Gospel is a music genre in Christian music.  The creation, performance, significance and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context.  It is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure and religious or ceremonial purposes.  The music usually has dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) with Christian lyrics.  It can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in the black oral tradition.  Most of the churches relied on singing a cappella with hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment.