First time I ever heard Amazing Grace was at Woodstock, with Arlo Guthrie singing it. Amazing. I think that kind of thing gave it a sort of street cred as folkie. Abide with Me is so universally known it's real folk, and so not really folk clubby - I think Ian C has it right there. But I bet if anyone started it up in a singing pub session anywhere in England the punters would join in, football being a national religion.

"Nearer My God to Thee" was definitely reported in the press at the time as having been played as the Titanic went down. I think this has been denied by revisionists, largely I believe on the spurious grounds that it wasn't on the band's programme. I'd be extremely surprised if people weren't singing or playing it at some time. The way they did it in the big Titanic Movie struck me as very true to life. (I only wished they left it all the crap about those star-crossed lovers having exciting adventures like something ourt of a computer game, and concentrated on the musicians, upper decks and lower decks.)

"Narer my God" deserves to be sung more often - it tends to be overshadowed by "Abide with me", and I prefer it really. That's largely because the lady who wrote it lived and died and was buried in Harlow. Anytime I sing eitther "The Titanic" or "Engine 142", in which it is also mentined, I tend to end up with a verse or so of "Nearer my God", and it never feels out of place in a session.