Harmony

The dictionary defines "harmony" as "a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts". That probably is as good of a definition as any. Whether the parts are musical notes or various people, it is when these parts are structured in an orderly, pleasing arrangement that we call it "harmony".

There is a fairly recent addition to the contest shows that are so popular these days like American Idol and the like. The show, The Sing Off, is a music competition, just like that other one, but it has a couple of different components that make it interesting. First, it is not a competition between individual singers, but a competition between singing groups. Second, it is a cappella. That's right. No instruments, musicians, or bands. It is just a group of people using their own voices. And since I like music and I like a cappella music, I have enjoyed some of what has come out of that competition. The competition is about ... harmony.

It's interesting, when you think about it, what harmony requires to exist. First, harmony is not unison. Harmony is not "everyone doing the same thing". In fact, if everyone is doing the same thing, it is not harmony. On the other hand, harmony is not everyone doing their own thing, either. That wouldn't work. No, the parts of harmony are doing something different, yet they are working on the same thing toward the same goal. That is harmony.

When you think of a choir (which uses harmony to obtain its effect), it expands the concept a little. I mean, sure, you can have a barbershop quartet and each person sings their own part, but when a choir sings, it takes on a different sound. You might have the same four parts, but you have a group of people singing in unison on each part. The effect of this unison, however, is not sameness, but richness. That's because, while each voice is singing the same note, the tone quality of each voice varies and the result is a harmony of tone qualities around a harmony of parts.

In The Sing Off recently there was one group that was formed just for the competition. They gathered several solo singers together to form this a cappella group. It was interesting how difficult it was for them to do their job. Why? Well, in order for there to be harmony, there is one other key component required. For harmony to exist, the participants must not be interested primarily in their own glory. In a good harmony, you might hear various parts, but sometimes you're wondering, "So, who is that voice?" because good harmony is not about the individual. It's about the group. It won't work when the individuals are all aiming at being heard above the rest. It's called "blending", and it's key to good harmony.

Harmony, then, acts as a wonderful lesson in Christian living. We are not called to be the same. We are each given our own tasks to perform. Neither are we to operate in a vacuum. We are part of a whole, working toward a common goal. You know, kind of like a body. Sometimes we work with others on the same tasks. Sometimes we work alone. Always we are arranged in an "orderly, pleasing arrangement". And it's not about us. It's about the whole, the group, the overall effort, and, ultimately, about the One for whom and through whom we work. "To sum up," Peter writes, "let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit" (1 Peter 3:8).