Heavenly Harmony An Audio Analysis of Corporate Singing in Tongues

While the phenomenon of glossolalia in general has received great attention and various forms of analysis (linguistic, psychological, neurological, and so forth), the practice of corporate singing in tongues, a staple of the Azusa Street Revival, has received little attention or exploration in the literature. This article performs an audio analysis on recorded samples of corporate tongues-singing in order to identify what is happening musically when a group of people sing in tongues together. This analysis reveals several key features that recur across the recordings. Sustained prominent pitches are always present, related in the mathematical ratios of the major scale. In most instances, the pitches form both a tonic chord and dominant chord simultaneously, creating an effect of tension and resolution. These findings point toward the creative possibilities of surrendering autonomy and the deep grounding of the individual within the community and the created order.