformation in Seyfried's voice following a year of dedicated vocal training for the role. "To hear her deliver 'Clothed By the Sun' with this newly uncovered, powerful vocal quality was extraordinary," Fastvold said. "It was an audible and visual testament to her deep commitment to the character's journey." By blending rigorous historical research with inventive contemporary scoring, "The Testament of Ann Lee" seeks to revitalize the legacy of a visionary leader whose ideas about art, community, and equality were profoundly ahead of their time.