Sing With Your Soul
Gospel music was derived from negro spirituals when the enslaved wanted to start making music, but it couldn’t be secular. Gospel music didn’t receive its title till the 1930s to describe it’s style of music. It’s used as religious expression usually in African American communities, but a mini genre of white American southern gospel music formed from blue grass and country music. The difference between African American gospel music and white American gospel music is very distinct especially in the tone of the voice. In the song What a Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship, one can hear the country tones in the voices of the singers. It is sung using an acoustic guitar and soft instruments which shows a lack of soul within the song. In Revolution by Kirk Franklin, a choir sings along with the voice of Kirk Franklin with tones of Hip Hop. This of course is a more modern example of gospel music. My personal favorite gospel song is Take Me to the King by Tamela Mann where she sings over a piano, organ, and drums with a choir. Her voice shows the emotion that matches the theme of the song of being with Jesus in times of need and glory. The combination of the instruments is perfect for the highs and lows of the song. Gospel is a very historical genre and one can argue it can be the most emotional genre of music.
