Is classical music dead as a creative activity?

[Mikebert]

I like some of Christopher Tin's stuff, particularly Baba Yetu which is a song in which the words are the Lord's Prayer in Swahili.  Although Tin doesn't really belong in any musical category, I find I respond to my favorites of his music in similar ways to how I respond to my favorites in classical music (I sometimes get goosebumps or a thrilling warming sensation along my spine at certain points in the piece) which I don't get from my favorites in popular music.  A modern piece that I would stack up against the greats of the 18th and 19th century is Barber's Adagio for Strings, which is simply glorious.  I also love Morricone's On Earth as it is in Heaven, Gabriel's Oboe and other pieces the film The Mission, one of my favorite films, in large part because of the glorious score.

Having said that the Choral from the 4th movement of Beethoven's mighty Ninth tops the list for me with strong runner up several of the pieces from Handel's incomparable oratorio The Messiah.