Contemporary Christian music

Contemporary Christian music (or CCM—and occasionally "inspirational music") is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. It formed as those affected by the 1960s Jesus movement revival began to express themselves in a more contemporary style of music than the hymns, Gospel and Southern Gospel music that was prevalent in the church at the time. Today, the term is typically used to refer to pop, rock, or praise & worship styles.

It has representation on several music charts including Billboard's Christian Albums, Christian Songs, Hot Christian AC (Adult Contemporary), Christian CHR, Soft AC/Inspirational, and Christian Digital Songs as well as the UK's Official Christian & Gospel Albums Chart. Top-selling CCM artists will also appear on the Billboard 200. In the iTunes Store, the genre is represented as part of the Christian and gospel genre.

History

The growing popularity in the styles of Rock 'n 'Roll music in the 1950s was initially dismissed by the church because it was believed to encourage sinfulness. Yet as evangelical churches adapted to appeal to more people, the musical styles used in worship changed as well by adopting the sounds of this popular style.

Christian music

Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world.

Like other forms of music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of Christian music varies according to culture and social context. Christian music is composed and performed for many purposes, ranging from aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace.

Worship services

Among the most prevalent uses of Christian music are in church worship or other gatherings. Most Christian music involves singing, whether by the whole congregation (assembly), or by a specialized subgroup—such as a soloist, duet, trio, quartet, madrigal, choir, or worship band—, or both. It is frequently accompanied by instruments, but some denominations (such as some Exclusive Brethren, the Churches of Christ, the Primitive Baptists and the Free Church of Scotland) or congregations still prefer unaccompanied or a cappella singing. One of the earliest forms of worship music in the church was the Gregorian chant. Pope Gregory I, while not the inventor of chant, was acknowledged as the first person to order such music in the church, hinting the name “Gregorian” chant. The chant reform took place around 590–604 CE (reign of Pope Gregory I) (Kamien, pg. 65–67). The Gregorian chant was known for its very monophonic sound. Believing that complexity had a tendency to create cacophony, which ruined the music, Gregory I kept things very simple with the chant.

Chris Tomlin

Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States who has sold nearly 30 million records. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin leads worship at many Passion events. Some of his most well-known songs are "How Great Is Our God", "Jesus Messiah", "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", "Our God", which he co-wrote with Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves, and Jonas Myrin, and "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)". He is currently a worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with Louie Giglio, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, and Brett Younker.

He was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2006, 2007 (along with Artist of the Year), and 2008 GMA Dove Awards, and a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2012. He is one of the members of CompassionArt, a charity founded by Martin Smith of the band Delirious? and Smith's wife, Anna, and is on the Board of Directors of CURE International, a nonprofit organization that provides medical care to children in the developing world.

Matt Redman

Matt Redman (born 14 February 1974) is an English Christian worship leader, singer-songwriter and author based in Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom.

He has worked with Newfrontiers, Passion Conferences, Hillsong London, Soul Survivor, is an artist for Sixstepsrecords and is a member of Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith. He appeared with Hillsong London for a song on their 2005 album Jesus Is; he co-wrote and sang the song "Greatest Gift". In 2013, Redman won two Grammy Awards for "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" co-written with Jonas Myrin: Best Contemporary Christian Music Song and Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.

Numerous Contemporary Christian music (CCM) artists such as Matt Maher, Michael W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, Rebecca St. James, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Tree63, Kutless, Stellar Kart, and Hillsong United have performed Redman's songs. Some of his most popular early songs include "Heart of Worship", "You Never Let Go", "Let Everything That Has Breath", "Once Again", "Undignified", and "Better Is One Day". More recently he has co-written songs like "You Never Let Go", the 2005 Dove Award-winning "Blessed Be Your Name" (Worship Song of the Year) and the Grammy Award nominated "Our God". He regularly works alongside other Christian artists such as Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes.

Jesse Reeves

Jessica "Jesse" Miriam Reeves is a fictional character in The Vampire Chronicles universe created by Anne Rice.

Character background

Jesse is a descendant of Maharet, and a member of the Great Family. She was made a vampire when she was 35 and has green eyes, pale skin and red hair.

Her mother Miriam died in a car accident as a teenager when she was seven months pregnant with Jesse, who was by some kind of miracle born and found at the side of the road only minutes after the car crash. She remained in the hospital for two weeks, nameless, until Maharet came and gave her a name. Jesse was the last survivor of the Reeve family of South Carolina, and was brought up by her cousins Maria and Matthew Godwin in New York. It was Maharet who provided for Jesse, and made sure that she could go to any college she wanted. She even arranged it so Jesse got to meet other members of the Great Family who were spread all over the world.

Maharet, whom Jesse first knew as her aunt, kept in touch with Jesse through letters and Jesse considered her a good friend. As Jesse grew up, she discovered that she could read minds and see ghosts and spirits and she confided this to her aunt. Maharet explained to her that seers of spirits were common with women in the Great Family, and that it was a gift that seemed to come with the attributes of green eyes, pale skin and red hair. She urged Jesse to write her whenever she would be frightened by it.