I have to say that my experience is quite the opposite of Bert's (above) - if I'm leading a song I find it really helpful and supportive if others are singing harmonies. It's a great feeling to be able to lean into the harmonies, and for me in enhances the whole thing. I suppose we all need, as individuals, to make our likes and dislikes known to those we sing with, so nobody gets upset.

For those who like to learn from recordings of harmony groups but struggle to identify the parts, one tip is to listen on stereo headphones. With any luck you'll hear the separate voices sounding in (apparently) different areas of your head, and it's much easier to pick out individual parts or notes that way.

Marje