29 Amazing Grace. Information. Teaching and rehearsing. Ideas. Starting

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1 29 Amazing Grace RSOURCS PSee the Poular Voiceworks 2 webage for full erformance and melodic embellishment audio tracks Information Written by John Newton in the eighteenth century, Amazing Grace is such a familiar song that it really needs no introduction. Newton saw Amazing Grace as a song about siritual renewal, and it has become an almost ubiquitous Christian hymn, but the words can equally aly to any situation in which a lost soul feels found. The song has been sung and layed in so many different ways over the years. Classic erformances include those by Mahalia Jackson, Judy Collins, lvis Presley, and Aretha ranklin. This arrangement is in five flexible sections: Piano Introduction/Link Melody with Accomaniment: a simle version of the song that can be sung in unison. There are also some simle oo or ah harmonies, which can be used as a backing for a soloist singing the melody or an imrovised vocal solo, on their own as a meditation, or as an introduction or conclusion. mbellished Melody or Imrovised Solo: two versions of the melody, one slightly embellished and one highly embellished; singers can also use the chord symbols to create a free imrovisation. Big inish: a show-stoing shout chorus with divisi arts, leading to a semitone/half-ste rise and an unaccomanied section, which is more vocally and musically demanding. Small inish: an alternative, simler ending, accessed from a rerise of the initial melody section by taking the coda sign. Whereas much choral rehearsal is geared towards creating a single erfect erformance, the goal of the activities below is to oen u new musical ossibilities, so your grou s erformance can be different each time. Starting To familiarize your grou with the sound and style of gosel singing, listen to a recording of the song and focus on hrases that are articularly striking or emotional. In each case, ask the grou to resond in one of the following ways: sing the hrase, however imerfectly describe the hrase in words create a visual reresentation using notes, squiggly lines, ictures, or any other means Then discuss as a grou. Think about vowels, tone colour, sense of ace and drama, the use of silences between hrases, and anything else that comes u. Teaching and rehearsing Start by singing the melody and words the basis. Learn verse from memory right away, and in subsequent rehearsals verses 2 and 3 too (see the next age for the lyrics). Learn the oo / ah harmonies (the choice of vowel is yours), and then combine this with the melody. ither have half the grou on the backings (slit into three arts) and half on the melody, or ask a soloist to sing the melody. Next all retend to be basses and sing the roots of the chords, as indicated by the chord symbols. Now sing the first section through, incororating the melody and the oo s and ah s with iano accomaniment. You will need to take a decision before the rehearsal about whether to use the Big inish or Small inish, deending on the vocal range and exerience of your singers. Teach whichever inish you choose in the same way, building u the arts one by one. If working by rote, focus on the bars with auses and try teaching each segment bit by bit. ventually teach both sections if you can, to allow flexibility in erformance. Ideas Now look at the section with the embellished melody. Introduce the concet of embellishing as simly adding your own twist to the existing tune. Use the ideas below as starting oints for exloration. Listen and coy: as an aural exercise, ask the grou to coy and memorize secific hrases found in classic erformances or the recordings on the Poular Voiceworks 2 webage. Imitate itch, rhythm, vowel sound, tone colour, and dynamics in each case. At this oint accuracy is not imortant, as long as the sirit is there. Then try singing the original melodic hrase, followed directly by your embellished version. Now look at some secific techniques that are commonly used when singers embellish melodies, referring to the Slightly mbellished Melody in the score (from bar 2). Timing: try delaying a note, as with my in bar 22. Sing behind the beat, or lace a word one or two beats late, to add emhasis or rhythmic tension 29. Amazing Grace

