Gospel - Revision history

Edb: Add canonical MuGlobe favorite, current-hit and authentic fields to all recording links; preserve existing music and article content

2026-10-22T02:31:21Z

Add canonical MuGlobe favorite, current-hit and authentic fields to all recording links; preserve existing music and article content

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:31, 22 October 2026
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	{\| class="wikitable muglobe-performances"		{\| class="wikitable muglobe-performances"
	\|+ MuGlobe representative performances		\|+ MuGlobe representative performances
	! Artist !! Performance / song / title !! Embedded player URL !! Notes		! Artist !! Performance / song / title !! Embedded player URL !! Notes !! Repertoire kind !! Repertoire date !! Recording date !! Format !! Opening !! Places !! Fit !! Evidence !! Review note !! MuGlobe favorite !! Current hit !! Authentic
	\|-		\|-
	\| Mahalia Jackson \|\| How I Got Over — live recording \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/TMeWx9I-mhA \|\| The official Columbia/Legacy track credits Jackson with pianist Mildred Falls and organist Edward Robinson on Clara Ward's gospel song. It is live audio in a track video, not footage attributed to an unverified occasion.<ref name="performance-gospel-1">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeWx9I-mhA Mahalia Jackson — How I Got Over — live recording]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref>		\| Mahalia Jackson \|\| How I Got Over — live recording \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/TMeWx9I-mhA \|\| The official Columbia/Legacy track credits Jackson with pianist Mildred Falls and organist Edward Robinson on Clara Ward's gospel song. It is live audio in a track video, not footage attributed to an unverified occasion.<ref name="performance-gospel-1">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeWx9I-mhA Mahalia Jackson — How I Got Over — live recording]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref> \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| pending \|\| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeWx9I-mhA Existing recording] \|\| Legacy accepted recording retained during curation-field migration; no new age or geographic claims. \|\| <muglobe-flag video="TMeWx9I-mhA" field="muglobeFavorite" /> \|\| <muglobe-flag video="TMeWx9I-mhA" field="currentHit" /> \|\| <muglobe-flag video="TMeWx9I-mhA" field="authentic" />
	\|-		\|-
	\| Sister Rosetta Tharpe \|\| Up Above My Head / God Has Been So Good to Me — 1964 \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/PmEgnDl3J4U \|\| Archival live footage published by Reelin' in the Years, pairing Tharpe's gospel singing with her electric-guitar playing. An older performance style that complements the playlist's Mahalia Jackson selection.<ref name="performance-gospel-2">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmEgnDl3J4U Sister Rosetta Tharpe — Up Above My Head / God Has Been So Good to Me — 1964]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref>		\| Sister Rosetta Tharpe \|\| Up Above My Head / God Has Been So Good to Me — 1964 \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/PmEgnDl3J4U \|\| Archival live footage published by Reelin' in the Years, pairing Tharpe's gospel singing with her electric-guitar playing. An older performance style that complements the playlist's Mahalia Jackson selection.<ref name="performance-gospel-2">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmEgnDl3J4U Sister Rosetta Tharpe — Up Above My Head / God Has Been So Good to Me — 1964]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref> \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| pending \|\| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmEgnDl3J4U Existing recording] \|\| Legacy accepted recording retained during curation-field migration; no new age or geographic claims. \|\| <muglobe-flag video="PmEgnDl3J4U" field="muglobeFavorite" /> \|\| <muglobe-flag video="PmEgnDl3J4U" field="currentHit" /> \|\| <muglobe-flag video="PmEgnDl3J4U" field="authentic" />
	\|-		\|-
	\| Kirk Franklin and ensemble \|\| Tiny Desk (Home) Concert \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRwId2RfmfA \|\| NPR's live session adds a contemporary gospel ensemble with Franklin directing and playing keyboards. Group singing and modern band textures broaden the playlist beyond its historical soloists.<ref name="performance-gospel-3">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRwId2RfmfA Kirk Franklin and ensemble — Tiny Desk (Home) Concert]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref>		\| Kirk Franklin and ensemble \|\| Tiny Desk (Home) Concert \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRwId2RfmfA \|\| NPR's live session adds a contemporary gospel ensemble with Franklin directing and playing keyboards. Group singing and modern band textures broaden the playlist beyond its historical soloists.<ref name="performance-gospel-3">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRwId2RfmfA Kirk Franklin and ensemble — Tiny Desk (Home) Concert]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref> \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| unknown \|\| pending \|\| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRwId2RfmfA Existing recording] \|\| Legacy accepted recording retained during curation-field migration; no new age or geographic claims. \|\| <muglobe-flag video="wRwId2RfmfA" field="muglobeFavorite" /> \|\| <muglobe-flag video="wRwId2RfmfA" field="currentHit" /> \|\| <muglobe-flag video="wRwId2RfmfA" field="authentic" />
	\|}		\|}

Edb: Revise African Gospel geographic landscapes and relative depth from regional musical research; preserve performances and non-African fields.

