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Amazing Grace
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Amazing Grace |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia 
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Was listening to the Diane Rehm show (NPR) last week and she had a guest who had written a book about the origins of the favorite hymn Amazing Grace (hence the topic here). One point was that it has been sung to many different tunes over the last couple of centuries (the most common tune is called new britton). One other tune they pointed out that fits is the old Animals classic 'House of the Rising Sun' and I also know it can be sung to the theme to Gilligan's Isle... How many tunes does anybody here know that also fit? |
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Local Parasite
since 2001-11-05
Posts 2527Transylconia, Winnipeg |
No clue. But I'll be trying to sing "amazing grace" along with any song I hear from now on, and I will get back to you. I'd have to say, the structure of "Amazing Grace" is very, very common (it's simple ballad), so I suppose any song that uses this format could sing Amazing Grace well. a/MAZ ing/GRACE how/SWEET the/SOUND that/SAVED a/WRETCH like/ME See? Very common in music. [This message has been edited by Local Parasite (12-12-2002 01:40 PM).] |
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Local Parasite
since 2001-11-05
Posts 2527Transylconia, Winnipeg |
In fact the song I'm listening to right now could sing Amazing Grace, if it was meant to be a bit more bleak and hopeless. Of course, you've never heard of the song I'm listening to, most likely...  |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
The lyrics are written in iambic heptameter - Ergo - They could be adapted to any tune that would fit that genre... I didn't know it had been associated with so many...  |
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Local Parasite
since 2001-11-05
Posts 2527Transylconia, Winnipeg |
quote: You think so, Nan? Depends where you want the line breaks to go. I'd say the rhymes mark the ends of the lines, which makes it ballad... |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
Yeah it was pretty common then to substitute words and tunes -- they were designed to be interchangeable so that the congregations could learn to sing them easier. |
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X Angel Senior Member
since 1999-11-07
Posts 1521Oregon |
I remember as a child when my father was the pastor of a very old Christian Church....our song books had 'other' tunes the song on that page could be sung to. It was really fascinating...it also had who wrote it and when and where they lived. We did Amazing Grace to the tune of Ghost Riders in the Sky in summer camp, that was memorable.  PS My boyfriend has introduced me to NPR. At first I balked, but it's growing on me....I have learned so much! [This message has been edited by X Angel (12-12-2002 03:30 PM).] |
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Local Rebel Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767Southern Abstentia |
NPR is great -- if you can get past the pledge drives... long time listener... glad you're getting into it. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem seems to work ok... |
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A Tone of Voice Member
since 2001-07-18
Posts 287 |
Hi there, I recently heard "The Blind Boys from Alabama" sing it to "The house of the Rising Sun" which was fantastic. I haven't thought about other tunes, but now that you've proposed this question, I will.....*S* ~I envy those who have perfected the art of being~ |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
Ballads are written primarily in iambic heptameter - often with line breaks of four/three iambic feet. |
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