Could singing save the world? A German-Nordic folk collective have delighted fans with their recording of an ancient tune. Now, some believe music is the key to a world in harmony.
X
Next
‘So alien’: world’s oldest song stuns critics
Could singing save the world? A German-Nordic folk collective have delighted fans with their recording of an ancient tune. Now, some believe music is the key to a world in harmony.
X
PreviousNext
On Christmas Eve in 1914, German soldiers sang Stille NachtThe Christmas Carol Silent Night, originally composed in German in 1818 by schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber. at the start of the Christmas TruceA spontaneous ceasefire on the Western Front during World War One. German and Allied soldiers stopped fighting and came out of the trenches to sing, exchange food and play football. . In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, Italian families came onto balconies to sing the national anthem. And in Kyiv, seven-year-old Amelia sang Let It Go1 in a bomb shelter during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Spine-tingling musical moments.
And now, the band HeilungAn experimental folk band with members from Denmark, Norway and Germany. has recorded Hymn to NikkalNikkal was the "great lady," wife of the moon god, in the religions of the ancient Near East., the world's oldest song.
Archaeologists found the tune on 3,400-year-old clay tablets in Syria. "I've never heard anything like it," says vocalist Maria Franz.
She says music is how we "reconnect with ourselves, our surroundings and the people around us." So, could music save the world?
Research shows singing affects our brains. Our body releases hormones2 linked to pleasure and love.
Music helps "empathyThe capacity to understand and feel the suffering of others. and inter-cultural understanding," says psychologist Eric Clarke.
Throughout history, songs have inspired change, from The InternationaleWritten in 1871 by French anarchist Eugene Pottier, the leftwing anthem has been adopted by revolutionary movements and political parties across the world. to Amazing GraceA Christian hymn written by the former slave trader John Newton in 1779. It became an influential and popular song of the Black civil rights movement in the United States..
But, says Neil Young, "the time when music could change the world is past." In 1970, he wrote the anti-Vietnam War song Ohio3. Today, he thinks science, not music, will save humanity.
The problem with music is it doesn't last. After the Christmas Truce, World War One claimed over 15 million lives. Singing will not stop viruses, bombs or climate change.
However, everyone can sing. Education expert Steven Demorest says shows like American Idol and The X Factor spread the idea that some people are just not musical. In reality, all infants are natural musicians.
Some scientists think our ancestors sang first and then spoke. Psychologist Ani Patel says we sang "love songs to each other" long before "language" and "abstract thinking".
We have a superpower that can change our brain chemistry, but can it make history?
X
Previous
Could singing save the world?
Yes: When we sing and hear music, we communicate across languages and borders. Music appeals to the oldest and most human part of our nature. It unites us with a common purpose to achieve great things.
No: Money makes the world go round, not music. Singing and dancing make us feel powerful, but it is an illusion. The people who can save the world are leaders, politicians and multinational companies.
Or... Songs are not always a force for good. Lyrics can be racist, sexist and xenophobic. Some songs glorify and encourage violence and hatred of others. And strong emotions can silence rational thought.
Keywords
Stille Nacht - The Christmas Carol Silent Night, originally composed in German in 1818 by schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber.
Christmas Truce - A spontaneous ceasefire on the Western Front during World War One. German and Allied soldiers stopped fighting and came out of the trenches to sing, exchange food and play football.
Heilung - An experimental folk band with members from Denmark, Norway and Germany.
Hymn to Nikkal - Nikkal was the "great lady," wife of the moon god, in the religions of the ancient Near East.
Empathy - The capacity to understand and feel the suffering of others.
The Internationale - Written in 1871 by French anarchist Eugene Pottier, the leftwing anthem has been adopted by revolutionary movements and political parties across the world.
Amazing Grace - A Christian hymn written by the former slave trader John Newton in 1779. It became an influential and popular song of the Black civil rights movement in the United States.
‘So alien’: world’s oldest song stuns critics
Carved in clay: Experts disagree on how to play the 3,400-year-old Hymn to Nikkal. Glossary
Stille Nacht - The Christmas Carol Silent Night, originally composed in German in 1818 by schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber.
Christmas Truce - A spontaneous ceasefire on the Western Front during World War One. German and Allied soldiers stopped fighting and came out of the trenches to sing, exchange food and play football.
Heilung - An experimental folk band with members from Denmark, Norway and Germany.
Hymn to Nikkal - Nikkal was the "great lady," wife of the moon god, in the religions of the ancient Near East.
Empathy - The capacity to understand and feel the suffering of others.
The Internationale - Written in 1871 by French anarchist Eugène Pottier, the leftwing anthem has been adopted by revolutionary movements and political parties across the world.
Amazing Grace - A Christian hymn written by the former slave trader John Newton in 1779. It became an influential and popular song of the Black civil rights movement in the United States.