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It isn't every day that a group of Catholic monks find themselves on the pop charts. Yet that's what happened to the monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, a 12th-century Cistercian monastery near Vienna, whose CD of Gregorian chants has become a runaway hit. After its European release in May, "Chant: Music for the Soul" became the top classical album in Britain before crossing over to the pop charts, at one point outselling recordings by Madonna and Amy Winehouse. Even before its U.S. release on July 1, the album became the most popular classical recording in this country, thanks to copious downloads...

Rich Cook had it all: a dream job in his chosen field, Christian music; a solid marriage and three adoring daughters; a home in Orange County, a paradise in his eyes, worlds away from his New Jersey roots. But something was wrong. "I'd been around a long time, and I knew what it was," said Cook, 63. "I had to do something. The bottom line was changes had to be made." Cook was gay. And by the mid '90s he decided it was time to acknowledge it to his family and the world. ... Cook and his wife divorced. His...

"Funeral arrangements have been made for the 5-year-old daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman." "Cinderella" video w/SCC explaining inspiration for song SCC Blog video with Maria Sue

NASHVILLE, Tenn - The 5-year-old daughter of contemporary Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said. The girl, Maria, was hit in a driveway on the family residence Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. McPherson said no charges are expected. "It looks like a tragic accident," she said. She said several members of the Chapman family witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The brother...

One Toronto church decided that they had enough of divisiveness this Lenten season, and decided to take a stand. No more would incendiary rhetoric be used to inflame the passions of the congregation. No more would the United Church endorse an outdated theology, at least not the West Hill Protestant United Christian Church. Their pastor struck these dreaded words from their Easter hymnal …. Jesus Christ? That triumphal barnburner of an Easter hymn, Jesus Christ Has Risen Today – Hallelujah, this morning will rock the walls of Toronto’s West Hill United Church as it will in most Christian churches across...

A Michigan church filed a federal lawsuit after police officers, led by a local prosecutor, entered the sanctuary at least twice without a warrant, alleging the church's music was too loud. In one instance, they threatened to arrest church musicians for disorderly conduct. Faith Baptist Church, with a congregation of about 10,000 members, is suing local officials in the Township of Waterford, Mich., in a First Amendment case a church attorney said could have national ramifications in establishing what local governments can do in regulating churches. The suit -- alleging the township violated the church's freedom of religious expression, freedom...

Yet another painful experience of modern Evangelical “worship,” once the fury and chagrin has drained away, awakens in my mind this scene from my boyhood: It is a summer Sunday evening service in a little Baptist church in rural Michigan, hard by the fields and woods. Everyone who plays an instrument (all “acoustic” in those days), young or old, skilled or not, has been invited to accompany the congregational singing, for that is what is done on Sunday evenings, when the service is less formal. The minister stops the music near the end of the hymn, taps the pulpit, and...

Bad news for fans of Boston fans of Bill Bennett, Dennis Praeger, Mike Gallagher, Sean Hannity, Michael Medved, and Hugh Hewitt: WTTT AM 1150 has apparently changed its format from conservative talk to Spanish language religion. Salem Communications also owns WEZE AM 590 and WROL AM 950 in town but I don't believe any of the shows will wind up there (we'll see). Boston still has WRKO AM 680 (mostly conservative), WTKK FM 96.9 (mostly conservative), and WBZ 1030 at night (middle of the road)

ROME (CNS) -- Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists filled Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with some of the most famous hymns written by Charles Wesley at a service marking the 300th anniversary of the Methodist reformer's birth. The songs, featured in hymnals across denominational lines, were the focal point of the Dec. 3 ecumenical evening prayer service in the Catholic basilica. The Rev. John Barrett, president of the World Methodist Council said, "It was mind-blowing really" to celebrate Wesley and sing his hymns "in Rome with an ecumenical gathering." "I think Charles Wesley would be thrilled. He did...

One of the world's oldest styles of religious music is attracting a host of new enthusiasts.Gregorian chant is usually associated with monks in monasteries, but it's being heard more often now in regular services. Its growing popularity brought 70 representatives of choirs from Northern Ireland to a chanting workshop in the Dominican Convent in west Belfast. The college chapel became a study for a day as experts passed on advice on how best to perform the ancient melodies. Principal tutor Donal McCrisken said Gregorian chant was an excellent medium for vocal training. "You have to sing it very purely -...

