Jaap Joh. Kramer

Christian (often shortened to Christian music or CCM in market terms) is an umbrella genre for popular and worship-oriented music whose lyrics explicitly express the Christian faith. It blends contemporary songwriting and production with devotional intent, ranging from pop and rock to folk, country, and modern worship anthems designed for congregational singing. While rooted in centuries of church music and hymnody, the modern "Christian" genre coalesced in the late 1960s United States with the Jesus Movement, later building its own labels, radio networks, and touring circuits. Today it includes radio-friendly CCM, stadium worship, youth-focused pop/rock, and stylistic fusions that carry Christian themes into nearly every mainstream style.

Kerkkoor is a Dutch church-choir tradition centered on congregational Christianity, where a dedicated choir (often men’s, mixed, or youth) performs hymns, psalm settings, and sacred songs within or inspired by Protestant church life. The sound typically emphasizes clear text delivery in Dutch, homophonic choral writing (block chords), and supportive organ accompaniment, although a cappella passages and occasional orchestral/ensemble accompaniment also occur. As a “genre” label in modern catalogs, kerkkoor usually refers less to a single musical style and more to a repertoire ecosystem: Dutch hymnody and psalmody, devotional songs, and choir arrangements intended for worship services, church concerts, and religious community events.