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I find the idea of popular music concerts as spiritual or religious experiences extremely convincing. As someone who grew up in the church, I found that many people use music as a form of worship. This is a more obvious form of religious practice through music. People are gathering around from all around the area, in some instances, the world, to acknowledge the sovereignty of a particular being. They are establishing their uniformity about a particular set of beliefs through their participation in said worship service.

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Thomas Turino, in his book, "Music as Social Life", says, "These events are time out of normal everyday time; they are, at their foundation, a celebration and experiencing of the social group itself and for this reason, perhaps more than any other, are highly fulfilling and meaningful. Most humans have a need to deeply connect with others; participatory music and dance events are an age-old and humanly universal way to realize experience, and they are open to everybody (Turino, pp. 188)."
I believe that what Turino says applies to the setting of music of which I have been talking. People that participate in musical concerts like this aren't merely sitting back and relaxing, but they are participating together in the worship of their God. It is a time of deep connection with both their Deity and their peers.

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Below one can see a christian rock group known as "Delirious" singing their song "rain down". One can see that this is a more contemporary form of worship much different than singing catechisms or gregorian chants. Although it is less conventional than most religious media, it still bears the remnants of the same religious beliefs.

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Similarly, I think that people in the circle of secular music also have some kind of spiritual experience. When I was a young child, I went and saw The Rolling Stones in concert. Although I wasn't old enough to appreciate them, I did experience the camaraderie that one can feel in a large concert setting. This is also a time of connection and spirituality, but of different ideals.

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The Rolling Stones - Beast Of Burden - Live OFFICIAL

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I'll never be your beast of burden My back is broad but it's a hurting All I want is for you to make love to me I'll never be your beast of burden I've walked for miles my feet are hurting All I want is for you to make love

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Below one can see photos of different catholic choirs. It is refutable to say that this kind of music isn't related to religion and spirituality.

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WASHINGTON - The Sistine Chapel Choir came to Washington Sept. 20 on a rare U.S. visit. Its stops included Detroit and New York as well as The Catholic University of America, where it gave a concert and presented a workshop.

The choir resembles the choir of the Early Renaissance period of 500 years ago in that it features all males, including about 30 boys, to sing the soprano and alto parts that were written with their vocal timbre in mind.

The choir is directed by an Italian Salesian priest, Msgr. Massimo Palombella, whose first name and clerical honorific are usually ignored in favor of "Maestro."

Appointed in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, the priest's commission was renewed in 2015 by Pope Francis.

In a Sept. 20 interview, Msgr. Palombella, ordained in 1997, said that as the choir conductor, he gets to "dig roots" into the earliest years of the choir.

Speaking in heavily accented English and having a reporter's questions interpreted into Italian by the choir's first-ever British member, Msgr. Palombella said the Vatican archives retain the music written years ago for the choir, with arrangements intended for the boys who populated the choir. Back then, there were no liturgical roles for women; even the actors performing Shakespeare's works at the Globe Theater in London were all men.

Today's members do not have the grinding schedule that the choir - organized in its current form in 1471 - once had. It used to sing virtually every Sunday. Although it rehearses for three hours a day, the choir sings at Christmas and Easter Masses at the Sistine Chapel, and at about 20 other Masses and liturgical functions there, as well as concerts there and elsewhere, such as the September U.S. trip. The choir also makes recordings annually for the Deutsche Grammophon label and made its first-ever recording inside the Sistine Chapel.

While the choir may be getting back to its roots, one obvious innovation has taken place. Instead of juggling sheaves of music and turning pages with one hand while trying to conduct with the other, Msgr. Palombella uses a tablet and does a simple swipe-left to change the page.

Conducting the choir and selecting the repertoire is only half of Msgr. Palombella's job. The other half is writing music. His charge, he said, is to combine both liturgical demands with the influences of contemporary composers to produce fresh material for the choir to complement its historic repertoire.

A Catholic University spokesman said the Sistine choir had visited the school before, but it was at least 30 years ago.

For the workshop, Catholic University music students were invited to attend, as were the music directors of nearby parishes, the spokesman said.

Fourteen Sistine Chapel Choir members at the workshop demonstrated some of the group's repertoire from composers such as Palestrina. All the choir members were adults; one was 22 years old, while others had more than 22 years of experience in the choir. Two introduced themselves as having served two stints in the choir, first as boys and now as adults.

During the workshop, Msgr. Palombella said a direct line of continuity from the Early Renaissance to today cannot be drawn by the choir, even though it has been in existence for half a millennium, due to the use some centuries ago of "castrati" - boys who had their testicles removed before puberty so their singing voices would not slide into deeper ranges as they grew older.

Introduced into the Sistine choir about 1620, the castrati had all but displaced boys by 1650 and remained in vogue for about two centuries, according to Msgr. Palombella, noting the last castrato performed at the Vatican in the early 20th century, after which time Pope Pius X forbade their use.

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the sistine chapel choir came to washington sept. 20 on a rare
u.s. visit. its stops included detroit and new york as well as the catholic
university of america

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where it gave a concert and presented a workshop.
 

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Sistine Chapel Choir makes rare visit to United States

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WASHINGTON - The Sistine Chapel Choir came to Washington Sept. 20 on a rare U.S. visit. Its stops included Detroit and New York as well as The Catholic University of America, where it gave a concert and presented a workshop.

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News

Compensation will be paid to at least 422 people who were sexually and physically abused over several decades as part of a Catholic choir in Bavaria. A church and victims' representatives panel is addressing the abuse.

Hundreds of children who were sexually and physically abused over several decades at the Domspatzen, a world-famous Catholic choir in Bavaria, will be financially compensated, Regensburg Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer said on Wednesday.

The 1,000-year-old choir in Bavaria's Regensburg was first shaken by the massive sexual abuse scandal in 2010, when former pupils alleged abuse by adults in the Catholic Church. To date, 422 former singers have registered complaints of abuse, including at least 65 cases of sexual abuse, from teachers and priests between 1945 and the 1990's. The actual number of victims is believed to be much higher.

The Catholic Church and victims' representatives have led a panel to address the tragedy.

Voderholzer announced on Wednesday the results of an interim report and progress on addressing the abuse as part of the panel that includes victims' representatives. Describing the investigation as the "most depressing experience" of his religious service, the bishop said the panel had agreed on a four-pillar approach to addressing the abuse.

By the end of 2017, the panel will decide on paying compensation of between 5,000 and 20,000 euros to each victim, Voderholzer announced in the company of two victims' representatives.

Voderholzer urged undeclared victims to come forward.

Other measures will be taken to make an "effective and sustainable resolution" of the abuse, including a sociological and history study. This will help to develop preventative measures against any future abuse.

Another pillar to help deal with the abuse is the formation of a panel to recognize the suffering of the victims.

Alexander Probst und Peter Schmitt, who represent the victims, said they were satisfied with the outcome of the investigation so far and praised Voderholzer for the seriousness with which he has addressed the abuse.

Voderholzer's predecessor between 2002 and 2012, Curial Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, had been accused by the victims of hindering and delaying an investigation into the abuses.

The choir was run by Pope Benedict's elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, from 1964 to 1994, when most of the abuse is believed to have occurred.

According to the victims' lawyer Ulrich Weber, Ratzinger must have known of some of the cases, although he has denied having any information. Weber will issue a final report into the abuses at the beginning of 2017.

cw/rc (epd, dpa, KNA)

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German Catholic choir abuse victims to receive compensation | News | DW | 13.10.2016

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News Compensation will be paid to at least 422 people who were sexually and physically abused over several decades as part of a Catholic choir in Bavaria. A church and victims' representatives panel is addressing the abuse.