2 make the listener wait. Then try anticiating a note be early, to create surrise, as at the end of bar 23. Singers even slit words at times, for examle between Ama- and -zing. Pitches: consider adding a blue note, such as a minor third to relace a major third (the Gb in bars 22, 29, and 3), to darken a hrase and add a gritty dissonance with the accomaniment. Alternatively, simlify the melody by omitting a itch to add directness to the shae of a line. Adding an extra itch to a melody, such as on -ear in bar 32, can change its direction or colour, as can altering an existing itch, such as the C on re- in bar 26. Runs and smears: try a entatonic run (bar 29) to give energy and momentum to a slow ballad or, as here, to create contrast with the receding notes. Also try smearing u from a lower note, as in bar 3, to emhasize a articular word; sliding u in itch where the melody goes down, for an unexected surrise (bar 23); or sliding down in itch from the note above. Ask more advanced readers to look at the notated highly embellished melody from bar 2 can they sot other techniques used in the embellishment? This is the version recorded in the full erformance track on the Poular Voiceworks 2 webage. Listen to the other recorded embellishments for further aural examles. Listen out Check the tuning at the key change in the Big inish, focusing esecially on the semitone movement between bars 5 and 52, and the unison at the beginning of bar 53. Listen for balance at bar 59, where singers are divided into a number of arts and are high u in their range. nsure that individual soloists make good judgements about how much to embellish the melody. Often one imaginative embellishment well executed is worth more than four less imaginative ones. The underlying melodic shae should always remain clear. Watch for any individuals getting carried away and beginning to show off. A soloist should be just one art of a musical team working together. Performing Once you ve learnt all the sections (Big inish, Small inish, and mbellished Melody/Imrovised Solo), you can vary the structure each time you sing. Here are three ideas to start with (dynamics in brackets): Melody in unison () Melody with oo s and ah s (m) mbellished Melody (solo) with oo s and ah s (mf ) Imrovised Solo (f) Big inish (f toff ). oo s and ah s a caella () Imrovised Solo with oo s and ah s (m) Melody in unison (m) Grou imrovising (mf ) mbellished Melody (solo) with oo s and ah s () Melody in unison (m) Small inish ( to). Grou imrovising () Piano Introduction with continued grou imrovisation () oo s and ah s (m tomf ) Melody in unison () mbellished Melody (solo) with oo s and ah s a caella () Soloist continues to imrovise, gradually reducing to nothing. The iano art may be embellished throughout. xeriment with omitting the iano in some sections, to rovide textural contrast and give singers the disciline of singing a caella. Agree signals to show which section is coming next erhas one finger for section, two for section 2, and so on. Soloists should ste forward to give them rominence (and to ensure the rest of the grou can hear them). Try adding a simle ste-touch movement in three-time: right together still left together still Verse Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I m found, was blind but now I see. Verse 2 Twas grace that taught my heart to feel and grace my fears relieved. How recious did that grace aear, the hour I first believed. Verse 3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. God s grace has brought me safe thus far, and he will lead me home Amazing Grace

3 29 Amazing Grace Piano Introduction/Link Sorano Alto Tenor Bass Piano Trad. American arr. Charles Beale Vbbb 98 r. r. r. Bbbb 98 r. r. r. Gosel ballad; whole hearted i. = 66 nc b/g Am7(b5) b/bb Bb9(sus4) b Ab/b b V bbb 98 Š Še. Š. Š. Š. ŠŠ. Š. =Š. bš. #Š /. Š... Bbbb 98 r. r. Š. Š. = Š Š.... Š.. Š.. Melody with Accomaniment Oxford University Press 22 Vbbb m Š Še Š Š r. r.. Š.. bš.. Š. Š.. (4) A - maz - ing grace, how sweet the sound that ah/oo Bbbb r.. Š.. Š... r. Š.. Š. Š. r. Š. V bbb Bb7 b ŠŠ. Š... b b7. b9/g Ab b Bb7 Š Š Š.. f Š.. ŠŠ. Bbbb Š.. Š. Š. Š. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. Š. This age may be hotocoied Š Še r. ah/oo 29. Amazing Grace 3

