"Amazing Grace" is a well-known Christian hymn. The words were written late in 1772 by Englishman John Newton. They first appeared in print in Newton's Olney Hymns (1779), which he worked on with William Cowper. Amazing Grace is a well-known Christian hymn. ... For other persons of the same name, see John Newton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hymn (disambiguation). ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831... For other persons of the same name, see John Newton (disambiguation). ... The Olney Hymns is a famous collection of hymns written by John Newton, William Cowper, and other hymnodists. ... Portrait of William Cowper attributed to Romney. ...

History

John Newton wrote this hymn some time after converting to Christianity in the village of Kineton, in Warwickshire, England. The lyrics are based on his reflections on an Old Testament text he was preparing to preach on, adding his perspective about his own conversion while on his slave ship, the Greyhound, in 1748.

Newton's lyrics have become a favorite for Christians, largely because the hymn vividly and briefly sums up the doctrine of divine grace. The lyrics are based on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17, a prayer of King David in which he marvels at God's choosing him and his house. Newton apparently wrote this for use in a sermon he preached on this passage on New Year's Day 1773, and for which he left his sermon notes, which correspond to the flow of the lyrics^[1]. (He entitled the piece "Faith's review and expectation.") Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      In Christianity... This page is about the Biblical king David. ...

The song has also become known as a favorite with supporters of freedom and human rights, both Christian and non-Christian, in part because many assume it to be his testimony about his slave trading past. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

The hymn was quite popular on both sides in the American Civil War. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

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In recent years, this song has also become popular in America with drug and alcohol recovery groups, particularly Christian ones, at celebrations of how they "once were lost, but now are found." Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

Extra verses

In her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe includes an extra, final verse which may have been taken from another hymn: Uncle Toms Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly, is American author Harriet Beecher Stowes fictional anti-slavery novel. ... Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American abolitionist and novelist, whose Uncle Toms Cabin (1852) attacked the cruelty of slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential, even in Britain. ...

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun. ^[2]

This additional verse is credited by some to John P. Rees (1828-1900)^[3] and became firmly established as part of the hymn from the early twentienth century, appearing in many hymnal See also hymn - a program to decrypt iTunes music files. ...

Cherokee lyrics

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While on the "Trail of Tears," the Cherokee were not always able to give their dead a full burial. Instead, they sang a translation (or rather, paraphrase) previously made by Samuel Worcester.^[4] For this reason, many contemporary Native American musicians have recorded the song. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... For the Norwegian musical group, see Trail of Tears (band); for the 2006 documentary, see The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy. ... For other uses, see Cherokee (disambiguation). ... Samuel Worscester, Cherokee Messenger. Samuel Austin Worcester (January 19, 1798 – April 20, 1859), was a missionary to the Cherokees, translator of the Bible, printer and defender of the Cherokees freedom. ... This is a list of Native American musicians and singers // Carrie Underwood - Muskogee Creek Jerry Alfred - Northern Tutchone keeper of the songs Jim Boyd - Colville Indian Reservation Rita Coolidge - Cherokee ancestry Cozad Singers - Kiowa Jerry Fretwell - Cherokee Lana Chapel - Cherokee Todd Griffin Buffy Sainte-Marie - Cree Kari Wührer - Cherokee...

Music

As with other hymns of this period, the words were sung to a number of tunes before and after they first became linked to the now familiar variant of the tune "New Britain" of which the composer is unknown and is in William Walker's shape-note tunebook Southern Harmony, 1835.^[5] The Southern Harmony is a shape note hymn and tune book compiled by William Walker. ...

Shape Note version from 1835.

"New Britain" first appears in a shape note hymnal from 1829 called Columbian Harmony. The melody is believed to be Scottish or Irish in origin; it is pentatonic and suggests a bagpipe tune; the hymn is frequently performed on bagpipes and has become associated with that instrument. This tune seems to have been firmly established as the 'standard' for this hymn after an arrangement of it appeared in a series of popular hymnbooks in the early twentieth century. (See also the versions in the Sacred Harp article.) Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 260 pixelsFull resolution (2335 × 759 pixel, file size: 56 KB, MIME type: image/gif) This image is in the public domain in the United States. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 260 pixelsFull resolution (2335 × 759 pixel, file size: 56 KB, MIME type: image/gif) This image is in the public domain in the United States. ... Star in the East from the 1854 edition of Southern Harmony Shape notes are a system of music notation designed to facilitate congregational singing. ... Shape notes are a system of music notation designed to facilitate congregational singing. ... This article is about the country. ... In music, a pentatonic scale is a scale with five notes per octave. ... A bagpipe performer in Amsterdam. ... Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. ...

