Top songs aid religion’

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32703, 4 September 1971, Page 18

Top songs aid religion ’

Even if it meant the commercialisation of religion, pop religious music at least brought religion to younger people, a Salvation Army officer said in Christchurch yesterday.

Major Joy Webb, the officer responsible for rhythmgroup evangelism for the Salvation Army in Great Britain, is in New Zealand as part of a tour of sofne parts of the South Pacific. “If it is a good religious song, it will make its mark and become a talking point, even if there are moneymakers behind it who see it only as a business venture,” said Miss Webb. “I think that 'Show your face’ by Sandie Shaw is one such song.” Although she had not been able to see “Superstar” in England, Miss Webb said that she had heard the record a couple of times and had been very impressed with it, but she had yet to study it closely.

“I think the same thing is happening with this pop religious music as happened with the Beatles and . “Eleanor Rigby.” Everybody suddenly woke up to the fact that there were a lot of lonely people around,” she said. Young people now were beginning to realise that religion was worth thinking about. . “Genuine religious pop!

music seems to me to be the best way of presenting the Christian message and getting it across,” said Miss Webb. “Joy strings” founder In 1963, Miss Webb founded the group the “Joy

Strings” which, she said, started the religious ball rolling. There were few churches there now that did not have their own group. Miss Webb, who is responsible for about 150 pop groups in the Salvation Army, ranging from hard rock and progressive pop to Gospel singers with a guitar,

said that she hoped to take back at least one record of Maori folk song, as she was fascinated by its rhythmic qualities. Poetry, tapestries Her interest in designing her own tapestries has led her to buy a book of traditional Maori designs and she. hopes to incorporate these into some of her tapestries.

Apart from evangelical music for the Salvation Army which she writes and sings every year, Miss Webb said that she was interested in Brahms, Beethoven and Shostakovich (in that order) and also the songs of Burt Bacharach.

Miss Webb also manages to find time to ’write poetry, sing at prisons, borstals and schools as well as church groups. She has made several records, written two books and is at present considering writing another book —this time a book of “situation” prayers, after the style of Michel Quoist. This afternoon Miss Webb will give a children’s concert at the Salvation Army Citadel; this evening a “youth only” concert at the Cashmere High School; on Sunday morning and evening a youth service at the Horiticultural Hall; on Sunday afternoon a “Music spectacular” concert at the Horticultural Hall; and on„ Monday evening, a “Sounds exciting” public concert in the Christchurch Cathedral.