Origins: Englandand US Words:John Newton, JohnNewton.org Melody: The melody “New Britain,” was paired with the text in 1835 by American Baptist song leader William Walker.
[This is a] Christian hymn published in 1779 by the English clergyman John Newton. Newton wrote the words from personal experience; he grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by others’ reactions to what they took as his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into service with the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel so severely that he called out to God for mercy. The moment marked his spiritual conversion, Newton began studying Christian theology and later became a British abolitionist. … Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper. “Amazing Grace” was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses; it may have simply been chanted by the congregation. It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton and Cowper’s Olney Hymns, but settled into relative obscurity in England. In the United States however, “Amazing Grace” was used extensively during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. It has been associated with more than 20 melodies, but in 1835 it was joined to a tune named “New Britain” to which it is most frequently sung today. [This union of melody to Newton’s words Is credited to William Walker, a shapenote singing master and Baptist songleader.] … During the civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War, the song took on a political tone [in the US]. Mahalia Jackson employed “Amazing Grace” for Civil Rights marchers, writing that she used it “to give magical protection – a charm to ward off danger, an incantation to the angels of heaven to descend … I was not sure the magic worked outside the church walls … in the open air of Mississippi. But I wasn’t taking any chances.
LRC Arrangement: The version we sing is derived from Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell ‘s (US) 3-part vocal version, inspired by Steven Hatfield’s (Canada) arrangement for voice and oboe.
Kaitie says: Maggie Wheeler arranged Ysaye’s adaptation for Goldenbridge Choir, which is where I learned it (Maggie is my mentor, and Ysaye is hers.) I made some slight adjustments from that for Living Room Choir in 2016.
Fall 2022: We often sing the arrangement from Ysaye, but this year so far we’ve sung the original melody in heterophony, a technique where the singers are intentionally out of sync with one another. We learned the name for this technique while singing in the SF SingFest with Mark Growden in 2019. Heterophony has a long and worldwide history, and is a common feature in non-Western traditional music. We found using heterophony over Zoom to be a sweet way to hear each other’s voices when we couldn’t sing in sync during lockdown.
Teaching tracks and recordings to be added. Please do not change the words when teaching this song.
Lyrics:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a soul like me I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.