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Amazing Grace
Last updated: 11.10.23
Amazing Grace is extremely well known in Germany and I sing it very often, accompanying myself with the concertina and sometimes, if I can squeeze it in, a melodic introduction on penny-whistle. There is a lot of confusion here in Germany as to where this song comes from. I've even met one gentleman who thinks that Amazing Grace is the American National Anthem! And furthermore, 100 Best Folk Songs For Recorder, by an American publisher, describes it as a Spiritual! Everybody seems to claim this tune, the Americans, the Scots, the Irish (of course!), the English and maybe the Welsh. Considering it as a song I tentatively place it as an English or possibly Welsh hymn.
I first heard the tune as bagpipe music when it was hit in 1972. The history to this hit lies in the merging of two Scottish Regiments, the 3rd Carabiniers and the Royal Scots Greys into the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The regimental bands, one a bagpipe band and the other, a brass band were also merged creating something at that time, quite unique namely the use of brass instruments with a traditional Scottish pipe and drum band. The sleeve note of an LP I possess of the same title, states that "Amazing Grace" is a 200-year-old American hymn tune. It could well be correct as John Wesley's first publication appeared in Charleston, South Carolina in 1737 according to The Oxford Companion to Music. One of my popular German songbooks states that the lyrics are by John Newton (1725-1807). The "Companion" also tantalisingly describes John Newton as a sea captain, Evangelical clergyman, and author (with Cowper) of the "Olney Hymns". (Olney, by the way, is village on the River Ouse in Buckinghamshire, somewhat to the south-east of Northampton - fascinating isn't it, dear Surfer?)
I first started singing it solo in 1992 and we do it almost each year at my private ceilidhs. Here we really muck around with it because the ladies have to imitate the brass while the gents imitate bagpipes. Loads of fun and quite juvenile of course!

With this song, my recorder and folk-music worlds overlap as I have played Amazing Grace on bass recorder a number of times with Blue Tuesday.


Since becoming a shapenote singer in December, 2011 I have had the pleasure of singing Amazing Grace in a number of different versions to whit 45t New Britain, 105 Jewett. 045a Amazing Grace (New Britain), 438b Jewett and 362 The Lord's Promise.
With this triple overlap - Folk/Recorder/Shape Note, I can only say HOW AMAZING!
There is a choral SATB arrangement of Amazing Grace by Siegfried Macht in Chor Liederbuch published by Scott Publications
  Issue Instruments Performer
       
  Midi File(s)   Sequencer(s)
audiomidi15.gif Midi Unknown
     Performer CD Title Supplier
       
cd15.gif Joan Baez Diamonds CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Joan Baez Rare, Live & Classic 1958-1989 CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif John Catchings Wayfaring Stranger flag15us.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif
cd15.gif Judy Collins Both Sides Now flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif
cd15.gif Judy Collins Colors of the Day: The Best of Judy Collins CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Pierre Cruzatte Pierre Cruzatte: A Musical Journey Along the Lewis & Clark Trail flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Hamish Imlach More & Merrier CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif
cd15.gif Various Ensembles Prayers flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Various Artists The Best of Wales flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif  Various Artists The Very Best of Welsh Choirs flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif
cd15.gif Mahalia Jackson Amazing Grace flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Mahalia Jackson Amazing Grace CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Mahalia Jackson Apollo Years flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Mahalia Jackson How I Got Over flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Jessye Norman Jessye Norman: Amazing Grace CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Jessye Norman Jessye Norman: Collection flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Bernice Johnson Reagon Bernice Reagon: Folk Songs: The South flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif The Robert Shaw Chorale Amazing Grace - American Hymns & Spirituals CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Pete Seeger Precious Friend CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif  The Weavers At Carnegie Hall, Vol 2 flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
     Title Performer Composer
       
youtube15.jpg Amazing Grace (4:05) Judy Collins
youtube15.jpg Amazing Grace (2:32) Sacred Harp Berlin
youtube15.jpg Amazing Grace (4:49) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards