WorshipCentral

hmmm, I think Delirious have a lot to answer for in relation to U2 influenced worship songs!!!! Joking aside though, I think that one of the reasons that the current worship scene is so influenced by the aforementioned bands is because, even if the songwriter is not personally influenced by U2/Coldplay, etc, it is more than likely that he/she is influenced by other worship music, hence the perpetuation of the U2 sounding worship...

This in itself is not a bad thing, but it does put a dampner on originality and seems to have led to "worship music" being a genre, in the same way that "rock" and "hip-hop" are genres. Worship is now almost a style of music.

Is this a good thing? I don't know. What I do know is that I too am clearly influenced by both other worship leaders and of course, the ubiquitous U2, and although I do try to add a few flares of originality, we seem, as song writers, to have found a formula that leads to songs that are singable, easy to pick up and easy to teach to other musicians. And that cannot be a bad thing.

I agree that having a 'formula' that seems to work and be widely accepted is a good thing - anything that enables us to worship without being distracted is to be aimed for - and worship music that is culturally relevant is likely to make non-christians feel less alienated when coming to church or christian events.
The downside of this is that we end up down a cul-de-sac where an entire generation of folk are unable to worship, musically speaking, unless the songs are this current Delirious/U2 style (and a worship band that doesn't consist of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keys, bass & drums is viewed with suspicion!)
The role of some worship-leaders/songwriters is to ride the wave of what is happening at the moment, the role of others is to push the boundaries and look for new ways of expressing our worship.
A not-very-good example is that of Kevin Prosch blowing down a conch shell at Soul Survivor 1993 (or thereabouts). I am sure a lot of people thought he was just showing off but I suspect he felt that the only adequate way to express himself at that time was by doing what he did. Just like when you don't know what to say in prayer so you speak in tongues.
I am not saying that we need to start writing songs using seashells, but that those of us who feel so inclined need to look for non-Delirious/U2 ways of praising God. As much as I dislike house/trance/etc the World Wide Message Tribe (or whatever they're called nowadays) are a great example of how powerful this can be.

Is it possible for a band to bridge the secular / worship genres successfully ? Should bands try to do this? A few such as Deirious have tried but i don't know hpw successful they have been. Is there an audience for such music?

I Believe there is a close relationship between worship music as a service to the church and worship music as an art form. The music we use and write to serve the church generally seems to follow a bit behind current market trends in music and culture. However, I think there is a place for worship music to try to push ahead and be original. Though originality and unique songwriting would loose some effectiveness for the Sunday service, I think there is a place for songs that we won't try to sing along with. I think there should be a sampling of congregational songs and songs which explore the art of music without the constraints of serving the congregation. I believe Delirious hit a point somewhat in the middle of the spectrum.

Other than U2, Johnny Cash and to a lesser extent Sufjan Stevens are the only two people I can think of that cross the divide.

I don't think any worship groups do.

To go back to the OP's question, the guy that inspires me most in terms of writing music is probably Seth Lakeman. He has taken English folk music (some of the least hip of all music - apologies to the morris dancers out there...) and made it accessible to a new generation. Interestingly, the lyrics are often antiquated, the instrumentation is traditional, but melodically and rhythmically it's great.

An interesting point from Marc above. Worship music that congregations listen (and possibly react) to rather than sing along with is a concept i never really thought about. As a member of a "worship" band i always feel the worship has been more engaging if people are openly singing etc...but who's to say that is always the case...

I have to agree though that "christian" music tends to follow rather than lead - a trend possibly becasue of a reluctance to change we sometimes encounter...

Another artist who might be added to the list of worship/secular crossover artist is Dukes Special - some very religious imagery in his words.

Without sounding judgmental, could it be said that bands like U2/Coldplay/REM/recent Kings of Leon appeal to the masses with a lowest common denominator? While some worship genres vear wildly from this track (like metal/bluegrass/hiphop) they are no less worshipful because of the style they appear in. They simply appeal to fewer people than the mainstream....the vast middle of the road finds it easy to sing along to The Sweetest Thing or Yellow and if a leader wants people to join in, they're not making a huge mistake by imitating the music of these bands.I think we often forget the huge range of praising music that exists today...from the organ-traditional to dancefloor material - here at WC you might find more MOR people in comparison. No bad thing - each to their own :)

John 3.16 --> 1 Jn 3.16 This is love.