Il Divo - probably one of the best renditions of “Amazing Grace” I’ve ever heard. Of course the obligatory Highland Pipers make it complete!
I collect music of the 19th Century as part of my Civil War Reenacting hobby. Most of it seems to be Gospel, Jubilee, and Hymns - many of which seem to have been completely forgotten for a century or more, and some of which are really pretty.
Back in the early 1800s the Protestant Church used “Chants” and “Sentences” as well as Hymns and Psalms. I have found some parts of the lyrics of some of these used on the old headstones in our New England cemeteries, suggesting that they were pretty popular back then.
“Calm on the bosom of thy Lord, sweet spirit; rest thee now...”
I can’t seem to find a Church around here that still sings the old Hymns. They just read lyrics of some pop P&W tunes off of an overhead projector screen, and do the same ones over and over.
I don’t go to Church much any more, and when I break out the old guitar to play them at home I sing solo.
No one else seems to want to bother with them nowadays.