2026-10-19T22:16:29Z

Revise African Gospel geographic landscapes and relative depth from regional musical research; preserve performances and non-African fields.

Show changes

Edb: Apply the updated comprehensive catalogue policy; retain good older recordings as playable music and preserve all existing content and fields.

2026-10-19T13:12:36Z

Apply the updated comprehensive catalogue policy; retain good older recordings as playable music and preserve all existing content and fields.

muglobe-article
← Older revision		Revision as of 13:12, 19 October 2026
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	== Contemporary and trending ==		== Contemporary and trending ==
			The catalogue is being expanded for all-day listening: recent discovery is prioritized, and good older recordings remain playable. Historical labels describe age rather than excluding locally matched performances.

	Gospel remains active in worship, rehearsals, community events, recordings and concert performance. Traditional quartets, large choirs, intimate soloists and contemporary production occupy different parts of the field. A song can circulate beyond the religious setting of its creation without losing that history. African gospel industries and church networks are substantial creative worlds in their own right, not merely reception markets for American records. Contemporary discussion should distinguish durable practice from claims about current sales or charts, and should not presume that every gospel listener belongs to the same denomination or approaches the music for the same reason.		Gospel remains active in worship, rehearsals, community events, recordings and concert performance. Traditional quartets, large choirs, intimate soloists and contemporary production occupy different parts of the field. A song can circulate beyond the religious setting of its creation without losing that history. African gospel industries and church networks are substantial creative worlds in their own right, not merely reception markets for American records. Contemporary discussion should distinguish durable practice from claims about current sales or charts, and should not presume that every gospel listener belongs to the same denomination or approaches the music for the same reason.

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	"category": "genre",		"category": "genre",
	"templatePageId": 17,		"templatePageId": 17,
	"templateRevisionId": ~~1578~~,		"templateRevisionId": 1660,
	"templateVersion": 12		"templateVersion": 13
	}		}

Edb: Fill researched Gospel media gaps with locally scoped performances, subordinate scenes and editorial landscapes; preserve existing material.

2026-10-19T12:56:26Z

Fill researched Gospel media gaps with locally scoped performances, subordinate scenes and editorial landscapes; preserve existing material.

Show changes

Edb: Create the researched Gospel hierarchy and locally scoped representative playlists; preserve the Gospel overview and historical recordings.

2026-10-19T11:13:24Z

Create the researched Gospel hierarchy and locally scoped representative playlists; preserve the Gospel overview and historical recordings.

Show changes

Edb: Add sourced representative performance playlist; preserve article prose and hotspot mushrooms

2026-10-18T18:06:32Z

Add sourced representative performance playlist; preserve article prose and hotspot mushrooms

muglobe-article
← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 18 October 2026
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	== Artists ==		== Artists ==
	Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Clark Sisters reveal contrasting African American vocal and ensemble approaches. The Staple Singers show a career crossing sacred and secular public settings without a simple break in musical identity. Shirley Caesar and contemporary choir traditions provide further entry points. Rebecca Malope and the Soweto Gospel Choir illustrate different South African public forms, while Nigerian artists such as Tope Alabi offer another language and performance world. These examples invite comparison rather than ranking religious authenticity or cultural worth. <ref name="soweto-programme">[https://www.worthamarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Soweto-Peace-Program-v2.pdf Wortham Center — Soweto Gospel Choir programme].</ref>		Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Clark Sisters reveal contrasting African American vocal and ensemble approaches. The Staple Singers show a career crossing sacred and secular public settings without a simple break in musical identity. Shirley Caesar and contemporary choir traditions provide further entry points. Rebecca Malope and the Soweto Gospel Choir illustrate different South African public forms, while Nigerian artists such as Tope Alabi offer another language and performance world. These examples invite comparison rather than ranking religious authenticity or cultural worth. <ref name="soweto-programme">[https://www.worthamarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Soweto-Peace-Program-v2.pdf Wortham Center — Soweto Gospel Choir programme].</ref>

			== Representative performances ==
			These recordings offer listening examples of the genre. Notes identify the performance setting and any adaptation or mixed repertoire.