Another tune to which it has sometimes been sung is the so-called "Old Regular Baptist" tune. It was sung by the Congregation of the Little Zion Church, Jeff, Kentucky, on the album The Ritchie Family of Kentucky on the Folkways label (1958). Regular Baptists are a diverse group of Baptists in the United States and Canada. ... Zion (Hebrew: צִיּוֹן, tziyyon; Tiberian vocalization: tsiyyôn; transliterated Zion or Sion) is a term that most often designates the Land of Israel and its capital Jerusalem. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... Jean Ritchie (born 1922) is an American folk singer. ... Folkways Records is a record label founded by Moses Asch. ...

The Blind Boys of Alabama have also helped to popularise a long-standing association to the tune House of the Rising Sun.^[6] The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel music group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939. ... The House of the Rising Sun is a United States folk song. ...

Bagpipes

A piper plays "Amazing Grace" on Memorial Day. "Amazing Grace" is often played on bagpipes and in services to honor the deceased.

The association with bagpipes is relatively modern; for over a century, the tune was nearly forgotten in the British Isles until the folk revival of the 1960s began carrying traditional musicians back and forth between the British Isles and the United States (where "Amazing Grace" had remained a very popular hymn). It was little known outside church congregations or folk festivals until Arthur Penn's film Alice's Restaurant (1969), in which Lee Hays of The Weavers leads worshipers in singing "Amazing Grace."^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed this year on 2007-05-28). ... A piper playing the Great Highland Bagpipe. ... Arthur Penn (born September 27, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a film director of thoughtful films that dont always find an audience. ... For information on the song, see: Alices Restaurant. ... The Weavers were an immensely popular and influential folk music quartet from Greenwich Village, New York, United States. ...

Performances and recordings

Owing to its ability to be adapted easily, the song is a popular recording choice. In essence, it has a very basic tune. Singers can then very easily add melismatic phrases, and alter the melody to make it match their own style/genre of singing. It has been recorded by many artists over the last century; All Music Guide lists over 1800 recordings.^[7] An attribute of some Islamic and Gregorian chants, it is the style of singing several notes to one syllable of text. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ...

• Between 1970 and 1972, a version by Judy Collins spent 67 weeks in the UK Singles Chart, a record for a female artist, and peaked at number five.^[8]
• In 1972, an instrumental version by the Pipes and Drums and Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards spent five weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart; it also reached the top spot in Australia.^[9]
• Christian metal pioneers Stryper also recorded a version of this song titled 10,000 Years on their 2005 comeback album Reborn. The Christian alternative rock band The Almost recorded a version entitled "Amazing Because It Is" on their album Southern Weather.
• The Italian one-man band Il Guardiano del Faro recorded an instrumental version in 1972, played on the Moog synthesizer that was very trendy at the time. It was titled Il Gabbiano Infelice (The Unhappy Seagull).
• Aretha Franklin recorded a notable version of the song nearly fifteen minutes in length on her live gospel album of the same name.
• Rod Stewart and The Faces performed it live in their 1972-73 world tour.
• The Australian singer Kylie Minogue performed this song as the final encore of her Let's Get To It Tour.
• Dropkick Murphys recorded this song for their The Gang's All Here cd in 1999.
• New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra recorded a shortened version for her 2003 debut album Pure.
• Diamanda Galás recorded it in her "Vena Cava" album. Like all other tracks, it's not listed.
• Todd Agnew released the song Grace Like Rain in 2004, a rock version of Amazing Grace with an added chorus.
• Chris Tomlin recorded a version of the song on his 2006 album "See The Morning" that includes a different chorus and only some of the original verses.
• Darius Rucker lead singer for Hootie & the Blowfish recorded this song on his solo project Back To Then.
• The Dirty Dozen Brass Band included a short instrumental interpretation of this song on their 2004 album Funeral For a Friend.
• Phish has performed the song several times live, typically acapella
• Victor Wooten performs the song on his electric bass, noted for tuning his bass to the final pitches instead of playing them on the fretboard.
• Chris Squire recorded a version on his bass guitar, and can be heard on the expanded version of the Yes album "Going for the One", and the box set "Yesyears"
• Ani DiFranco often performs the song live, and she includes it on many of her albums including Dilate and Living in Clip
• The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards have re-recorded it on their Spirit Of The Glen (2007) CD, between tours of duty in Iraq. It is believed the pipes & drums played Amazing Grace as they entered Basra in 2003.
• Sufjan Stevens recorded a version on Disc 1: Noel [2001] Vol. 1 of his 2006 box set, "Songs for Christmas."
• Kristy Lee Cook sang Amazing Grace at her audition in the 7th season of American Idol, and was one of the most talked about auditions of the season.