This is an excellent music video about Christmas. Christmas With a Capital "C"

I'm having some problems with music in Catholic America. Part of it is my problem. I spent fifteen years in the Anglican Church with the New English Hymnal--which is probably the finest hymnbook ever published in the English language. Musically and liturgically it was the best that traditional Anglicanism had to offer. Catholic music in England--well we won't even go there. Apart from a few islands of decent church music the Catholic church in England was a wasteland. I am discovering that in the USA it is not much better. My problem is that I am actually unfamiliar with most...

WASHINGTON(October 9, 2007) – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will vote at their annual Fall General Assembly on the approval of the document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, a revision of the guidelines for music at Mass. The document “represents a significant rethinking of the structure and substance of what needs to be said about this important aspect of the liturgical renewal,” said Bishop Donald Trautman, outgoing chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, in the documentation sent to the Bishops for their review. The document retains and refines some of the more important...

Mormon Tabernacle Choir- 75th Anniversary Six members of the staff traveled to Washington, DC in November to represent the Choir in receiving the National Medal of Arts. Standing with President and Mrs. Bush are (l to r) Announcer Lloyd Newell, Tabernacle Organist John Longhurst, Choir President Mac Christensen, Choir Directors Craig Jessop and Mack Wilberg, and Assistant to the Choir President, Stan Parrish. Choir President Mac Christensen poses with President and Mrs. Bush following the awarding of the National Medal of Arts.

In India Thousands of Youth Rock for Jesus and for Life with Canadian Musician David MacDonald By John-Henry Westen POTTA, India, August 8, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of the inspiring occurrences which took place on my recent speaking engagement in India was getting to know another Canadian - singer/songwriter David Macdonald.  Although I knew David by reputation - he is the main musician at the annual March for Life in Ottawa every year - I had not until India had a chance to speak with him in person.  David is a fascinating man.  A pop musician who can do fancy...

Label terminates contract before album releases and confuses everyone NEW YORK – As the hip-hop industry's tradition of wholesome, thought-provoking lyrics has slowly decayed since the 80's, one artist wants to buck the trend by adding a new level of linguistic complexity to his lyrics. Tru Dawgma, a self-proclaimed "exegetical elaborator," insists that his new style will help counteract hip-hop's recent reputation of promoting only superficiality, sex, drugs, and violence. But not everyone appreciates Dawgma's approach, as God's Fro Records recently terminated his contract and stated, "Most of our listeners don't have a GED, let alone an M. Div.!" God's...

God of our Fathers (National Hymn) Daniel C. Roberts, the 35 year-old rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, a small rural church in Brandon, Vermont, wanted a new hymn for his congregation to celebrate the American Centennial in 1876. He wrote "God of Our Fathers" and his congregation sang it to the tune Russian Hymn. In 1892, he anonymously sent the hymn to the General Convention for consideration by the commission formed to revise the Episcopal hymnal. If approved, he promised to send his name. The commission approved it, printing it anonymously in its report. Rev. Dr. Tucker, who was...

THE WASHINGTON TIMES - Singer-songwriter Derek Webb, formerly a member of the contemporary Christian band Caedmon's Call, won rave reviews for his 2005 solo album, "Mockingbird," which dealt with themes of war, politics and social justice. The following are excerpts from an interview with Mr. Webb, whose most recent release is "The Ringing Bell": Question: What is your relationship with Sojourners, an organization that expresses Christian commentary on faith, politics and culture? Answer: Sojourners seems to be about people who think spiritually and yet socially. They see the implications of spiritual ideas in terms of social action. I definitely make...

Note: K-LOVE is a network of radio stations that carry contemporary Christian music songs. The following is a copy of the e-mail I submitted to the K-LOVE general comments address on October 22, 2006. Dear K-LOVE staff: I listen to your station every so often when I do not feel like listening to some of my Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and other epic soundtracks while driving to school and back. I'll admit up front, I'm not terribly fond of some of the music on the station. Please don't misunderstand. I'm a true, Biblical believer. I am a Christian, committed...

Photojournalist Stephanie Keith's first Christian rock show was in 2002, when she walked into a Kansas City coffeehouse and saw a punk band playing staunchly Christian tunes. "It seemed like such a contradiction in terms," she says, remembering the incongruity between the band's brash sound and its intensely Christian message. Over four years, Keith attended dozens of major Christian rock festivals -- including the New Hampshire's Soul Festival, Pennsylvania's Creation Festival, New Jersey's Autumn Blaze event and Virginia's Acquire the Fire fest -- many of which showcase the abundance of Christian punk, emo and hardcore bands. The twelve photographs that...

