Amazing Grace Song History

The song has been part of the burial of presidents and services for paupers.

Amazing grace song history. According to the dictionary of american hymnology amazing grace is john newton s spiritual autobiography in verse. Almost everyone has heard this powerful and uplifting song but not many people know much about its origins. It has been the cadence for civil rights marches and the theme of human rights campaigns. It could be sung to any tune.

At the time hymns didn t correspond to a particular piece of music. Steve turner s book amazing grace. In 1779 two hundred and eighty of these were collected and combined with sixty eight hymns by newton s friend and parishioner william cowper and published as the olney hymns. The story of america s most beloved song tells the story of composer john newton s conversion from slave trader to abolitionist and traces the evolution of the.

First appearing in print in the 1779 edition of olney hymns the song amazing grace has brought words of hope to enslaved people and comfort to mourners for nearly three centuries. The soaring spiritual describing profound religious elation is estimated to be performed 10 million times annually and. The story behind the hymn amazing grace written almost two and a half centuries ago in 1772 the words for the beloved song were borne from the heart mind and experiences of the englishman john newton. The words to amazing grace first appeared in 1779 in an edition of poems published in olney.

Music scholars think that amazing grace was sung at revivals to many different tunes but the one we recognize today is a melody called new britain first published with the amazing grace. Amazing grace is one of the most beloved hymns of the last two centuries. The story behind amazing grace amazing grace was written by author john newton when he landed safely in donegal ireland after being shipwrecked.