Can music be a salvation to the soul?

•It has soothing power but there’s one gotcha

Take 56 men and 67 women mostly over age 50. Add a barber showing photographs of every head he’s had the pleasure to know. And put the catchy tune and lyrics of Paul McCartney’s “Penny Lane” in their ears and in their eyes –, and what do you get? The Men of Independence (Ohio) and the Greater Cleveland (women’s) Chorus singing “A Beatles Celebration” -- barber-shop style recently at a high school in northeast Ohio. [1]

In the sweet, rich four-part harmony of barbershop – unaccompanied by instruments – the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings low harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord. These two groups winnowed the sonic inventiveness of the Beatles band from 1960 to 1970 and turned 11 independent songs and a medley of 11 more songs into a-cappella sweetness. The rich sounds ran from the playful (“Oh-La-Di” 1968):

Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweler’s store

Buys a twenty carat golden ring (Golden ring?)

Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door

And as he gives it to her, she begins to sing (Sing)

And then the fest ran onto the somber (“The Long and Winding Road” 1970) and the pensive (“Yesterday” 1965):

Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away.

Now it looks as though they’re here to stay.

Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly I’m not half the man I used to be.

There’s a shadow hanging over me.

Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Out in the hallway, after the performance, a male barbershopper momentarily stood beside the president of the women’s chorus. I overheard their conversation. I believe it spoke for the entire audience as the music of the evening had increased people’s happiness, had reduced their stress, and in a small way had given them hope and optimism.

Vicki: “Putting us [men and women] together was so good.”

Scott: “Eight part harmony!”

Vicki: “Awesome.”

Scott: “Keep stacking it up!”

• Can music sooth the soul?

The soothing power of music has long been recognized. A psychotherapist put it this way:

Music is often overlooked as a therapeutic intervention: singing, listening, and creating music of any kind will provide an immediate biological and psychological benefit for everyone. In fact, music can be a salvation and antidote to most psychological challenges: that’s why people sing in the shower and while driving the car, or simply listen to music that’s inspiring and distracting from emotional upset. [2]

In the Bible, King Saul had blatantly disobeyed the command of the Lord through the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 15). Saul had chosen to keep valuable animals from the spoils of war for himself but to offer some of them as sacrifices to the Lord. The prophet termed this to be what it is -- wickedness -- and explained in verses 22-23 (all quotations are from NLT):

      ²² “What is more pleasing to the Lord:

            your burnt offerings and sacrifices

            or your obedience to his voice?

      Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,

            and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

      ²³ Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,

            and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.

      So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,

            he has rejected you as king.”

As a result, Saul became tormented with depression and fear (1 Sam 16:14). Scripture regards this outcome as divine punishment for living in a lifestyle of rebellion against God. The spirit causing such depression and fear “came from God.” Rather than dealing with the basic issue of rebellion and its consequences, some of the king’s advisers came up with an idea and told Saul, “Let’s find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.” “All right,” Saul agreed. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”

An adviser reported, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.” “Conscript him for royal service,” the king ordered. Both King Saul and his son Prince Jonathan were thrilled with David and David took over the task of being king’s armor bearer. Whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Depression and fear would leave Saul and he would feel better (1 Sam 16). David became successful with all positions assigned to him by Saul (1 Sam 17).

• Can music save the soul?

In the meantime the Philistines waged war against Israel. A Philistine giant, Goliath, taunted the Israelites to send out a single man to engage him personally. If he were defeated, the Philistine army would all surrender. But no Israelite would venture to engage the giant except one young man: David, the shepherd. After David single-handed killed Goliath, the Israelite army defeated the Philistine army. As the victorious Israelite army returned, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals and sang this song:

      Saul has killed his thousands,

            and David his ten thousands!”

It was simple Hebrew poetry. There was one line of verse and the second line added punch to the first line. But the word order made King Saul extremely angry. He said, “What is this?! They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next thing you know, they’ll be making him their king!” From that point on, Saul was filled with jealousy and kept a close eye on David. The very next day a tormenting spirit overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand and, suddenly, he hurled it at David intending to kill him. This happened twice, with David narrowly escaping each time. Fortunately, David then got a remote assignment in the army, far away from the palace (1 Sam 18).

Can music sooth the soul? Yes, resoundly yes. But can music be a salvation to the soul? No, resoundly no. There can be physical causes of depression and fear. But there can be spiritual cause as well: living in disobedience to moral law, living in jealousy of others, uncontrolled anger that drives a person to commit murder or hate. Music cannot save us from such sins or from any sins for that matter. Who or what can?

The New Testament name-sake of King Saul, Saul of Tarsus, who later became St. Paul the Apostle gives us the answer:

¹³ In my insolence, I persecuted Christ’s people. . . . ¹⁵ This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. ¹⁶ But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Tim 1:13-16 NLT).

King Saul of old could not be soothed. He needed turning from sin, forgiveness of sin and cleansing from sin. Saul of Tarsus found the answer: the saving power of Christ Jesus the Lord.

[1] “A Beatles Celebration,” a musical collaboration between The Men of Independence and The Greater Cleveland [women’s] Chorus plus quartets and guest performers, Gary Lewis and Jean Flinn, directors, April 25, 2015, Solon High School, Solon, Oho.

[2] Mark Sichel, “Music Soothes the Soul; music can be a salvation and antidote to most psychological challenges” in the blog “The Therapist Is In,” Psychology Today, July 15, 2008.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-therapist-is-in/200807/music-soothes-the-soul

Pics: the singing groups in footnote one plus student art that was on display that evening in a nearby hallway.