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Make a Joyful Noise
Available as an ebook and paperback from all amazon sites.
From Amazon.com: Make a Joyful Noise is the sparkling tale of a choir preparing for a very special Christmas performance of "Belshazzar's Feast". We meet a host of characters who are mercilessly sent up by the author: Lucy the staggeringly trusting young music teacher, Tristan the lecherous and vain anti-hero, Miss Greymitt the ageing and slightly confused choir pianist, Claire the shameless and scheming temptress, and singers with nothing but resonance between their ears. Just as all does not run smoothly for King Belshazzar in Walton's music, so the characters in the novel suffer from hopeless yearnings, romantic misunderstandings and the unfortunate consequences of their own misguided actions. All is sharply and wittily observed in a delightful mix of romance, music and humour.
About the Author
Jenny Worstall spent her childhood years in Devon, Bath, Dorset and Naples. She is a musician and teacher and has sung in many choirs and choral societies, including the BBC Symphony Chorus, where she met her husband. Jenny now lives in London with her husband and two children
From Amazon.com: Make a Joyful Noise is the sparkling tale of a choir preparing for a very special Christmas performance of "Belshazzar's Feast". We meet a host of characters who are mercilessly sent up by the author: Lucy the staggeringly trusting young music teacher, Tristan the lecherous and vain anti-hero, Miss Greymitt the ageing and slightly confused choir pianist, Claire the shameless and scheming temptress, and singers with nothing but resonance between their ears. Just as all does not run smoothly for King Belshazzar in Walton's music, so the characters in the novel suffer from hopeless yearnings, romantic misunderstandings and the unfortunate consequences of their own misguided actions. All is sharply and wittily observed in a delightful mix of romance, music and humour.
About the Author
Jenny Worstall spent her childhood years in Devon, Bath, Dorset and Naples. She is a musician and teacher and has sung in many choirs and choral societies, including the BBC Symphony Chorus, where she met her husband. Jenny now lives in London with her husband and two children
206 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2012
1 person is currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Worstall
24 books184 followersAn avid reader, Jenny inherited the love of a good story from her Irish grandmother.
She writes romantic comedies that reflect both her love of music and a tendency not to take life too seriously.
Jenny is a member of the Society of Authors, the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.
The three books in her Sweet Regency Romance series THE HEART OF BATH were all published in 2024 by Dragonblade Publishing.
She writes romantic comedies that reflect both her love of music and a tendency not to take life too seriously.
Jenny is a member of the Society of Authors, the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.
The three books in her Sweet Regency Romance series THE HEART OF BATH were all published in 2024 by Dragonblade Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 14, 2013
Singing in the local choir gives Lucy a welcome respite from the demands of her job as a newly qualified music teacher in an English secondary school. She daydreams about the lecherous conductor, Tristan, but barely acknowledges the handsome bass, Steve. In the run-up to the choir’s Christmas performance of ‘Belshazzar’s Feast’ will Lucy get the right man?
Despite the fact that she’s incredibly naïve, you can’t help rooting for Lucy to find her happy ending. Lucy and her supporting cast of characters are described with warmth and humour. The author’s eye for detail means that with a few well-chosen words she helps you picture each of them. One of my favourites is Lucy’s wonderfully bossy older sister, Caroline who is wife to long-suffering Jeremy and mother of twins, and who I’m sure I must have met in real life.
This is a delightful, light and playful read that zips along at a great pace. The scenes at rehearsals and in school are amusing, although I think these could have been developed a little further. The sheer chaos of life with a young family is perfectly presented in one stand-out Sunday lunch scene at the start of the book – the noise, the mess, the confusion, the teasing and the love.
Whether you are a member of a choir or not, there is fun to be had with Lucy and the members of the Springfield Choral Society.
Despite the fact that she’s incredibly naïve, you can’t help rooting for Lucy to find her happy ending. Lucy and her supporting cast of characters are described with warmth and humour. The author’s eye for detail means that with a few well-chosen words she helps you picture each of them. One of my favourites is Lucy’s wonderfully bossy older sister, Caroline who is wife to long-suffering Jeremy and mother of twins, and who I’m sure I must have met in real life.
This is a delightful, light and playful read that zips along at a great pace. The scenes at rehearsals and in school are amusing, although I think these could have been developed a little further. The sheer chaos of life with a young family is perfectly presented in one stand-out Sunday lunch scene at the start of the book – the noise, the mess, the confusion, the teasing and the love.
