Conclusion

Gospel music, from its beginning, has been a conscious and deliberate expression of the desire of African Americans to articulate, embrace, and celebrate the beliefs, attitudes, and values that affirm and distinguish their cultural and religious identity in the United States. The distinctiveness of different gospel music forms reflects African Americans' collective adaptation to an ever-changing socio-cultural and political milieu. Nevertheless, the commonalities among these forms also indicate a self-defining core of cultural values that persist over time. Whereas gospel music compositions continue to be added to the repertoire daily, arrangements and reinterpretations of spirituals, hymns, and other forms also represent a vital component of the standard gospel literature. Their texts make them as relevant today as ever while revived and revitalized by incorporating more contemporary sounds.