It has also been used in cultures beyond its Western origin: Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939 in Seattle, Washington) is an American folk and standards singer and songwriter, known for the stunning purity of her soprano; for her eclectic tastes in the material she records (which has included folk, showtunes, pop, and rock and roll); and for her social... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ... The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is the senior Scottish regiment of the British Army and Scotlands only cavalry regiment. ... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music and its many subgenres with Christian lyrics and themes. ... Stryper is a Christian metal band from Orange County, California, USA. Formed in 1983, they are pioneers in the mainstream popularization of Christian rock music. ... Reborn is the 8th studio album by Christian Metal band Stryper. ... The Almost is an alternative rock band, from Tampa Bay, Florida, most notable for being the side project of Underoath drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie. ... Southern Weather is the debut album from The Almost. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... Small Faces album cover Faces were an early 1970s rock band formed in 1969 from the ashes of The Small Faces after Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie; new members Ron Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (vocals) (both from The Jeff Beck Group) joined Ronnie Lane (bass), Ian McLagan... Kylie Ann Minogue (pronounced [1]) (born May 28, 1968) is an Australian, Grammy award-winning pop singer, songwriter and actress. ... The Lets Get to It Tour was a Kylie Minogue concert tour that took place in Europe in late 1991. ... “DKM” redirects here. ... The Gangs All Here was the second album release by Irish-American punk band, the Dropkick Murphys. ... This article is about the voice-type. ... Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987 in Christchurch)[1] is a New Zealand soprano of Irish heritage. ... A debut album is the first released music album by an artist or a band. ... Pure is the first internationally published album by Hayley Westenra. ... Diamanda Galás, pictured in the early 2000s. ... Todd Agnew (Born March 15, 1971) in Dallas, Texas is a Christian musician and songwriter who has recently appeared in the Contemporary Christian market. ... Album Cover for Grace Like Rain Grace Like Rain is the first album by Contemporary Christian songwriter Todd Agnew, and was released in 2003. ... Chris Tomlin is a Christian worship leader and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. ... Darius Rucker performing in 2004 Darius Rucker (born May 13, 1966 in Charleston, South Carolina) is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the band Hootie & the Blowfish. ... Hootie & the Blowfish are an American pop-rock band, originally formed at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Soni Sonefeld and Mark Bryan. ... Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a New Orleans, Louisiana brass band. ... This article is about the band. ... Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964 in Hampton, Virginia) is an American electric bass guitar player. ... Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born 4 March 1948), better known as Chris Squire is an English musician and the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon Anderson appeared on all but... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Going for the One is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Yesyears is a box set of career-spanning material by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1991. ... Ani DiFranco (IPA: ) (born Angela Maria Difranco on September 23, 1970) is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. ... Dilate is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1996 (see 1996 in music). ... Living in Clip is a live album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released in 1997 (see 1997 in music). ... The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is the senior Scottish regiment of the British Army and Scotlands only cavalry regiment. ... Sufjan Stevens (IPA pronunciation: ) (born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Petosky, Michigan. ... Songs for Christmas is an album of Christmas related songs and carols recorded by independent musician Sufjan Stevens between 2001 and 2006. ... Occident redirects here. ...

• Native American flautist Jay Red Eagle has recorded it.
• In Asia, Cantopop singer Joey Yung borrowed the tune for a version named "Tomorrow's Grace".
• Also in Asia, the group Nirgilis used the first verse of the hymn in the background of their song "Sakura," one of the opening themes to the anime Eureka Seven

This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Headline text Jay Red Eagle is a Native American flutist and member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. ... Cantopop (Chinese: 粵語流行曲) is a colloquial abbreviation for Cantonese popular music. It is also referred to as HK-pop, short for Hong Kong popular music. It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Animé redirects here. ... Original run 17 April 2005 – 2 April 2006 Episodes 50 Manga Author Jinsei Kataoka, Kazuma Kondou Publisher Kadokawa Shoten Serialized in Shonen Ace Original run 26 July 2005 – 26 September 2006 Volumes 6 Manga: Gravity Boys and Lifting Girl Author Miki Kizuki Publisher Kadokawa Shoten Serialized in Comptiq Original run...

Awards

• Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 2007.^[10]

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• "Bury the chains: The British Struggle to Abolish Slavery", Hochschild, Adam, 2005
• "Amazing Grace: The Story of America's Most Beloved Song", Turner, Steve, 2002.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Amazing Grace

• Amazing Grace: The Story of John Newton
• Amazing Grace and other Gospel Lyrics
• Amazing Grace Original Lyrics
• Amazing Grace myths at the Urban Legends Reference Pages
• Art of the States: Amazing Grace variations on the hymn by composer John Harbison

Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... The Urban Legends Reference Pages, also known as snopes. ... John Harbison John Harris Harbison (born December 20, 1938 in Orange, New Jersey) is a composer, best known for his operas and large choral works. ...

Audio samples

• Amazing Grace and other Hymns from 1886 hymnal

Amazing grace

from the Library of Congress' John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip; performed by Mr. and Mrs. N.V. Braley on 5 May 1939 at the home of Beal D. Taylor near Medina, Texas

Amazing grace

Amazing grace

Performed on an Organ

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