There have been many debates over what the proper music is to be played in church, and this argument has lasted for as long as the religion itself. However, there is often lots of confusion over the differences in music across denominations. The major types of music played in churches around the world are structured music (i.e. hymns), spirituals, Gregorian chant, and Christian Contemporary Music. The music divides itself between denominations of Christianity which were formed both before and after the reformation. 

The most traditional denominations, including Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, and certain Protestant groups typically focus on the more structured and formal types of music. Much of the classical sacred music originated for the purposes of these services, leading to the creation of the mass, passion, and chorale. Additionally, many common aspects of the service were developed in these older denominations. For example, the psalm originally became popular in the 4th century, yet it developed further within the Anglican church to include call and response between the congregation and pastor, a practice still found in many modern churches. 

Later contributions include the Protestant movement which touted the chorale as the most important music within a service. These chorales, many of which were composed by Martin Luther himself, were transformed into works for both organ and voice. One of the most famous examples of organ music in this style are Bach’s chorale preludes. However, his works for the voice were equally impressive, consisting of around 200 cantatas for church, all based on various chorales. Lyrics for the chorales were based on text from the Bible or poetry written about the bible, rather than liturgy, with the intent of making chorales an accessible way for the congregation to connect with God. 

Among the most important sacred music within the United States are African American spirituals. Described as one of the truest forms of American music, this style originated from the call and response tradition found in ancestral African music. Describing the hardships faced by African Americans during slavery, as well as being rooted in biblical stores, this genre was used to protect and maintain culture and only later evolved to be sung in churches. Typically consisting of a variety of rhythmic patterns, spirituals can be directly traced back to traditional African styles that include falsetto humming, percussive sounds, distinct uses of vocal timbre, and the pentatonic scale. Though this is only the surface of the importance and meaning of African American spirituals, these pieces have become crucial the repertoire of any choir and are frequently sung across the country. Despite the wealth of sacred music across the globe, spirituals stand out as being uniquely American and a treasured piece of American culture.