John Dalmas wrote:

>Kevin Sutton wrote:
>
>>No music, be it new age, rock and roll or even (and I shudder when I say
>>this because I find it so distasteful) contemporary Christian music is
>>from Hell.
>
>I shudder to think Kevin may feel this way about the music of John Rutter
>and James MacMillan, to name two contemporary composers whose work I find
>interesting.  Perhaps Kevin has a certain narrow type of music in mind and
>will disabuse us of his gross generalization.

Actually, although I find much of John Rutter's music attractive and
useful, much of it is also trite and formulaic, something akin to "Andrew
Lloyd Webber for Jesus." I will grant, however, that the man has immense
talent and ability and has written some very fine music for the church.

I do have a certain type of music in mind, John, and anyone who is even
vaguely familiar with what is going on in many American churches today will
know exactly what I am talking about and might have the sense to know that
I was not generalizing about legitimate composers such as MacMillan and
Rutter.  I was referring to the pop garbage, devoid of depth and even a
good tune, turned out by the likes of Amy Grant, Michael W.  Smith, Point
of Grace et.  cet.  ad nauseum.  The kind of middle of the road love
ballads to Jesus that in the seventies were recorded with secular words
to great effect by many an FM radio star.  In the music "biz" CCM as it is
called is a specific genre for marketing purposes.  Is that clear enough
for you to be suitably disabused? Sheesh.

Kevin