Amazing Grace

Lyrics

Traditional melody harmonized by Edwin O. Excell (1900) and Lyrics by John Newton (1779): The most recognizable religious tune written to date, Amazing Grace has been translated into virtually every language known to the world. 19th Century missionaries carried it with them to previously unknown societies around the world. Rock stars have been known to perform it in concert. It is in every published Christian hymnal. PBS even produced a television special about the history of just this one tune. The melody is assumed to be 17th century Appalachian in origin, although the varying versions of published words can be absolutely traced to John Newton, among others who have either added to or translated it. Amazing Grace is universal, and I have heard all sorts of arrangements, even ragtime in nature. Being a church music leader myself, I prefer a more traditional gospel approach, and I have used this with some of the best singers anyone could ever work with. Even then, this anthem makes great singers out of anyone. I hope it induces you to sing and experience the praise along with me.

The Battle Hymn of The Republic

Lyrics

Phillip Simonds (M) and Julia Ward Howe (L) - 1862: It seems that every war the United States has been involved with has yielded some very memorable songs. No war was more horrific for us than our own American Civil War. As a song of inspiration which was needed by many sending their men off to the war, Julia Ward Howe adapted verses in 1861 with a religious message to a popular secular protest song written the previous year, John Brown's Body. That song was derived from an 1858 Methodist Hymn titled Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us copyrighted by G.S. Scofield, plus the popular Glory, Hallelujah chorus, which remains largely the same. In the early 20th century, musicians in New Orleans took many pieces from the popular liturgy and adapted them for funeral marches and subsequent celebration parades back from the cemetery. This has long been a favorite of traditional jazz bands because of its inherent adaptability. Incidentally, the John Brown mentioned in the earlier incarnation of the tune referred to Sergeant John Brown who died at Fort Warren in Massachusetts, not the John Brown famous for his raid on Harper's Ferry, Maryland in 1861.

Do Lord

Lyrics

Anonymous - c. 1920's: One of the earliest popular praise choruses, this venerable number of nebulous origin is based loosely on Battle Hymn of The Republic written during the American Civil War. Do Lord emerged in part in the 1920's and became popular at church meetings, although not always during worship time. Until then, spirituals were among the only religious pieces that were truly strophic - verse and chorus format. Most hymns are a repeated verse-only melody with multiple verses, and maybe a common tag. Do Lord seems to automatically induce the need to clap largely due to the chorus syncopations. Ragging it is not only the next logical step, but may be part of its development as well.