Joyful music: A Celebration of Joy Webb

Gavin Straw (Thornton Heath) reviews A Celebration of Joy on wobplay.

Joy Webb was a unique figure in Salvation Army music and this concert at Regent Hall was a unique evening. I knew Joy for more than 20 years and she became a wonderful friend to me and my family.

The International Staff Band opened the programme with ‘On Parade’, the great swing medley of Joy’s songs ‘I Want to Sing It’ and ‘Follow’.

Commissioner Keith Banks was the host and spoke of Joy’s great skill as a Christian communicator, especially how her music can speak to people well beyond the Church.

The International Staff Songsters sang the uplifting ‘Songs of Joy’, which contains Joy’s arrangements for the Sunbury Junior Singers, including ‘Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet’ and ‘This Little Light of Mine’. They followed this with the quietly beautiful spiritual, ‘Angels Watching Over Me’.

Founding Joystrings members Lieut-Colonels Peter and Sylvia Dalziel joined Commissioner Keith on the platform to talk about the formation of the 1960s group.

Lieut-Colonel Sylvia pointed out that Joy never wanted praise to come to her for her creative gifts but wanted all the glory to go to God. Then she observed: ‘But I think the very fact that we have come together as an audience, and this wonderful concert has been produced for us, means that each one of us is here because we want to say Joy ... thank you for the music.’

Susan Turner sang a moving solo of Joy’s deeply personal ‘Share My Yoke’.

Music Editorial Manager Andrew Blyth (THQ) spoke about Joy’s songwriting, describing the way she could combine melody and lyrics in a powerful way.

Joy’s music for young people was unsurpassed for its bright and infectious style. The Territorial Youth Choir sang the Christmas favourite ‘Noel’ and ‘Light Up the Sunshine’. The first half ended with a powerful rendition by the ISB of ‘Shine As the Light’ by Peter Graham, which contains Joy’s beautiful ‘The Candle of the Lord’.

The second half opened with a video clip of Joy being interviewed about her music. Next came a dramatic performance of Joy’s visionary song ‘There Will Be God’, sung by actor Martin Posnett and the ISS.

Keith Turton gave a personal tribute to Joy. He worked with her on drama productions at the Marylebone Christian Arts Centre and travelled the world with her doing youth work. He ended with the thought that we are all better people for having known Joy.

The youth choir returned to sing Joy’s heartfelt song, ‘It Is Jesus’, with beautiful harmonies and sincere feeling.

I had a wonderful surprise as the next song was ‘New World’. Joy sang this to me and said she wrote it as a sister piece to ‘There Will Be God’. It paints a picture of a world of suffering, but then evokes a powerful vision of a better world that a return to faith could bring about: ‘I can see a world where God belongs again,/ And the hearts of men are true.’

Major Peter Hawkins from the Joy Folk – the group that followed the Joystrings – then gave a moving tribute about Joy’s huge impact on his life and ministry.

The ISS returned with soloist Ann Stewart to sing ‘The Candle of the Lord’. People took in the song’s message in silence before applauding: the ultimate tribute.

The evening ended with everyone being invited to sing a medley of Joy’s songs arranged by Paul Sharman with accompaniment by the ISB – a wonderful finale, the highlight being Joy’s magical Christmas song, ‘A Starry Night’.

This uplifting and memorable evening was a reminder that Joy’s soulful words and melodies will live on.

• A Celebration of Joy is available to stream at wobplay.com.