HYMN INFORMATION: Amazing Grace is probably the most beloved hymn of the last two centuries and is estimated to be sung or performed at least 10 million times annually. The words were written by English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton. He grew up without any particular religious conviction and had a difficult childhood. After service in the Royal Navy he became involved in the slave trade. In 1748, a violent storm battered his ship so severely that he called out to God for mercy, a moment that marked his spiritual conversion. He ended his seafaring around 1755 and began studying Christian theology. Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he wrote "Amazing Grace" to illustrate a sermon on New Year's Day of 1773. Originally sung to a variety of melodies, in 1835 it was paired with an anonymous tune named "New Britain" to which it is most frequently sung today.