Nigh on two years ago Andrew Lloyd Webber, the English composer who created the scores for blockbuster musicals like Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Evita, was invited by the then Prince Charles to write an anthem for his Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey.
Webber chose to adapt Psalm 28, a piece of music that encourages singers to make a “joyful noise“.
Ian Jobling of Sunshine Beach heard it sung during the televised service of the coronation in May 2023 and thought it ideal for his Occasional Choir – a group of singers who have for the last 12 years taken part in services at Easter, Christmas and the like in his local St Andrews Church in Bicentennial Drive, Sunshine Beach.
After reading in a press release that Webber would make the music freely available so that choirs and congregations around the world could sing his new anthem, Make a Joyful Noise, Ian tried to obtain the sheet music.
“It took many emails to obtain the four-part score and now the singers in the Occasional Choir are enjoying practising with the learning files at their homes and rehearsals. The Occasional Choir comprises parishioners who love to sing from the congregations of the Anglican Church of Noosa at St Andrews College Peregian Springs, St Mary’s, Tewantin, as well as his own congregation at St Andrews.
Ian sings tenor with Noosa Chorale and is pleased the Occasional Choir has been augmented over the years by singers from that choir. For the performance of Make a Joyful Noise, there will again be singers from the Chorale, along with deputy-musical director Pamela Sage who will be conducting, and soprano Debra Boyles who is the organist.
When he isn’t making a “joyful noise,” Ian is Honorary Patron of the Queensland Centre of Olympic and Paralympic Studies at the University of Queensland.
The service is on Sunday 30 March and starts at 7.30 am.
“We hope the Webber’s anthem will attract people from outside the church who know about it and want to hear it again” he said.
Anglican Church of Noosa minister, the Rev Chris Johnston, said, “The Occasional Choir makes our services very special. This one will be a beauty!”
