Please Note: This is a free program, registration required.

The horn is one of the first instruments to appear in the texts of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Featuring the music of the Kings of Harmony brass band and the performance choir of Temple Beth El of Suffolk, Virginia, this program celebrates how each faith has forged its place in the American experience, announcing itself in its own way with the horn. Scholars Raynetta Wiggins-Jackson, Aiman Khan, and Rabbi Sholomo Levy illuminate the history behind these traditions and explore how American spiritual communities today use the horn to uplift their faith in harmony.

About the Faith in Harmony: Soundscapes of American Spirituality series

Rooted in the nation's commitment to freedom of belief, this five-part series explores the rich and evolving landscape of religion and spirituality in American—including Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Native American spiritual practices, among others—through celebration of sound.

Programs, offered free to the public, feature performances and conversations that reveal the human connections that emerge when sounds resonate in harmony. From sounding of the horn to the strike of the daf, form the healing of the jingle dress to a cantor's call to prayer, these soundscapes reflect the tones, textures, and connections of American spirituality across the nation.

This project received funding from the Smithsonian's "Our Shared Future: 250," a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Upcoming Faith in Harmony programs (Future Registration Information Coming Soon!)

• August 6: Beat
• September 3: Ringing
• November 17: Voice
• December 15: Together in Spirit

General Information

• Registration for this program will end by 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14, 2026.