Modern classical music in gaming

[Jester]

By whose criteria though? Off the top of my head, I seem to remember a big revival during the mid 90s for Gregorian chants due to Enigma. R&B, Soul, has very traceable roots and connections in Gospel music.

I suppose there needs to be some distinction between participatory religious music, like gospel, and non-participatory music, like gregorian chant.

I would never claim that religious music cannot be repurposed - that would erase practically the whole history of western music! But I still think music composed for the church, and performed as a part of worship, isn't "popular" music.

I guess there is also the question of "popular" religion. Do the participatory churches practice something fundamentally different from the Catholic church, in terms of popular involvement?

Leonard Cohen's 'Alleluia' has been covered by people like Jeff Beck, KD Lang, X-Factor show, and was in a Shrek movie for gods sake. While we could argue if Cohen's song is truly a hymn, it's hard to argue that it doesn't have any connection to it.

I'm not sure what the argument is that Leonard Cohen composed a hymn, but it certainly doesn't appear in hymnals. (He is also, FWIW, Jewish.)

Or just wait around till christmas, and turn on most FM stations in North America, or go the nearest mall. That's probably the best time to catch pop artists scrambling over each other to release their covers of x-mas carols.

Christmas carols, along with gospel, are exactly the kind of religious popular music that gives me trouble making a strong distinction there. But I think the key issue is mass participation: people are supposed to sing along with carols, or with gospel. Bach is not.

-Jester