Recently I discovered that Psalms 66, 98 and 100 encourage us to make a “joyful noise” to God and I wondered what a joyful noise could be. Looking throughout the psalms, it is clear that a group of people praising God or singing to God is a joyful noise. Other joyful noises are the giggle of a baby, the cheerful greeting of an acquaintance, even the roar of a winning crowd. I searched YouTube and found that there is a movie called A Joyful Noise. It takes place in a small town in Georgia where a church choir is struggling between keeping the traditional Gospel music or modernizing the music and bringing new members to the choir.
In my reflections about a joyful noise, I realize that I have some favorite joyful noises. In this joyful week after Easter I’m sharing them with you starting, of course, with the Ode to Joy. To hear and see the following joyful noises, click the link or copy the URL into your browser. Ode to Joy is also the anthem of the European Union.
Ode to Joy (5:40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qT5BOl2XU
My next two choices are two Hallelujah works; one from Handel in the 18th century and one from Leonard Cohen in the 20th century. Leonard Cohen said about his Hallelujah that “this world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that’s what I mean by ‘Hallelujah.’”
Flash mob Hallelujah Chorus (4:56) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE
Leonard Cohen—Hallelujah (7:20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q
The next title is from Leonard Cohen as well and is a joyful noise about the permanence of human love.
Leonard Cohen – Dance Me to the End of Love (6:09) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGorjBVag0I
This joyful noise is also a joyful dance on ice.
Torvill and Dean Bolero (6:13) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC50M6LHcHY
And finally, the joyful noise that immediately came to my mind when I thought of joyful noises. This piece is by Stephen Sondheim who has said that it is his favorite of all his compositions. It comes from Pacific Overtures, a show not well known. It is a story of the westernization of Japan in 1853. This song is specifically about Admiral Perry meeting with Japanese officials in a treaty house. If you can only listen to one of these joyful noises, listen to this one.
Someone in a tree from Pacific Overtures by Ann Harada, Thom Sesma, Kelvin Moon Loh and Austin Ku (7:25) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX135EhvhGA
Happy Easter! And may you continue to find joyful noises in your life.
