Traditional African Instruments and Christian Congregational Music 

Engaging with theologically diverse Christian congregations in the UK, the United States and South Africa, this research contextualises and investigates the continued lack of traditional African instrumental use within Christian contemporary music, across congregations in South Africa, or those with significant African diaspora membership in the UK and United States. 

Mpho Molikeng playing an instrument

According to Billboard, the genre of Christian contemporary music was one of the top 5 fastest growth markets in popular music during 2024, experiencing more than twice the average industry growth rate. Whilst this genre is consumed through conventional channels, it is distinct in being used globally during weekly congregational worship, often embracing western musical styles and performance practices to the negation of localities. 

By surveying music teams, church leadership, and congregants, this project investigates perspectives on the role of music within African and African diaspora congregations, the impacts of globalisation on their Christian musical practices, the residual impact of the colonial exclusion of traditional instruments which is expressed across generations and theologies and the links between traditional instruments and cultural identity.  

The research uses an arrangement of Charles Wesley’s ‘Doxology’, taken from the 2022 Every Nation Ministries release Crown Him – Hymns from around the World as a research instrument. This album was arranged and produce by Jonathan Crossley in South Africa and probed the exclusion of traditional instruments within hymns. The arrangements retained the words and melodies of commonly sung hymns. pairing these authentically with traditional instruments from a range of territories. Listener responses to these works are polarised, and often emotional, which suggests that elements beyond the music itself are present. The research seeks to: 

  • Investigate the reasons or motivations for the continued exclusion of African traditional instruments 
  • Explore whether there are differences or similarities in participant responses across generations, territories and theologies 
  • Explore whether there is desire to (re)introduce African traditional instruments into popular musical practices with Christian congregational music by partnering with selected congregations in the UK 
  • Develop a working model to integrate traditional instruments within current musical practices 

Team members are Jonathan Crossley (Liverpool University), Cara Stacey (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa) and Timothy Easley (Sherman Bible Chapel, Deposit, NY, USA).  

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