Religious » Gospel » Hymns

A hymn is a song specifically designed for praise, adoration or prayer, and every organized religion has them. In many churches, traditional songs are considered hymns while more contemporary worship songs are not, a distinction that defies easy explanation, and in the end, a hymn is any devout song of worship that the singers participating consider to be a hymn. In congregational settings hymns are often sung in unison but they also flourish in four-part vocal harmony and large choir settings as well. In the mid to late 1700s, Charles Wesley (who adapted, wrote, arranged or had his hand in on some 6,000 hymns) introduced the concept of a personal song to God into the equation and many modern hymns have moved in that direction, allowing strong lead voices to step out of the choir and perform as soloists. Other church choirs developed an unaccompanied a cappella approach to hymns, and in time, gospel, which specialized in reshaping hymns into expressions of personal testimony, emerged and prospered. By the 21st Century hymnists were writing hymns and arranging them in a pop setting with drums and guitars and a general rock approach, and the debate over what is and what isn't a hymn has been going on for centuries now. At the very least, a hymn is addressed to God, and is designed-whether personal or congregational-to be devout, no matter which revivalist or traditionalist movement is afoot or how the message is delivered.