A Special Amazing Grace
Featured Item July 4th, 2017
This a cappella arrangement of Amazing Grace for women’s trio was debuted July 22, 2000 at a packed-to-the-gills memorial service for Ron Manning held at Riverview Methodist Church in Toronto, OH. I saved the church program, the original music, and the two “Toronto Scene” articles written by another too-soon-deceased compadre, Mark Miller, who explained with particular eloquence what happened to Ron all those years ago. He begins, “It’s been a long and uncertain ordeal for parents Jim and Donna Manning to discover the fate of their son, but the waiting is over – after 24 years, U.S. Navy medic Ronald James Manning finally is returning home.”
In brief, this is the story: Ronnie, a graduate of THS class of ’72, had enlisted in the US Navy to serve in the Viet Nam War as a medic. On May 15, 1975, he boarded one of six Marine helicopters en route to rescue the 40 Merchant Marines of the USS Mayaguez. The Marines had been captured and were believed to be held prisoner on the island of Koh-Tang off the shore of Cambodia. Tragically, Ron’s helicopter was shot down in the Gulf of Thailand, and only 13 of the 26 on board survived. Ron was not among them. For 25 years he was listed as missing in action, but finally in 1995 the crash site was discovered with remains of the victims. When DNA testing became available, his parents submitted a blood sample. In 2000, the matching remains were certified and shipped home.
I once was lost, but now am found.
A notation in my journal from the year 2000 reminds me that Riverview Church was packed that Saturday afternoon, filling up an hour before the service began. Pam Alex and I played piano-organ duets for half an hour beforehand. Then Rev. Michael Baldwin presided over the service, which also included eulogies from fellow servicemen Tim Trebil and Joe Christensen, and a solo by Jason Ray, The Old Rugged Cross. Shelley Manning Meyer and Patty McFall Lamantia joined me to sing Amazing Grace in its first handwritten form.
That was seventeen years ago. Since then, this arrangement has been requested several times for funeral services. (It’s especially handy where no organ is available for accompaniment.) But remember, Amazing Grace is not just for funerals! It is appropriate for Sunday worship services just about any time of the year. Choir directors may wish to keep this SSA version on hand for when the tenors and basses are all on vacation!
Considering its history, it seems appropriate to feature this piece starting today, the Fourth of July, with gratitude to all the brave servicemen who have defended our country through the years, well-wishes for those who are currently on mission in war zones, and with compassion for all their families who worry through every deployment.
MUSICAL PARTICULARS:
Only three verses of the hymn are used (first, second, and last), two in the key of E, and the last one in F with the middle voice taking the melody. Lowest note: G# below middle C. Highest note: D one octave above middle C. You can hear a trio of sisters singing it here. (Scroll to the bottom of the page.)