BILL MOYERS: AMAZING GRACE

I ordered this to replace my old VHS tape which had been viewed over and over. Now I can watch it on DVD and am SO pleased! This is not particularly a religious documentary, it's truly the story of a beautiful song. People of any and all religions, or of no religion at all, would still enjoy this I'm sure.The film takes us to many areas of the country and to many, many musicians and singers who feel a great deal of reverence for the song. We learn about John Newton's background and history, and what moved him, in 1779, to create this memorable poem. The words were set to their so familiar tune during the Second Great Awakening in the United States. A few of the artists who are featured here performing Amazing Grace, each in their own style, are Johnny Cash, Jessye Norman, Judy Collins, Marion Williams, and The Boys Choir of Harlem. There are 24 renditions in all. It's a moving and truly great documentary. I simply cannot say enough good things about it. See for yourself!

I find it somewhat "amazing" that a former captain of a slave ship wrote this American classic hymn, Amazing Grace has always been the only hymn that I listen to, I belong to no religion, and you see that is the beautiful thing about Amazing Grace it transcends religious beliefs. The extraordinary part of this hymn is that the lyrics speak to the eternal concept of people turning around their lives no matter what they did in the past "I WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE" that is beautifully written, how many of us fit into that category, myself included. In this DVD I found it to be very interesting to see the wide range of celebrities who have sang Amazing Grace Marion Williams, Jessye Norman, Johnny Cash, and Judy Collins, Bill Moyers does a superb job of showcasing AMAZING GRACE in this documentary, this is one DVD that the whole family can watch and enjoy.

I fell upon this program whilst cycling through channels and heard Jeremy Iron's narration and was (of course) captivated. From the awesome Jessie Norman to the country charm of Johnny Cash, to the primal harmonies of the Wygrass (shape-note) singers, you hear every version of this song across the county. I love this special so much that I watch it every Easter.

This enduring story of one of the greatest hymns of all time is told in dramatic fashion by one of PBS's all time best documentary creators. Moyers every word keeps you anxiously awaiting the next as this magnificent story unfolds. Music lovers and those who appreciate the inspiration of everlasting faith that this magnificent song holds will find this historical study a rewarding watch.

Truly the definitive description of "Amazing Grace "! This is a great CD with the wonderful extra of having Marion Williams sing with several variations of the wonderful old song.

The DVD was not the entire special he had on PBS years ago-the VHS tapeof that show is longer but what is missing from the DVD I got from amazin.com is the amazing rock version of Amazing Grace by Marion Williams, a Judy Collins clip, and country scenesonf folks doing the song acapella in the mountains down South. I had the original DVD that matched the VHS tape but lost it.So I feel cheated-is there anyway to get the original DVD from years ago-the one I got was clearly edited and lostmuch of its power. Thank youNed at eef@tds.net

great

The 5 star rating is because this DVD is thrilling and gives new depths of appreciation and understanding to a very old and beautiful hymn. It lives because it seems to adapt to many cultures and musical genres...from Jessey Norman's operatic take to the shape-note singers to Johnny Cash to the Harlem Boys Choir.I loved it from beginning to end. (I even learned from another video that it can be played on all black keys...and it can!)Most of all it speaks of the grace of redemption.