World Harp Day was first celebrated on October 20, 2020, according to the World Harp Day YouTube channel, in an effort to promote the harp as a symbol of world peace. With this year’s World Harp Day approaching, reflections on the harp and music in general as instruments of peace and healing seem appropriate.
In recent years, there has been a growing amount of interest in the role of music in the healing process, but the concept of music as therapy is nothing new. Ancient civilizations knew a lot more than we give them credit for. In addition to recognizing the importance of the connections between the mind and body, they understood the important role that music can play in the healing process.
David, the Healing Harpist
When the name “David” (in the Bible) is mentioned, several personas readily come to mind – the shepherd- turned king or the one who was described as a “man after God’s heart,” despite his numerous moral failings. Interpersonal relationships also played a major role in David’s life story…. David and Goliath, David and Jonathan…. David and Bathsheba. Then there’s the complicated relationship between David and King Saul. When it comes to this relationship, one role that David played that should probably get more attention is that of healer.
So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would feel relieved and become well, and the evil spirit would leave him.
- 1 Samuel 16:23 (NASB)
Without getting into a theological discourse about how an evil spirit could be “from God,” it appears that Saul was experiencing what would probably be described in today’s parlance as a mental illness. For those who believe that all mental illnesses are spiritual, I would gently point out that David did not perform an exorcism, nor did he spend hours screaming at demons and commanding them to leave. He simply played his harp, and Saul was relieved.
Given the fact that music was used for therapeutic purposes back in the time of David and Saul, it is rather surprising that it was not incorporated into modern medicine.
The good news is that in recent years, there has been a renewed interest in exploring the role of music in medicine and healing. Through its Sound Health initiative, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding numerous studies to explore the connections between music and health, with the aim of establishing evidence-based practices for music interventions for the treatment of specific disorders and the enhancement of well-being.
Music as an instrument of peace
Just as music can play a role in physical healing, it can also serve as a bridge-builder. As I read about the stories behind various Christmas carols for my forthcoming book, I was struck by the impact that various Christmas carols had on people who were affected by war.
In what has come to be known as the Christmas Truce of 1914, at the height of World War I, German and British soldiers temporarily lay down their weapons and sang “Silent Night.”
In times of war, a song about “heavenly peace” was so powerful that it brought enemies together, even if only for a brief moment.
“Silent Night” has been translated into at least 300 languages, and according to the US Copyright Office, is the most recorded Christmas song. The original “Silent Night” composition was arranged for the guitar. There are various versions of the story that give different explanations for why the musical arrangement was for the guitar and not the church organ, but that’s a separate discussion. This famous carol has made such an impact that there are five Silent Night museums in Austria!
A Silent Night Memorial Chapel was built on the site of the original St. Nicholas Church, where Silent Night was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818. Outside the chapel, there is a bronze sculpture of Joseph Mohr, the lyricist, and Franz Gruber, the composer. The sculpture shows Gruber holding the guitar, even though it was actually Mohr who played it when they first performed “Silent Night.”
Bronze sculpture of Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber outside the Silent Night Chapel, Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria. Photograph by the author.
A carol for political propaganda?
Leopold Kohr, an Austrian who emigrated to New York, is said to have used “Silent Night” for political propaganda. He published several articles in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, as well as Canadian publications about “Silent Night,” educating people about the origins of the song.
During the Christmas season of 1941, Kohr was at the White House when Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill sang “Silent Night”, along with the crowd.
Reflecting on this experience, Kohr wrote: *
“Maybe it was only I who had tears in my eyes. But I thought, someday, when freedom and peace reign over the world again, and Austria is independent anew, I will tell them at home about the President and Prime Minister singing ‘Silent Night’.”
Silent Night – A legacy untold
A poem and a simple guitar composition, brought together by a priest and a church organist, created the treasure that is “Silent Night.” The story of “Silent Night” shows the potential impact that a simple song can have. Even though the creators didn’t live to reap any financial benefits from the carol they created, they left a legacy that is priceless.
In 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNSECO) declared “Silent Night” an intangible cultural heritage. This organization is committed to finding solutions to global issues by sharing our common humanity. It is impressive to think that a Christmas carol has made such an impact on the global scene that it has been included on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list.
David’s harp and Joseph’s guitar
From David’s harp to Joseph Mohr’s guitar, it is evident that music can play a powerful role in healing, restoration and building bridges across communities and around the world.
For more information about the stories behind Silent Night and other Christmas carols, check out my new book, “I Played My Best for Him! The Inspiring Stories Behind the Little Drummer Boy and Other Christmas Favorites.”
*Leopold Kohr was quoted in “Silent Night. A Song for the World,” published by Salzburger Nachrichten, November 27, 2017, p.52.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In