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"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779, written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the United States, where it is used for both religious and secular purposes. [1] [2] [3]
The hymn "Amazing Grace" exemplifies a standard form, with a four-line stanza, in which lines with four stressed syllables alternate with lines with three stressed syllables; stressed syllables are rendered in bold. 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.
As we look at another New Year’s Day, it’s a good time to reflect on a song that unites rather than divides us: the Rev. John Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace.”The hymn first appeared in ...
William Cowper (/ ˈ k uː p ər / KOO-pər; 15 November 1731 [2] / 26 November 1731 – 14 April 1800 [2] / 25 April 1800 ()) was an English poet and Anglican hymnwriter.. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th-century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside.
The vicarage in Olney, [21] where Newton wrote the hymn that would become "Amazing Grace". [22] In 1767, William Cowper, the poet, moved to Olney. He worshipped in Newton's church, and collaborated with the priest on a volume of hymns; it was published as Olney Hymns in 1779. This work had a great influence on English hymnology.
The Olney Hymns were very popular; by 1836 there had been 37 recorded editions, and it is likely that many other editions were printed in both Britain and America. As hymn-singing gained popularity in the nineteenth century, many (around 25) of the hymns were reproduced in other hymn-books and pamphlets.
Since the twentieth century, singer-songwriter hymns have become common, but in previous centuries, generally poets wrote the words, and musicians wrote the tunes. The texts are known and indexed by their first lines ("incipits") and the hymn tunes are given names, sometimes geographical (the tune "New Britain" for the incipit "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound").
This is a tremendously important and famous folk hymn. As the subject of a WP:FA , the article contains numerous renditions and notes that the lyrics have been set to about 20 musical arrangements. Due to the numerous musical settings it is quite likely that many versions are appropriate at FS and I am nominating three herewith.