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 ...

‘Amazing Grace,’ a song of suffering to pull us together Jul 3, 2015 7:07 PM EST ...

‘Amazing Grace’ Review: A Hymn for the World’s Heart The words to ‘Amazing Grace’ were written by a clergyman with his own catalog of sins to repent. The tune we all know came later.

BALABAN: For a song with a 250-year history, the beauty of "Amazing Grace" is its ability to shapeshift. It's a religious text or not. It's a hymn or a gospel song or a folk song.

Amazing Grace : A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn James Walvin 216 pages; University of California Press $19.95 ...

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 ...

SIMON: "Amazing Grace." The song was first performed on New Year's Day 1773, over 250 years ago. NPR's Samantha Balaban is our guide through its extraordinary history.

BALABAN: It was this is the English Chamber Choir performing "Amazing Grace" to "Tune 14," a tune attached to Newton's words in an early hymn book. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AMAZING GRACE") ...