As this style of music was developing, it was common to distinguish between the praise or worship song and the hymn. Within the context of this discussion, the distinction was based upon the style and lyrics, as well as the method of delivery. Contemporary worship songs tended to use simple, repetitive lyrics (and as a result were often called a "praise chorus" or "worship chorus") and were often guitar-based and led by a small group of musicians. Hymns were normally led by a piano or organ and often accompanied by a choir. The language and metrical structure of hymns reflected the eras of their composition.
Amongst Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants especially, these distinctions have been blurred by the use of a wider variety of musical instruments. In some other Protestant groups, the hymn is still used in its traditional context.
Critics often focus on simple or repetitive lyrical structure and the perception of simplistic theology in some songs in this genre. Others have criticized the repetitive 4/4 rhythm of certain up-tempo examples.
Some of those who favor this genre enjoy its frequent simplicity, which they perceive as allowing the congregation and musicians the flexibility to improvise.
See also
References
- Selling Worship - How What We Sing Has Changed The Church. Pete Ward, Paternoster, 2005. ISBN 1842272705.
External links
- Christian Contemporary Music and Lyrics
- Called To Worship - Articles and a discussion forum on present day worship
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Wednesday October 08, 2008 at 13:48:07 PDT (GMT -0700)
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