4 saved a wretch like me. I Vbbb. Š. Š Š. Š Še. Š. Š. r. Š Še 9. Š.. Š t. Š. Š. Š. Š. ah/oo ah/oo Bbbb. t. Š.. Š. Š. Š.. Š Š... Š Š... r. * ah/oo Vbbb b b/d Cm7 Cm m Bb7 Bb9(sus4) Bb3. Š.. ŠŠ.. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. Š. Š. Bbbb Š. Š. Š.. Š... Š Š.... Š. once was lost but now I m found, was Vbbb. Š. Š Š r. r. b. Š.. Š. Š.. Š Še r. ah/oo Bbbb. Š. r.. Š.. #Š.. r. Š.. Š. Š. =Š. 3 ah/oo ah/oo ah/oo b b3 /G Ab Ab7 b B V bbb. Š #Še Š/Š.... b=. Š. #Š.. ( b)šš. Bbbb Š. Š. #Š Š... Š.. Š. Š.. Š. =Š. * small notes otional Amazing Grace This age may be hotocoied Oxford University Press 22

5 ot. to Small inish O blind but now I see. Vbbb. Š. Š Š. Š.. Š.. 7 ah/oo Bbbb. Š. Š. Š. =Š. bš. Š. =Š.. Š.. Š.. ot. to Small inish O Cm Am7(b5) b/bb Bb9(sus4) b Ab/b b V bbb. Š... Š. =Š. bš.. Š... Bbbb Š. Š. =Š... Š.. Š.. mbellished Melody or Imrovised Solo Oxford University Press 22 Slightly embellished melody Highly embellished melody Imrovised solo Vbbb Š Še. Š. Š Š. t bš Š W Twas grace that taught my Vbbb Š. Š Š Š Š. Š Š Š Š Š Š Š bš Š Š Š. bš ŠbŠŠ Š (2) Twas grace that taught my Vbbb X X X X X X X V bbb ŠŠ. Š. Š Še Še t Bb7 b Še b7 b Š. Š. b/g Š. Bbbb mf Š.. Š. Š. Š. Š. This age may be hotocoied 29. Amazing Grace 5

6 Vbbb. Š Š Š Še Š r. 23 Š Še. Š. Š Š heart to feel, and grace my Vbbb Š Š Š Š. Š Še Š Š Š Š t Š. Š Š Š. r Š Š heart to feel, and grace my Vbbb X X X X X X X X X Ab b Bb7 b b/d V bbb Š. Š. Š. Š. Š. Š. Š. Š. Š.. Š Š Š Š f f Bbbb. Š.. Š. Š. Š. Š. Š. Š. Vbbb. Š Še. Š. Š. r. Š Še 26 fears re W - lieved. How W fears re - lieved. How Vbbb ŠŠŠŠŠŠŠ Š Š. u Š Š Š. Š. Š. r. Š/bŠ Š Š Š ( Vbbb X X X X X X X X X V bbb Š. Š. ŠŠŠ. Š. Š Š. Š. Š Cm7 Cm m Bb7. Bb9(sus4) Š. Bb3 ŠŠ. Bbbb. Š.. Š.. Š. Š Amazing Grace This age may be hotocoied Oxford University Press 22

7 Vbbb Š. Š Še ŠbŠ Š Š. Še =Š r. bš Še. Š. 29 re - cious W did that grace a - Vbbb ŠŠŠŠ. Š Š ŠbŠ Š Š Š =Š Š Š Š. Š f ŠbŠŠ Š Š Š Š. Š Še re - cious did that grace a - Vbbb X X X X X X X X X b b3 /G Ab Ab7 V bbb. Š Š b f Š Š. Š. b Š. Š. Š. bšš. Bbbb Š. Š. #Š Š... Š.. Š.. Oxford University Press 22 Vbbb Š Š Š r. 32 Š Še. Š. Š Š X Š. Š Š Š Š. Š Š f Š bšššš Š Š - ear, the hour I Vbbb Š Š Š r. - ear, the hour I Vbbb X X X X X X b B Cm Am7(b5) V bbb Š Š. ( b)šš. Š. Š Še Š. ( b)še Bbbb Š. Š. =Š. Š. Š. =Š. This age may be hotocoied 29. Amazing Grace 7

