You see four faces making a joyful noise, clad in their Sunday Best with confidence and energy oozing out of them, I see so much more. I see those four as a small fraction of an entire community. A community of believers who have seen it all. Death. Fighting for power regarding who would fit in the too big shoes of the choir leader. I see a patient elderly widow whose grandson is wayward. In that single picture, I see a married nurse, whose husband chooses to go back to the army when confronted with financial difficulties at home. A husband who chooses to leave the care of his beautiful teenage daughter and special needs son to his wife. He goes away and his wife writes and posts letters to her children pretending that they are from their father who is busy fighting for their nation in the army.
I see a prohibited love budding between the wayward grandson and the beautiful teenage daughter of the nurse. Do bear it in mind that both grandma and mother are the ones contending for the honour of leading the church choir. You see four joyful people in a picture but I see a community in recession. With a few businesses closed and a husband and father who goes back to serve in the army as well as a church choir that cannot stand on its own financially. I see a lady who resorts to gratifying her sexual desires with men she’s not married to when a husband she delays to find. Unfortunately, everyone gets to know.
With all the problems this community has, problems that surround us each day, one thing holds them together. Their love for God and music. They will fight. Delays of answers to prayers will you witness, marital problems and loneliness; yet music will make them sing with joy. Music would be their lifeline. The Church Choir with all the re-branding it would go through would be the channel through which this community of believers would get answers to prayers.
The movie ends with the Church Choir having won a singing competition. The trophy is brought back home and this community springs back to life. Oh, the spinster walks down the aisle, the forbidden teenage love recieves thumbs up from Grandma and Mummy. Soldier dad returns home and reunites with his family. Every other person joins in in making a Joyful Noise to God for holding them through the tough seasons and leading them to a place of victory and rejoicing.
Joyful Noise; I have watched it until every scene is one with me. A movie I can still gladly pick up with confidence that by the end of it I will be making a Joyful Noise.
The same applies to all the 3 High School Musicals, Sound of Music, Why did I get married, A walk to Remember, The Proposal, Annie, Home Alone and Midnight Sun among others. By the way, I have re-watched quite a lot of movies though somehow musicals have a special place.
Fruitful Vine 
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