Chattanooga’s oldest radio station, WDOD, has ended its 11-month experiment with progressive talk radio. At 10 a.m. this past Monday, the station switched to a format featuring musical oldies and standards from the late 1950s and the 1960s and 1970s, according to Danny Howard, director of programming and operations for WDEF and WDOD. The new format, which is locally controlled, is known around the station as Ruby AM 1310. Who’s Ruby? “It’s kind of funny,” Mr. Howard said with a laugh. “When we started talking about doing this, it turned out that everybody had an Aunt Ruby or a grandmother...

For years, seniors in the wind ensemble at Henry M. Jackson High School have selected a favorite piece of music to play during commencement. For last month's ceremonies, the 17 students chose an instrumental version of "Ave Maria," which they had performed at a school concert in December 2004. But their choice was vetoed by Dr. Carol Whitehead, superintendent of the Everett School District. Instead, the ensemble played a selection by British composer Gustav Holst. Now Kathryn Nurre, an 18-year-old who played alto saxophone in the ensemble before graduating, is suing Whitehead, claiming the decision violated her First Amendment right...

The Pope has demanded an end to electric guitars and modern music in church and a return to traditional choirs. The Catholic Church has been experimenting with new ways of holding Mass to try to attract more people. The recital of Mass set to guitars has grown in popularity in Italy; in Spain it has been set to flamenco music; and in the United States the Electric Prunes produced a "psychedelic" album called Mass in F Minor. However, the use of guitars and tambourines has irritated the Pope, who loves classical music. "It is possible to modernise holy music," the...

Vatican City, 26 June (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI has called for traditional sacred music to be played during mass, condemning the ongoing custom of contemporary music at religious celebrations. "Updating sacred music is possible, but this cannot happen unless it follows the tradition of Gregorian chants or sacred polyphony," the pontiff said on Sunday on the sidelines of a concert in the Sistine Chapel. A skilled pianist with a predilection for Bach and Mozart, Benedict XVI spoke against a custom reportedly appreciated by his more informal predecessor John Paul II, who worked very hard throughout his papacy to make...

TVC ASKS PATAKI TO STOP HARASSMENT June 21, 2006 - Washington, DC – The Traditional Values Coalition asked New York Governor George Pataki to rein in a state agency which is threatening legal action against an Accord, New York skating rink because it plays Christian music during a “Christian Music Skate” party. The New York Division of Human Rights threatened Len and Terry Bernardo, owners of the Skate Time 209 rink in Accord, with an investigation because the rink plays Christian music during certain hours. The agency also threatened to charge a local newspaper which advertised the event for “aiding...

Interview With Researcher Julieta Vega García MEXICO CITY, JUNE 13, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Gregorian chant continues to be the official chant of the Catholic Church of Latin rite, though composition of new works is nonexistent, says a music expert. Julieta Vega García, who has a licentiate in philosophy and classics, with specialization in art history, and a doctorate in geography and history in the area of musicology, gave a brief overview of Gregorian chant in this interview. Vega García is a piano teacher with a certificate from the Higher Conservatory of Music of Granada, Spain, and director of the Schola Gregoriana...

Canadian songwriter Gordie Sampson says he knew almost nothing about country music when he moved to Nashville last year with his wife and baby and the beginnings of a hit song percolating in his head. A year later his simple, heartfelt tune "Jesus Take the Wheel" -- inspired by a real-life car crash in Cape Breton -- has dominated radio airwaves across the continent for months, broken industry records and turned the 34-year-old Nova Scotian into one of the hottest songwriting talents in Nashville. "Jesus Take the Wheel," co-written by Sampson and a pair of American collaborators -- and recorded...

WHEN THE HISTORY of Christian rap-metal music is finally written, I pray to the Lord of Hosts that I don't have to read it. But if that fate should befall me, I'd feel gypped if it didn't include an extended encomium to the boys from Junkyard Prophet..... When I blasted them from my basement, my wife, who has a stomach for Christian praise music, descended the steps to complain, which I took as a good sign...

The Sixteenth Annual Summer Music Colloquium Tuesday, 20 June 2006 - Sunday, 25 June 2006 The Catholic University of America Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Center for Ward Method Studies of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music in collaboration with the Church Music Association of America Gregorian Chant has been called the most beautiful music this side of Heaven. But as Pope Benedict XVI and the Second Vatican Council have emphasized, it is also integral to Catholic liturgical life and should be heard and experienced with wide participation in every parish. The Church Music Association of America is working...

How Great Thou Art, open this in another window and listen to the beautiful piano music! How Great Thou Art, open this in another window and listen to the beautiful piano music! O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonderConsider all the worlds Thy hands have made,I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed, Refrain:Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee;How great Thou art, how great Thou art!Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee;How great Thou art, how great Thou art! When through the woods and forest glades I...

