Everyone can play “Amazing Grace”, right?
But I’ve become unaccountably (and entirely unnecessarily) irritated by the difference in the tune as it’s sung in Church and as it appears in the all the folk books. I used to think this was one of those British/American differences, but my copy of the United Methodist Hymnal has the same tune as we sing over here.
Does anyone know where the difference comes from? And which, if it can be known, is original?
I’m unaware of the difference, could you explain?
Well, it’s not a folk song, but a hymn written by an Anglican priest, so I’m not surprised that the version found in various church hymnals would be pretty much standard across the board. What differences are you thinking of, specifically? Is it the grace notes and triplets so often used to embellish the tune when it’s played on the pipes (or the whistle)? I’d chalk that up to adapting a tune to an instrument. Is it a difference in lyrics? (shouldn’t be many, as the song’s origin and authorship are known, and the lyrics well-established. There is one verse commonly sung that wasn’t written by John Newton, but I’m only aware of the one).
This link goes into a bit about the song’s origins:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/m/amazgrac.htm
If you want to go into the differences you’ve noted a bit more, maybe we can shed a bit more light.
Redwolf
Ah, I see. I’ve just re-read, and you are talking about the tune itself. For that, then, I have no idea. The tune it’s set to in the U.S. is “New Britain,” and my choral albums from England (Kings at Cambridge, Huddersfield Choral Society, etc.) use the same tune and harmonization that we use over here.
Redwolf
Yes, I was talking about the tune rather than the lyrics.
The difference I had in mind is principally the third line. The “church” version has (assumin 3/4 time):
B | d>B d/2 B/2 | G2 D | E>G G/2 E/2 | D2
whereas the “folk” version has
B/2 d/2 | d2 3(BAG | B2 B/2 A/2 | G2 E | D2
(With apologies if I’ve made a hash of the abc)
I think that must count as a bit more than an embellishment - it is certainly confusing if the 2 versions try to co-exist!
I’ve noticed the whistle setting is pretty similar to the GHB setting. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it.
Cheers,
Aaron
Ah, i see. More of a variation than an embellishment. I play it both ways without thinking much about it. I tend to use the version with the triplets (aka “folk”) more.
g
The origins of the tune itself are somewhat folkloric, appearing unattributed in early American shapenote tunebooks. But, most likely, the versions heard in modern folk sources are derived, ultimately, from the standard printed sources.
There is a lot of nonsense floating around, concerning the composing of this tune. Some even claiming it was a tune that Newton learned from slaves, when he was ship captain, an obvious fallacy, as the tune “New Britain” was added in America, after Newton’s time.
Here is the score, as it appeared in the Southern Harmony (1835), which is the first known pairing of the words “Amazing Grace” and the tune “New Britain,” (it had been published as tune for other hymns previously, as far back as about 1815). Note that the melody is in the center staff. Note, also, that in these older versions the second quatrain was repeated.
I will also note that the arrangements vary a bit from hymnbook to hymnbook, in my comparisons. The most common arrangement is from around the turn of the 20th Century, by Edwin O. Excell, I think.
I grew up in the American Anglican (Episcopal) Church, and, as a kid, I can only remember your folk version being sung. When I was in the choir we did the folk version in 4 part harmony. we sang the first verse, 2nd, 3rd, and then repeated the first. We did a lot of folk music including a folk mass which may have influenced our choir director. Later I belonged to an inter-denominational fellowship that did the folk version and sang only the first 3 verses then repeated the first.
I am thinking that as this tune became a standard grave side song. It became merged with other denominations’ versions and simplified to just the three verses.
BTW, there was another folk version of the song that was circulating in the 60’s and 70’s that again used only the first three verses. The melody was from a version of “The House of the Rising Sun”.
Thanks for some fine replies. I’ll just have to live with my irritation!
Incidentally, the “Blind Boys of Alabama” have recorded a version of Amazing Grace set to “house of the Rising Sun” that must be one of the most beautiful and moving things ever to have been put on a CD.