Amazing Grace: The Story of a Song that Changed the World (Key Stage 2)
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 4
"Amazing Grace" is one of the most famous songs ever written. People all over the world recognise its beautiful tune, but the story behind the words is just as incredible. It is a story about how one man completely changed his life from being "lost" to being "found".
Who was John Newton?
The words to the song were written by an Englishman named John Newton, who lived over 200 years ago. When he was young, John was not a very kind man. He was a sailor and the captain of ships that took part in the slave trade, which involved the cruel transport of people from Africa to the Americas.
The Storm that Changed Everything
In 1748, while John was at sea near Ireland, a terrifying storm hit his ship. He was so afraid for his life that he called out to God for help. He survived the storm and called it his "great deliverance". This event made him start thinking about his life and the way he treated others.
Eventually, John left the sea and became a priest in the Church of England. He felt very sorry for his past and spent the rest of his life working to end slavery. He even helped William Wilberforce, a famous leader who fought to make slavery illegal.
Writing the Famous Hymn, Amazing Grace
John Newton wrote the words for a New Year’s Day church service in 1772. He wanted to explain how he felt about being forgiven for the bad things he had done.
Important Date | What Happened? |
1772 | John Newton wrote the lyrics for his church. |
1779 | The words were published in a book called Olney Hymns. |
1835 | The lyrics were finally joined with the famous "New Britain" tune. |
The Famous Melody
Did you know the tune we sing today wasn't the original one?
For many years, the words were sung to different music. In 1835, a composer named William Walker paired the words with a folk tune called "New Britain".
This tune (melody) uses a pentatonic scale, which means it only uses five notes. This is why the song sounds so simple and haunting.
The notes are different shapes because of a way of singing in America that started in 1801. It is still used in some places today.
In Stage 2 of the Achieve Guild Amazing Grace is written in G major.
Download the Music
In G major this means it uses all the notes of the G major scale except C (the fourth note) and F sharp (the seventh note).
Why do we still sing it?
In the 20th century, "Amazing Grace" became a song for people fighting for fairness and rights. During the Civil Rights Movement in America, famous singers like Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin sang it at rallies to give people hope.
Because the man who wrote it realized he was wrong and tried to do better, the song reminds everyone that it is always possible to change and be forgiven.
The video below is a modified versions that uses triplets to mimic the human voice as it slides into a note.
A Modified Version with Triplets
Download the Music
Quick Quiz
Who wrote the words to "Amazing Grace"?
What was John Newton's job before he became a minister?
What event made John Newton start changing his life?
What are the notes of a pentatonic scale from G?
Download the Worksheet
Glossary
Abolition: The act of officially ending something, like slavery.
Deliverance: Being rescued or set free from danger.
Hymn: A religious song or poem.
Pentatonic Scale: A five-note musical scale that sounds very universal.