He warned them to protect their hearing. "If the sound's an issue, we do have earplugs available," he said. Ushers handed out earplugs and fluorescent glow sticks for the "U2 Eucharist," a communion service punctuated by the Irish rock band's music. Episcopal parishes from California to Maine have hosted similar events, weaving U2's tunes -- laced with biblical references -- into the liturgy. Streamers flew over worshippers' heads at the recent gathering in Providence. Children danced by the altar. Plasma-screen TVs illuminated the gothic sanctuary. Some people sang and clapped, while a few looked puzzled. Brooks said the evening was...

'Til the Storm Passes By, Press here for the music, played on a real piano! You can download all of these free to your HD Words and Music by Mosie Lister copyright 1958 Mark 4:39 "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face, While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place. 'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry, Keep me safe till the storm...

The gospel according to U2 and Bono http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=509842006 STEPHEN MCGINTY * US church uses U2's songs to attract young worshippers * U2 lyrics are being used by Episcopal Churches from California to Maine * The U2 Eucharist was devised by the Rev Paige Blair "I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined and heard my cry." - Bono, U2 Lyric BONO has declared that he is not a man of the cloth, "unless that cloth is leather". But the words of the charismatic U2 front man are nevertheless ringing out from pulpits across the United States. The Irish rock band's...

Churches in the United States are weaving music from the Irish rock band U2 with their more formal traditional liturgy. Episcopal parishes from California to Maine are holding “U2 Eucharists” in an effort to make their services more attractive to young people interested in rock music and social activism. At the Grace Episcopal Church in Providence, Rhode Island, the Reverend Robert Brooks welcomed worshippers and then added some unusual advice – he warned them to protect their hearing. “If the sound’s an issue, we do have earplugs available,” he said. Ushers handed out complementary ear plugs and fluorescent glow sticks...

Last year's American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, has a record out that has been dominating the country music charts for weeks: "Jesus, Take the Wheel." It tells the story of a young woman's desperate prayer during a car crash, leading to a reflection on her own life. The song ends with a prayer for Jesus to "save me from this road I'm on." Finally knocking off "Jesus, Take the Wheel" as the No. 1 record was Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going." Where he is going is heaven, where he yearns to see his loved ones. At the...

AQUINAS "Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries, to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize." (Thomas Aquinas, Bingham's Antiquities, Vol. 3, page 137) AUGUSTINE "musical instruments were not used. The pipe, tabret, and harp here associate so intimately with the sensual heathen cults, as well as with the wild revelries and shameless performances of the degenerate theater and circus, it is easy to understand the prejudices against their use in the worship." (Augustine 354 A.D., describing the singing at Alexandria under Athanasius) CHRYSOSTOM "David formerly sang songs, also today we sing hymns....

Lake Pointe is a megachurch with contemporary-style worship. Years back, it dissolved its choir and got rid of its hymnals in favor of Christian "praise" music, played by a rock band,with lyrics flashed on big screens. That style still dominates at Lake Pointe. But in August, sensing demand, the church debuted its "Classic Service," an early Sunday morning alternative service with choir, piano, organ and lots of congregational singing – out of those shiny new hymnals. Call it a counter-reformation, or a rear guard action in the worship wars. But more and more churches that cast their lot with contemporary...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Gospel music pianist Anthony Burger, who played for the popular Gaither Homecoming shows and earned Dove Award nominations for his albums of instrumental music, collapsed and died during a performance. He was 44.

<p>Even when a traditional hymn is included in the modern Catholic hymnals, one cannot settle in to praise God with words written by greater men than we are. Almost always, the lyrics have been so flattened, botched, castrated, and lobotomized that I’d almost prefer to sing “On Turkey’s Wings” (you know, “I will raise you up on turkey’s wings, la de da and la de da, la de da da da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah”).</p>

When church music directors lead the congregation in singing some praise music, I often listen stoically with teeth clenched. But one Sunday morning, I cracked. We had been led through endless repetitions of a meaningless ditty called, “Draw Me Close to You.” The song has zero theological content and could be sung in a nightclub, for that matter. When I thought it was finally and mercifully over, the music leader beamed at us and said in a cheerful voice, “Let’s sing that again, shall we?” “No!” I shouted loudly. Heads all around me spun while my wife cringed. I admit...

Traditional hymns to today's praise music: Churches are changing their tune to suit different tastes. snip Around the region, around the country, more churches are offering a menu of services to accommodate the tastes and styles of worshippers. From traditional to modern, churchgoers can pick the service they want to attend based on the type of music and atmosphere they prefer. It is in part a response to the so-called "worship wars" - disagreements over music that have grown in the past few years - and partly an effort to reach new churchgoers. "Music has become a very divisive issue...

