Bagpipes play Amazing Grace at the 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally

[wildrover]

I am pretty sure the story of the author's conversion from slave ship captain to anti-slavery beliefs was the reason the song was chosen. Mr. Beck has referred to that story several times.

Anyway I just thought some of y'all might like to see the video

I actually didn't know that history until you guys brought it up in this thread...it puts the song in a whole new light.

Doesn't mean I'm any more likely to play it, though...my favorites run to things like Black Bear, Mrs. John MacColl, Scots Guards Farewell to Sharjah, Colonel Robertson, 79th Farewell to Gibraltar, Black Watch at Al Basrah...

...tunes to which the American public, in general, has absolutely no connection. In addition to having a powerful back story, the song has been adopted by churches left and right. I have no idea if they are aware of the history...maybe yes, maybe no. What remains is that AG is a recognizable, powerful, and memorable tune capable of bringing together a large segment of the Western population, religious or not.

Thinking it over a little more, it probably was the best choice. It is relatively apolitical, the back story is a powerful one and resonates with American history, it is widely known in religious circles and many more conservative minds in America are also religious, it is not aggressive, and at worst is bittersweetly uplifting...not a bad song for the moment. I can think of other tunes that would've been more appropriate in my mind, but all would've been a curiosity to the audience, as opposed to the powerful union that resulted from a pipe band in full dress playing AG.

If anything, I'm really only bummed that people don't recognize other tunes. Other than that, if I'm griping, it's just to be nitpicky.

*edit* Oh yeah. Forgot to bring up this point. Listen to this set...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlvcGZgA0yw

Or this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIg6sk0Pscw

And compare the emotion in those song to AG. If they'd played this set, the crowd might've been more likely to stroll over to the Capitol building and clean house ...and then throw a party. They needed AG...

The GHB was designed to play "the big music". I wish instead that "The Desperate Battle" was what came to mind when people thought "bagpipe music"...

Made my day

Here it is, BTW...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiwKQQAXYuM

-Sean

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I am pretty sure the story of the author's conversion from slave ship captain to anti-slavery beliefs was the reason the song was chosen.

Actually, the "conversion" isn't quite as portrayed in the movie, AMAZING GRACE-- it involved turning to religion during a storm at sea and, as far as can be told, had nothing to do with a sudden aversion to slavery, or the slave trade. Newton (author of the poem "Amazing Grace") only left the sea some three or four years later when his physical health deteriorated-- still, incidentally, involved in slaving, now as the captain of a slave ship. "Amazing Grace" has been set to a number of tunes over the years, the current tune being "borrowed" from the song "New Britain", and has nothing to do with Scotland, although the song itself was extremely popular as a revival song during the Second Great Awakening in the United States in the 19th century, especially in the South and deep South.

Newton himself was English, and when he was eventually ordained, it was in the Church of England. It was as an English clergyman that he wrote and had published a number of religious poems (including "Amazing Grace"), mostly dealing with the theme of conversion, that were later set to music, often borrowed from other hymns.

As much as I deplore wikipedia, there is an excellent (and scholarly) article on there about AG and the man who wrote it. Google AMAZING GRACE for the complete (and fascinating) story.

[PGH]

And the crowd gets to find out that the tune doesn't "go" very well on the pipes so is butchered to fit. That's why they couldn't sing along, it's not the same version that piano lady plays in church.

I met some RSDG pipers a couple of years ago and they are still playing the pipes the regiment bought with the Amazing Grace royalties all those years ago.

[piperdbh]

And the crowd gets to find out that the tune doesn't "go" very well on the pipes so is butchered to fit. That's why they couldn't sing along, it's not the same version that piano lady plays in church.

I must disagree. The tune, as played on the 'pipes, is correct. The tune as, played in many churches, is altered to avoid the downward leap of of a fourth at the words "...lost, but now...". It's easier to sing the upward skip of a major 3rd than to jump down a 4th, and it lies a little better "under the fingers" on a keyboard to play it that way, too, hence the alteration to the tune.
A lot of folks find the 'pipes a bit too high to sing along with, by the way.

[Mike_Oettle]

MacMillan of Rathdown wrote: “Actually, the ‘conversion’ isn't quite as portrayed in the movie, AMAZING GRACE”

Well, actually, the conversion of John Newton is not portrayed in the movie Amazing Grace. Newton is an incidental character, shown chiefly within his own parish church. The movie is about Wilberforce.
Regards,
Mike

[PGH]

I must disagree. The tune, as played on the 'pipes, is correct. The tune as, played in many churches, is altered to avoid the downward leap of of a fourth at the words "...lost, but now...". It's easier to sing the upward skip of a major 3rd than to jump down a 4th, and it lies a little better "under the fingers" on a keyboard to play it that way, too, hence the alteration to the tune.
A lot of folks find the 'pipes a bit too high to sing along with, by the way.

The tune as played in church is older than the bagpipe's arrangement and was called "New Britain". The RSDG version followed on from Judy Collin's nineteen sixty-something arrangement and was altered to fit the pipes better.

[Kiltedfirepiper]

I never play amazing grace for family members, only for paying customers. When my mother passed away i played pink floyd's " on the turning away" and "going home".

I do this because when i play for customers i don't want to think about my own family members, it would make it infinitely harder to play.

[capthazmat]

I was one of the 7 pipers at the Restoring Honor Rally. We where the third band in line to get this gig, COW and DCFD Pipes & Drums said they could not perform due to scheduling conflicts.

Glenn Beck called all the shots including the music. We had no idea until Friday that we will have solo and choir singing along with us as we played. The singer also had no idea but he was happy we where in the key of B flat.

Tuning was an issue as always, it was hot plus we had a 20min plus down time from tuning to playing. We had 2 more pipers but due to stage size we had to cut two pipers.

Our band is a 501C3 non-profit. We are not an affiliated with our Local Union or Fire Rescue Dept. but we work very closely with both and the local Volunteer departments. By doing this the band always holds the cards. Some county council members did not want us to perform for this event due to its political overtures.

It was an awesome day! I hope we honored not only our countrymen but our fellow pipers.

[Lallans]

I was one of the 7 pipers at the Restoring Honor Rally. We where the third band in line to get this gig, COW and DCFD Pipes & Drums said they could not perform due to scheduling conflicts.

Glenn Beck called all the shots including the music. We had no idea until Friday that we will have solo and choir singing along with us as we played. The singer also had no idea but he was happy we where in the key of B flat.

Tuning was an issue as always, it was hot plus we had a 20min plus down time from tuning to playing. We had 2 more pipers but due to stage size we had to cut two pipers.

Our band is a 501C3 non-profit. We are not an affiliated with our Local Union or Fire Rescue Dept. but we work very closely with both and the local Volunteer departments. By doing this the band always holds the cards. Some county council members did not want us to perform for this event due to its political overtures.

It was an awesome day! I hope we honored not only our countrymen but our fellow pipers.

Anyone surprised by my previously expressed liturgical knowledge, I mean coming from a pagan such as myself, should know that Glenn taught me everything I knew about Amazing Grace and he is not responsible for any errors of memory either. Mr Beck's event is despised only because of his perceived political stance on TV and not for any of the actual content or context of the event itself. I mean, imagine the horror, he advocates putting the Constitution ahead of Saul Alinski himself! So, IMHO, and speaking purely as a Canadian outsider, you did your countrymen, your fellow pipers- and also yourself- more than proud.