8 Vbbb Š. Š Š Š bš Š Š u Š Š. Š. r. 34 first V ( ( be-lieved. Vbbb Š ŠbŠŠŠ. bš Š Š Š Š Š Š. Š Š Š first be - lieved. t r. r. Vbbb X X X X X X X X b/bb Bb9(sus4) b Ab/b b V bbb Š. =ŠŠ. bš. Š. Š Še Š Še. Bbbb. Š. Š. Š.. Š. Š. Š. Big inish (36) Sorano Sorano 2 Alto/ High tenor Tenor/ Bass f Vbbb98 Š Š... Š. ŠŠ. bš.. Š. Š. r. Š ŠeŠ f A - maz - ing grace, how sweet the sound that f Vbbb98 Š Še. Š. ŠŠ. Š.. Š. r. Š. Š Še A - maz - ing grace, how sweet the sound that f Bbbb Š.. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. r. Š. (Tenors 8ve above as nec.) A - maz - ing grace, how sweet the sound that Amazing Grace Bb7 b b7 b9/g Ab b Bb7 V bbb ŠŠ Š. Š... Š. b Š.. Š.. ŠŠ. Bbbb f Š.. Š. Š. Š. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. Š. This age may be hotocoied Oxford University Press 22

9 Vbbb Š Še. Š.. Š. Š Š. Š.. Š. Š. r. Š Š.. 4 saved a wretch like me. I Vbbb. Š. Š Š. Š Še. Š. Š. r.. Š. Š. (Lower 8ve for tenors only) saved a wretch like me. I Bbbb. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. Š. r. Š. saved a wretch like me. I b b/d Cm7 Cm m V bbb Š. Š Še Š.. ŠŠŠ.. Š. Š. Š. Š. Bbbb Š. Š. Š.. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. Bb7 Bb9(sus4) Bb3 Vbbb. Š. b. r. r Še ŠeŠ Še Š Š f f Š Š t Š. Š. f 45 Š Š e Oxford University Press 22 once was lost but now I m found, once was Vbbb. Š. ŠŠ. Š.. Š. r. Š. Š Še once was lost but now I m found, was Bbbb. Š.. Š.. Š. Š t Š. =Š. once was lost but now I m found, once was b b3 /G Ab Ab7 b B V bbb. Š bše Š... #ŠŠŠ.. ( b)šš. Bbbb Š. Š. #Š Š... Š.. Š.. Š Š.. Š. =Š. This age may be hotocoied 29. Amazing Grace 9

10 Vbbb. Š. ŠŠ. Š. =Š. bš.. Š. ==.. r. #### =Š =Š f 49 ff blind but now I see. A - Vbbb. Š. ŠŠ. Š.. Š.. =Š =Še #### blind but now I see. A - Bbbb Š. Š. =Š.. Š.. Š. =. Š. #### blind but now I see. ah V bbb. Š.. Š. Š. Š.. == #ŠŠŠ #. # Š Š.. #ŠŠ #### Š. =Š. bš.. Bbbb Š. Š. Š. = Š Š.... Š. Š Š.. = Š. # Š Š.. # Š. #### Cm Am7(b5) b/bb Bb9(sus4) b Ab/b B7 /C# B7/D# cresc. ff A-maz- ing grace, V # ### r ŠeŠ. =. Š. Š. Š ŠeŠŠŠ Š. Š. Š.. Š. ŠŠ Š Š Š. f Š.. Š. Š. r. Š Š f. Š maz - ing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a V # ###. Š. ŠŠ. Š.. Š. r. Š. Š Še. Š. ŠŠ - maz - ing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a B#### Š. r. r. ff ff V# ### Š. r. r. B#### ff Š Š.. r. r. 29. Amazing Grace This age may be hotocoied Oxford University Press 22