George Beverly Shea Profile "I've been listening to Bev Shea sing for more than 50 years, and I would still rather hear him sing than anyone else I know." -- Billy Graham Since George Beverly Shea first sang for Billy Graham on the Chicago radio hymn program, "Songs in the Night," in 1943, he has carried the Gospel in song to every continent and every state in the Union. He is the recipient of ten Grammy nominations, one Grammy Award (1965) and is a member of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame (1978). As the musical mainstay in Mr....

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- "On Eagle's Wings," the musical reworking of the 91st Psalm by Father Michael Joncas, topped all other songs in an online poll asking which liturgical song most fostered and nourished the respondent's life. Two songs made popular by the St. Louis Jesuits -- "Here I Am, Lord" and "Be Not Afraid" -- came in second and third, followed by "You Are Mine," by David Haas. The online poll was sponsored by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. The poll was featured last year in an issue of its membership magazine, Pastoral Music, and announcements about the poll...

Here are some of the selections that we have received from respondents to the survey of liturgical songs that have made a difference in the faith life of American Catholics. All Are WelcomeText and music: Marty Haugen, b. 1950.I believe that the words really are words for our time, both for our Church and our world. They tell us who we ought to be and what we are to be about as Catholic Christians. It calls us to be who we say we are. When we sing it at our parish I feel a real sense of community, even though...

OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) -- The St. Louis Jesuits, liturgical music icons from the 1970s, are back together and have released their first album in more than 20 years. "Morning Light" is the seventh recording for the St. Louis Jesuits -- Dan Schutte and Jesuit Fathers Bob Dufford, John Foley and Roc O'Connor -- who were known for such songs as "Blest Be the Lord," "Lift Up Your Hearts" and "Sing a New Song." In the mid 1980s, various assignments moved the men to different parts of the country, and Schutte left the Society of Jesus. These changes made it difficult...

A look at John Michael Talbot's new album, Monk RockFolks, I should've been better informed about John Michael Talbot's release of his new album, Monk Rock, last August, considering that I own an ample collection of JMT's music. Thanks to my colleagues at Roman Catholic Blog I am now better informed about this latest release, and at about some objections--I just count one--leveled against it. So, it doesn't even rise to the level of a controversy yet. I've sampled the album and read JMT's explanation. Those of us familiar with JMT's musical trajectory recognize "vintage" JMT, a music sound that...

Were Jesus to pack an iPod, then he would most likely be moshing to Christian Rock, claims a Beliefnet survey. That's according to 13 per cent of respondents to an online poll carried out by the "leading multi-faith spirituality media company and online community". A further 11 per cent reckoned the Son of God would be punishing his ears with Classic Rock - a figure matched by those who voted in favour of Songs of King David. Perhaps surprisingly, Traditional Gospel scored just seven per cent while entirely unsurprisingly, Hip-Hop/Rap and Soul/Funk scored just three and four per cent, respectively....

WHO ARE WE? MUSIC FOR LIFE, the home organization of the AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR, is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to the innocent and abandoned children of Africa – their survival, education and well being. VISION * To support relief and development projects directed at children and youth (including the building and staffing of schools) in Africa , as well as sponsorship of children and schools, in order to improve access to education and quality of education for the poorest of Africa’s children. * To bring joy and healing to communities of all cultures and faiths around the world...

A recent Vatican statement calls for parishes to revive traditional music at Mass?what Rome has been saying all along. By Arlene Oost-Zinner and Jeffrey Tucker A moving moment occurred at Pope Benedict XVI's outdoor inaugural Mass last April. During the recessional, the Marian antiphon for the Easter season, the ?Regina Caeli,? was sung by worshipers from around the world, including the pope himself. It was beautiful and inspiring but for one problem. Most American Catholics under the age of 60 can't conjure even the first notes or words of this once-popular hymn. Even the most basic of Catholic chants?"Ubi...

Michelle Boorstein | The Washington Post Posted January 7, 2006 Looking at row after row of Christian-music CDs in a suburban Virginia Wal-Mart, Clint Clifton glimpses the seeds of something grand -- a golden period for Christian artists that could rival 12th-century France or 15th-century England. The Christian selections fill about one-eighth of the mega-store's music department. Having spent three years promoting and training young Christian musicians, Clifton smiles; he is living in a boom time. But Clifton, 26, sees other things on the wire shelves, too. He picks up a CD by the teenage band Jump 5 and tsks....