The Angels Are Playing Armstrong
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell reflects on the connections between jazz, supporting young people, church life, and the kingdom of God.
It’s Not a Reprint. Why Sacred Harp Singers Are Revamping an Iconic Pre-Civil War Hymnal
The shape-note tradition emerged from New England’s 18th-century singing school movement that aimed to improve Protestant church music and expanded into a social activity.
From Bach to Beyonce, Why a Church Orchestra Aims To Lift Up Young Musicians of Color
New Hope Presbyterian Church started a string orchestra in April, welcoming students — including those who may have trouble getting into and paying for music programs.
After Exiting the Christian Music Industry, These Artists Engage Religion on Their Terms
After interrogating their beliefs, some onetime CCM artists are revisiting faith, trying on elements they’d previously discarded and writing music for listeners who might be more spiritual than religious.
Want to Write a Hit Worship Song? Invite a Few Friends to Church.
When the CCLI Top 100 chart first appeared in 1988, most of the songs had one writer. Today, the average hit worship song has at least two writers — who often have ties to the so-called Big Four megachurches.
Melodies of Hope: Arab Christian Band Pays Tribute to the Heritage of Jordanian Hymns
A Jordanian worship band has made it their mission to perform and record hymns composed around the middle of the 20th century that might have otherwise been lost to time.
Review: God Gave Rock and Roll to You
In "God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music," Leah Payne traces the history and trajectory of CCM and how it has shaped evangelicals.
Review & Giveaway: God Gave Rock & Roll to You
This issue of A Public Witness cues up the soundtrack of American evangelical Christianity as covered in Leah Payne’s “God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music.”
Young Organists Pull Out All the Stops To Inspire Interest in a ‘Complex’ Instrument
Young musicians have taken to the organ at a time when there has been a decline in the number of instruments and in the professionals who play them.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s Plot To Ruin Christmas, and America
Jews have long played a role in shaping how Americans celebrate Christmas. For Christian Nationalism leader Andrew Torba, their contributions are a sign of a plot to remove Jesus from the Christmas story.