			{\| class="wikitable muglobe-performances"
			\|+ MuGlobe representative performances
			! Artist !! Performance / song / title !! Embedded player URL !! Notes
			\|-
			\| Mahalia Jackson \|\| How I Got Over — live recording \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/TMeWx9I-mhA \|\| The official Columbia/Legacy track credits Jackson with pianist Mildred Falls and organist Edward Robinson on Clara Ward's gospel song. It is live audio in a track video, not footage attributed to an unverified occasion.<ref name="performance-gospel-1">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeWx9I-mhA Mahalia Jackson — How I Got Over — live recording]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref>
			\|-
			\| Sister Rosetta Tharpe \|\| Up Above My Head / God Has Been So Good to Me — 1964 \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/PmEgnDl3J4U \|\| Archival live footage published by Reelin' in the Years, pairing Tharpe's gospel singing with her electric-guitar playing. An older performance style that complements the playlist's Mahalia Jackson selection.<ref name="performance-gospel-2">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmEgnDl3J4U Sister Rosetta Tharpe — Up Above My Head / God Has Been So Good to Me — 1964]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref>
			\|-
			\| Kirk Franklin and ensemble \|\| Tiny Desk (Home) Concert \|\| https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRwId2RfmfA \|\| NPR's live session adds a contemporary gospel ensemble with Franklin directing and playing keyboards. Group singing and modern band textures broaden the playlist beyond its historical soloists.<ref name="performance-gospel-3">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRwId2RfmfA Kirk Franklin and ensemble — Tiny Desk (Home) Concert]. YouTube recording; metadata checked 2026-10-18.</ref>
			\|}

	== Related genres ==		== Related genres ==
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	"category": "genre",		"category": "genre",
	"templatePageId": 17,		"templatePageId": 17,
	"templateRevisionId": 86,		"templateRevisionId": 1065,
	"templateVersion": 8		"templateVersion": 9
	}		}

Edb: Create researched genre article and inferred regional musical landscapes; Ed’s approved authoring method

2026-10-18T02:13:36Z

Create researched genre article and inferred regional musical landscapes; Ed’s approved authoring method

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:13, 18 October 2026
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	== Related genres ==		== Related genres ==
	[[Spirituals]] supplies essential related history but is not interchangeable with later gospel. [[Sacred Harp]] identifies a distinct participatory shape-note practice. [[Soul]], [[Rhythm and blues]], [[Blues]] and [[Country]] share musicians and expressive resources across different settings. Contemporary worship music overlaps in some communities without being a synonym for the entire gospel field; local usage and repertoire remain decisive. <ref name="ga-gospel">[https://www.si.edu/object/city-called-heaven-chicago-and-birth-gospel-music-robert-m-marovich%3Asiris_sil_1080632 A City Called Heaven — Smithsonian Libraries catalogue].</ref>		[[Spirituals]] supplies essential related history but is not interchangeable with later gospel. [[Sacred Harp singing\|Sacred Harp]] identifies a distinct participatory shape-note practice. [[Soul]], [[Rhythm and blues]], [[Blues]] and [[Country]] share musicians and expressive resources across different settings. Contemporary worship music overlaps in some communities without being a synonym for the entire gospel field; local usage and repertoire remain decisive. <ref name="ga-gospel">[https://www.si.edu/object/city-called-heaven-chicago-and-birth-gospel-music-robert-m-marovich%3Asiris_sil_1080632 A City Called Heaven — Smithsonian Libraries catalogue].</ref>

	=== References and further reading ===		=== References and further reading ===

Edb: Create researched genre article and inferred regional musical landscapes; Ed’s approved authoring method

2026-10-18T01:54:14Z

Create researched genre article and inferred regional musical landscapes; Ed’s approved authoring method

New page

== Summary ==
Gospel is a broad field of Christian music whose particular meanings depend on community and musical history. African American gospel forms a central part of this article, with expressive lead voices, responsive congregations, choirs, quartets and instrumental ensembles. Southern gospel and substantial African and other international traditions widen the category rather than fitting one uniform US model. Religious purpose, commercial recording and artistic individuality can coexist. The label does not mean every sacred song or any recording with a choir; it identifies overlapping musical worlds in which faith is sung through distinctive local languages and practices.

== Contemporary and trending ==
Gospel remains active in worship, rehearsals, community events, recordings and concert performance. Traditional quartets, large choirs, intimate soloists and contemporary production occupy different parts of the field. A song can circulate beyond the religious setting of its creation without losing that history. African gospel industries and church networks are substantial creative worlds in their own right, not merely reception markets for American records. Contemporary discussion should distinguish durable practice from claims about current sales or charts, and should not presume that every gospel listener belongs to the same denomination or approaches the music for the same reason.

