<Tr> <Th> Melody </Th> <Td> New Britain </Td> </Tr> <P> "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written by the English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton (1725--1807). </P> <P> Newton wrote the words from personal experience . He grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination . He was pressed (conscripted) into service in the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade . In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland, so severely that he called out to God for mercy, a moment that marked his spiritual conversion . He continued his slave trading career until 1754 or 1755, when he ended his seafaring altogether and began studying Christian theology . </P> <P> Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper . "Amazing Grace" was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year's Day of 1773 . It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses; it may have simply been chanted by the congregation . It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton and Cowper's Olney Hymns but settled into relative obscurity in England . In the United States, however, "Amazing Grace" was used extensively during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century . It has been associated with more than 20 melodies, but in 1835 it was joined to a tune named "New Britain" to which it is most frequently sung today . </P>

Who sings the song this is amazing grace