Amazing Grace: Obama Hits a Blue Note in Charleston
…song as he imagines Newton first heard it—all feeling, no words. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uknMdAlVN4I#t=4m48s The only problem with the moving backstory that inspired this evocative rendition is that is probably not true. The melody now known and beloved as “Amazing Grace” joined Newton’s verses decades after he composed them. Without a doubt, many spirituals do have their melodic roots in pre-Christian traditions the enslaved brought wit…
Read More