Article January 20, 1917 Issue

Heavenly Harmony

MAY POMEROY GRAVES

On page 304 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "Harmony in man is as beautiful as in music, and discord is unnatural, unreal." The work of a great orchestra has always been to me deeply impressive and uplifting. I was taken to concerts of this character when too young to analyze the effect of the music upon myself, but I always felt that it was some beautiful and holy influence, and sometimes in childish fancy I used to think that the music was a message from another world, a world wholly apart from material associations.

As I grew older I was taught to listen to the different themes and motives, so closely interwoven and yet so distinct, brought out first by one set of instruments and then by another, and to watch closely the harmonious construction of the whole from these various parts. After a while it was no longer a mysterious language, but one with as distinct a message as any words could have. It is sometimes said that only songs are helpful because of the beautiful words, but I feel sure that all those who truly listen will hear the message of harmony in instrumental music as well.

At a recent concert I was impressed with the fact that in such a perfect organization each member was necessarily so trained that he was or could be a soloist, and yet he was willing to subordinate personal achievement to the harmonious working out of the whole. Each man too might easily have his own conception of how a certain thing should be interpreted, but imagine for one moment the chaos resulting from independent action in such a case. Suppose, for instance, that sixty or seventy men were following the baton, and one should not approve the special interpretation being given a Beethoven symphony but insist upon giving expression to his own views: we can readily see that the harmonious concerted action of the others would be greatly marred, if not entirely lost. I have closely watched the men of a great orchestra subordinating personal opinion that the work of the whole might be perfect; playing conscientiously as it had been interpreted for them, even when they might not quite understand, but always following the conductor that they might not miss any fine points, and I have thought how many lessons the Christian Scientists might learn from such concerted action and subordination of self.

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