heterophony means the simultaneous performance by a number of singers or musicians of two or more versions of the same melody. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
heterophony is pronounced /hɛtəˈɹɒfəni/.
Why “heterophony” is a great word
HETEROPHONY — [Noun] The simultaneous performance of two or more slightly different versions of the same melody. From Ancient Greek ἑτεροφωνία (heterophōnía), from ἕτερος (héteros, "other, different") and φωνή (phōnḗ, "sound, voice"). Unlike polyphony, which weaves independent melodic lines, or unison, which demands exact replication, heterophony is a collective act of divergent reminiscence. It is the shimmer of a singer and a piper ornamenting the same folk tune; the rich burr of a string quartet where the cello lags microtonally behind the violin; the chorus of cicadas in summer, each declaiming the same script with a unique quaver—a testament to the beautiful impossibility of perfect alignment, and the richer truth found in shared deviation.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἑτεροφωνία (heterophōnía). By surface analysis, hetero- + -phony.
noun
- The simultaneous performance by a number of singers or musicians of two or more versions of the same melody.