<P> Gospel music is a genre of Christian music . The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context . Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace . Gospel music usually has dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) with Christian lyrics . Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in the black oral tradition . Hymns and sacred songs were often repeated in a call and response fashion . Most of the churches relied on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment . Most of the singing was done a cappella . The first published use of the term "gospel song" probably appeared in 1874 . The original gospel songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root, Philip Bliss, Charles H. Gabriel, William Howard Doane, and Fanny Crosby . Gospel music publishing houses emerged . The advent of radio in the 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music . Following World War II, gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite elaborate . </P> <P> Gospel blues is a blues - based form of gospel music (a combination of blues guitar and evangelistic lyrics). Southern gospel used all male, tenor - lead - baritone - bass quartet make - up . Progressive Southern gospel is an American music genre that has grown out of Southern gospel over the past couple of decades . Christian country music, sometimes referred to as country gospel music, is a subgenre of gospel music with a country flair . It peaked in popularity in the mid-1990s . </P> <P> Bluegrass gospel music is rooted in American mountain music . Celtic gospel music infuses gospel music with a Celtic flair, and is quite popular in countries such as Ireland . British black gospel refers to Gospel music of the African diaspora, which has been produced in the UK . Some proponents of "standard" hymns generally dislike gospel music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries . Today, with historical distance, there is a greater acceptance of such gospel songs into official denominational hymnals . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> "How Great Thou Art" Play media Yolanda Adams performs "How Great Thou Art" at the White House's Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement in 2010 . "How Great Thou Art" audio only file </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing these files? See media help . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

What's the meaning behind this is gospel