The “voice of the harlot” is a vocal musical technique that is very sensual in nature and should be avoided in Christian music.

Marilyn Monroe once sang “Happy Birthday” to President Kennedy. If you’ve ever seen a YouTube clip of this event, aside from the revealing dress she wore, the manner in which she sang “Happy Birthday” is worth noting. In fact, she barely sang the song– it was more of a breathy whisper, sang in a slow jazz style rhythm, rather than the peppy, straight rhythm it was intended to be.

Instead of hearing the words to the tune, people were hearing the “come on” in her voice, and her musical delivery was louder than the lyrics. (We don’t even have to watch the clip to hear the sensuality; we can hear it in her voice.)

The late Dr. Frank Garlock, of Majesty Music, (who coined the term, “voice of the harlot”) once made an interesting point: would any woman want her husband to be spoken to by another woman in the tone of voice such as this?

In addition to vocal breathiness, sometimes vocalists also use a gravelly sound, and very often they “scoop up” or “slide down” to a note instead of hitting it dead on.

These are all very sensually suggestive vocal techniques; “loose,” as in a “loose woman,” which implies that morals have become lax. Men vocalists are also guilty of these techniques, and I doubt any husband would want another man to speak to his wife in a sensual, breathy voice, either.

The “voice of the harlot,” employed through specific, identifiable vocal techniques, is a powerful tool that appeals to many people and pleases our flesh, much like the tools used by advertisers to lure people to do things or go places they otherwise would not go.

Additionally, these sultry vocal techniques draw attention to the singer, rather than the words of the song, and when used in contemporary worship music, this robs God of the glory and praise that rightfully belongs to Him.

Contrast these carnal vocal techniques to that of a small child who sings honestly and purely, without artifice. Most classically trained opera performers also sing purely and without pretense. (More worldly vocal techniques are explained in Music and Morals.)

Yet we allow, and listen to, these sensual vocal techniques in our Christian music; we defend and applaud them, even in our worship services. Can these types of vocal techniques (often mistakenly called “artistry”) be pleasing to a Holy God? Would we pray to Him using these techniques?

Would we allow our pastors to stand in the pulpit and deliver a sermon in a sensually suggestive voice along with sensually suggestive movements?

Then why do we allow these sensual vocal techniques during the worship portion church services? Why is there a difference?

Because, musically, we do not want to recognize the “voice of the harlot,” having been willingly desensitized and deceived into thinking that the words are all that matter in our Christian music.

[For further discussion about lyrics, see the article, “Aren’t Lyrics all that Matter?”]