== History ==
African American gospel developed through several linked resources, including hymn writing, spirituals, rural sacred song and Holiness-Pentecostal worship. Thomas A. Dorsey and Chicago's church and publishing networks are central to one influential formation, alongside figures such as Charles Albert Tindley and many community practitioners. Migration connected southern and northern musical life. Elsewhere, Christian music developed through local languages, church histories and exchange with international sounds. Nigerian and South African gospel therefore require their own histories rather than a simple story of one American form spreading unchanged. <ref name="gospel-loc">[https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/musical-styles/ritual-and-worship/african-american-gospel Library of Congress — African American Gospel].</ref> <ref name="gospel-nigeria">[https://musicinafrica.net/magazine/gospel-music-nigeria/ Music In Africa — Gospel music in Nigeria].</ref>

== Musical characteristics ==
A lead singer may stretch a word, repeat a phrase or invite a response while the group changes intensity beneath it. Piano, organ, drums and bass can establish a firm groove; an unaccompanied ensemble organizes energy through breath, blend and rhythmic placement. Choir arrangements may move from restrained harmony to forceful collective response. Southern quartet singing and African regional approaches use other characteristic balances. Listen for what a repeated line does in context: it may guide worship, strengthen communal participation or become a site of individual interpretation rather than merely extend a song's duration.

== Geography and communities ==
The US South and Great Lakes/eastern migrant church worlds form broad connected landscapes, with a separate Pacific network. Nigeria and neighboring West African communities, southern Africa and selected East African church/music networks represent substantial domestic gospel cultures. Caribbean and Brazilian worlds add other locally authored forms. The fields are broad editorial illustrations, not a map of Christian population or proof that all churches within a circle use the same style. Their purpose is to keep the genre's everyday social reach visible beyond a few recording studios or celebrated concert choirs.

== Artists ==
Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Clark Sisters reveal contrasting African American vocal and ensemble approaches. The Staple Singers show a career crossing sacred and secular public settings without a simple break in musical identity. Shirley Caesar and contemporary choir traditions provide further entry points. Rebecca Malope and the Soweto Gospel Choir illustrate different South African public forms, while Nigerian artists such as Tope Alabi offer another language and performance world. These examples invite comparison rather than ranking religious authenticity or cultural worth. <ref name="soweto-programme">[https://www.worthamarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Soweto-Peace-Program-v2.pdf Wortham Center — Soweto Gospel Choir programme].</ref>

== Related genres ==
[[Spirituals]] supplies essential related history but is not interchangeable with later gospel. [[Sacred Harp]] identifies a distinct participatory shape-note practice. [[Soul]], [[Rhythm and blues]], [[Blues]] and [[Country]] share musicians and expressive resources across different settings. Contemporary worship music overlaps in some communities without being a synonym for the entire gospel field; local usage and repertoire remain decisive. <ref name="ga-gospel">[https://www.si.edu/object/city-called-heaven-chicago-and-birth-gospel-music-robert-m-marovich%3Asiris_sil_1080632 A City Called Heaven — Smithsonian Libraries catalogue].</ref>

=== References and further reading ===
<references />

== Hotspot mushrooms ==
Gospel has broad US church/migration landscapes and substantial locally authored African, Caribbean and Brazilian worlds. Regional fields represent those connected creative/listening cultures, not Christian census density, isolated choir addresses or an assumption that all sacred music is American gospel.

These fields are editorial illustrations of musical affinity and cultural reach, not listener statistics. Radius marks the zero edge of the fade; overlapping fields of this genre combine by maximum.

{| class="wikitable muglobe-hotspots"
|+ MuGlobe hotspot mushrooms
! ID !! Location !! Latitude !! Longitude !! Radius (km) !! Strength !! Notes

|-
| gospel-us-south || Southern US gospel landscapes || 33 || -86 || 1700 || 1 || Broad church, family, quartet and choir networks connect rural and urban communities.

|-
| gospel-us-north-east || Great Lakes and eastern US gospel landscapes || 41 || -81 || 1600 || 0.9 || Migration helped create sustained regional musical homes beyond Chicago alone.

|-
| gospel-us-pacific || Pacific US gospel landscapes || 36 || -120 || 1300 || 0.55 || A separated migrant and adopted regional church/music world.

|-
| gospel-west-africa || Nigerian and neighboring West African gospel landscapes || 7 || 5 || 1300 || 0.95 || Domestic languages, churches and music industries form a major creative world.

|-
| gospel-southern-africa || Southern African gospel landscapes || -26 || 28 || 2000 || 0.97 || A broad domestic cultural field extends beyond one Soweto choir.

|-
| gospel-east-africa || East African gospel landscapes || -1 || 35 || 1300 || 0.72 || Regional church and popular-music networks have substantial local authorship.

|-
| gospel-caribbean || Caribbean gospel landscapes || 17 || -68 || 950 || 0.65 || Selected regional worship and recording worlds form distinct adoption.

|-
| gospel-brazil || Brazilian gospel landscapes || -17 || -46 || 2200 || 0.7 || A broad locally authored religious popular-music world rather than a US satellite.

|}