Southern Gospel Music

Southern gospel music is an offshoot of gospel music that is composed to express

the same beliefs expressed in Christian music but is distinct in that it has been performed through the years by a quartet. This kind of music has, like other forms of Christian music, been created to give Christians an alternative to mainstream Christian music.

The creation and the performance of Southern gospel songs also differ according to the culture and social context. It is also performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure and religious purposes. Gospel songs, however, are primarily performed in churches for religious and worship purposes. Contemporary gospel songs have, however, become a product for the marketplace, although this subgenre has not been as secularized as other forms of Christian music have. This style of music is often called quartet music because of its all male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass composition. Unlike contemporary Christian music, southern gospel music is known for being overt in its Christian message.

History

Southern gospel music has its origins in 1910, with the formation of the first professional quartet for the purpose of selling songbooks for the James D. Vaughan Music Publishing Company. The early quartets performed a cappella while other groups performed with the banjo or the piano.

Other publishing companies spread southern gospel music with the help of traveling missionaries, and schools. The religious nature of Southern gospel music was still dominant in the songs sung by these traveling groups that also widened their repertoire with country gospel, bluegrass and convention music apart from singing traditional gospel songs.

Southern gospel drew most of its energy as it was just starting out from the Holiness movement churches of the South. Groups of Southern gospel singers became popular in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s with their recordings. These singers include Smith's Sacred Singers, The Speer Family, The Blackwood Family and the Stamps Quartet. There were also quartets that gathered wide popularity through their associations with famous evangelists.

Contemporary Southern Gospel

Southern gospel music has retained its quartet singing style but it has also opened itself up to the kind of singing with solos and duets. It has also retained its country charm, despite the fact that there are numerous radio stations offering 24-hour southern gospel songs. There are 285 stations in the US that are categorized to focus solely on the gospel music genre of the South and these radio stations also have a nationwide audience. With the advent of the internet, radio stations placed their content online and were able to reach a bigger and more global audience.

Progressive Southern Gospel

This is a new kind of gospel music that arose from the old Southern gospel music. It is characterized by a blend of traditional southern gospel songs, bluegrass, pop music and contemporary Christian music. This kind of southern gospel music differs from the classical style of Southern gospel with the edgier quality of its voice, lyrics and melodies. However, they are still patterned after the old Southern gospel style of singing with their evangelical messages and the testimonial aspect of the music.

Southern Gospel Music

By: Gary Harbin

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