Academic

The Debut of "Amazing Grace"

By Tim Zinnecker

Amazing Grace is one of the most beloved hymns of the Christian faith.  John Newton, slave trader turned abolitionist, penned the powerful words -- which were sung for the first time on this date in history in connection with a sermon Newton delivered in Olney, England, on New Year's Day in 1773. 

The song has been recorded by a diverse group of artists, including Aretha Franklin, Destiny's Child, Il Divo, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart, Randy Travis, and the Vienna Boys Choir.  It's also one of the selections on Susan Boyle's bestselling CD.

For more on the connection between this date in history and Newton's immortal classic, see here (NPR) and here (reflections by Chuck Colson).  

Pictured:  Amazing Grace:  The Story of America's Most Beloved Song, by Steve Turner (with a foreward by Judy Collins).

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on January 01, 2010 (boomark / email).