11 V # ###. Š (#)Š. Š. Š. ŠŠ. Še Š f Š. Š. r. Š Š Š Š. Š. Š Š. f Š. ŠŠ 58 V # ###. * wretch like me, like me. I once was (Lower 8ve for tenors only) Š Š Š = Š Š Š Š. Š. Š. r. Š. Š. Š Š e.. Š. ŠŠ wretch like me. I once was B#### r. r. Š.. Š. ff I once was V# ### r. t Š Š ŠŠŠŠŠŠ Š. r. > > Š. m ff B#### t Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š.. Š. > Š. > > nc B7 V # ###. =Š Š... Š. Še Š. r. Š Š. Š. ŠŠ f 62 lost but now I m found, was blind but V # ###. Š.. Š. r. Š. Š Še. Š. ŠŠ lost but now I m found, was blind but B#### Š. Š. Š. Š.. Š. Š. r. Š. Š. Š. #Š. lost but now I m found, was blind but Oxford University Press 22 V# ### = 9 /G# A7. = ŠŠ Š Š = Š =Š.. ŠŠŠ. #. /D# Š. Š. Š Še C#m7 A#m7(b5) Š.. B#### Š Š.. Š. (#)Š... Š. Š Š.. Š Š.. Š. Š Š.. Š. #Š. * small notes otional This age may be hotocoied 29. Amazing Grace

12 V # ### mf. Š.. Š. #.. Š Še. Š. Š Š f 66 rit. a temo now I see, was blind but V # ###. Š.. Š.. Š Še. Š. Š Š now I see, was blind but B####. Š.. Š.. mf ŠŠ. Še. Š. Š Š now I see, was blind but V# Z ### Š Š/=Š Š.. Š Š Š. Š. Š.. Š. #ŠŠŠ. Š. Š.. Š Š B####. Š.. Š... Š Š. mf.. r.. Š.. Š. V # ### r. r.. Š.. Š.. Š. Š. 7 rit. /B B9(sus4) C#m7 #9 nc /B gliss. Ped. T. B. mf slower a temo now I see, but V # ###. Š.. Š Še r. r. #. Š. Š. now I see, I see, but B####.. Š.. Š. Še.. Š. Š. Š Š f V# ### B#### (ot. m solo) now I see, was blind but slower maj7/b B9(sus4) C#m7 #9 C#m7 /B Amazing Grace. Š. Š.. Š Še Š Še # Š. Še. Š.. Š.. Š. Š Š.. Š. Š.. Š Š... Š. Š. dim. This age may be hotocoied Oxford University Press 22

13 V # ###. Š. r... Š.. Š.. 74 V # ### now I see, now I see!. Š.. r. now I see. B####. Š. Š.. Š. r.. Š.. Š.. V# ### B#### Small inish S. A. dim.. Š.. Š.. dim. now I see, now I see! dim. now I see, now I see.. Š.. ŠŠŠ.. Š.. r... Š.. Š.. Š.. r. maj7/b G#m7 A(add2) A see, Vbbb. Š.. Š Še. Š. Š Š. Š. f O79 gliss Oxford University Press 22 T. B. (ah/oo) was blind but now I Bbbb Š Še. Š. =. r... Š.. Š.. Š. O was blind but now I Cm7 9 nc b/bb bmaj7/bb Bb9(sus4) V bbb. Š. =. Š. Š.. Š Š. Š. Bbbb Š Š.. Š. Š.. r.. Š.. Š.. Š.. Š. This age may be hotocoied 29. Amazing Grace 3

14 but now I Vbbb r. r.. Š.. Š. Š. Š Š. Š. Š Š. Š. f 83 gliss. (ot. solo) see, was blind but now I now I see, blind but now I Bbbb r. Š. Š Še =. r. r. Š. Š.. Š.. Š... r. r. Š. see, Cm7 9 Cm7 b/bb bmaj7/bb Gm7 V bbb Š.. Š Še Š Še = Š. Še. Š.. Š. Bbbb Š Š.. Š. Š.. Š Š... Š.. Š.. Š. dim. I rit. see, now I see! Vbbb r.. Š... Š.. Š.. Š.. 87 dim. Bbbb see!. r.. Š... Š.. Š.. see, now I see! dim. see, now I see! rit. Ab(add2) Ab b b V bbb. ŠŠŠ.. Š.. r. Bbbb. Š.. Š.. r Amazing Grace... Ē This age may be hotocoied Oxford University Press 22