Amazing Grace - Jon Bickley with Marylynn Rouse - John Newton, the scripture

Invisible Folk Club Podcasts

In this episode Jon talks talk to Marylynn Rouse founder and Director of the John Newton Project, a charity established to make available previously unpublished sermon notes, letters and other material by John Newton. Marylynn has written and presented extensively on Newton's life and writing. We talk about the tunes associated with Amazing Grace on its way to the one with which we are familiar today. We discuss Newton's remarkable ability with languages and the profusion of writing and scripture that gave rise to Amazing Grace. https://www.johnnewton.org/

From July 2022 to July 2023 a small English town called Olney will be at the centre of commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of the writing of 'Amazing Grace' possibly the world's most beloved hymn. The famous words were written by Revd John Newton in the weeks leading up to his New Year's Day service at St Peter & St Paul Church on 1st January 1773. The hymn, in various musical styles, has gone on to inspire countless people and has even become known in America as the nations's 'spiritual anthem.' https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/amazing-grace-250-commemorations/