Whether you are a member of a choir or not, there is fun to be had with Lucy and the members of the Springfield Choral Society.
June 1, 2013
I want to start by saying that I absolutely loved Jenny's short stories. They are all beautifully crafted. I also want to state that romantic fiction is not my favourite genre. But I love music and having myself been a member of a philharmonic choir was interested in the dynamics.
The story is sweet even though the main character is rather naive. I would have liked to hear more about the music.
I am not sorry that I have read the book and I am sure that Jenny's next full-length book will be even better.
The story is sweet even though the main character is rather naive. I would have liked to hear more about the music.
I am not sorry that I have read the book and I am sure that Jenny's next full-length book will be even better.
January 8, 2013
Looking at the title, Make a Joyful Noise, by Ms. Jenny Worstall, you think immediately of happiness, joy, and good times, and thus, some people would judge the book as being too naive, nothing for adult reading. However, the exact opposite is true.
The story as told by Worstall is remarkably realistic, and the book draws you into the world of a young woman whose desires are based on appearances, instead of the heart.
Worstall sets a background in the story, by using an amateur choir as a minor character, who is learning how to sing one of the most beautiful oratorios composed by Georg Friedrich Händel, with the exception of The Messiah, the oratorio, Belshazzar. She writes a story about love, moral ethics, trust, and the determination never to give up on someone, whom you consider being your perfect partner for life.
The protagonist is a sweet and inexperienced young woman, who is hopelessly lost in the pedantic world of classroom teaching. Young and at odds with her sister, whom she thinks is perfect, she is blinded to the many dangers cloaked in goodness behind the thinking and personality of her antagonist. That she is blinded by the aura of his good looks and seemingly lack of manners, makes the male hero in Worstall’s story stand out even more so as a man of character, the man every mother would like her daughter to come home with. Surprisingly, everyone sees the wolf walking around in sheep clothing except the protagonist, her own mental judgment being impaired by her assessment, while looking only at the outside appearance. Thus, the antagonist stands, in my opinion, as Belshazzar in Händel’s oratorio, lurking for his prey but will he succeed?
I thank thee, Sesach! Thy sweet pow’r
Does to myself myself restore.
Thy plenteous heart-inspiring juice
All my courage lost renews.
I blush to think I shadows fear’d.
Cyrus, come on, I’m now prepar’d![1]
(Belshazzar song before he fights against Cyrus)
Make a joyful Noise by Jenny Worstall, however, is not a peaceful Pollyanna book, which paints the world as hunky dory, and all is right in life.
Family oriented, yes it is,
Easy to read, undoubtedly so,
But valuable life principles based on truth, respect and trust written within the book will have you constantly hoping Little Red Riding Hood is not eaten by the big bad wolf. The complications of her being able to see the truth elevates the story line, especially because the obvious is not seen by the protagonist. I kept wondering as I read the book, how many times did it have to be spelled out before she could see through the clouds. So, Make A Joyful Noise held my interest, until the last page.
Sure, the protagonist wins at the end, but Ms. Worstall does a fantastic job of stitching a story together that is believable and can happen to anyone.
Again, I think of the choir, who played a minor, but significant role in Make A Joyful noise, and how Ms. Worstall threaded in the oratorio, Belshazzar,
Daniel sings: I will magnify Thee, O God my king! And I will praise thy name forever and ever,
And afterwards Daniel and Nitocris sing a duet: My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And let all flesh give thanks Unto His holy name for ever and ever,
Before the choir sings the finale of the oratorio, which, in my opinion, can be compared with The Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah as Händel’s crowning moment.
The choir sings one word, Amen! And their rendition of that one word shatters the earth.[2]
So is it with your book, Ms. Jenny Worstall. By writing Make A Joyful Noise, you have written an excellent story of goodness that shatters the earth. I congratulate you on writing a book, which can be read by any family member. It is a book for the heart wrapped in a sweet fragrance with an excellent after taste, which will bring smiles to many faces.
Ciao,
Pat Garcia
[1] http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti..., Belshazzar, Georg Friedrich Händel, 1745.
[2] http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti..., Belshazzar, Georg Friedrich Händel, 1745.
The story as told by Worstall is remarkably realistic, and the book draws you into the world of a young woman whose desires are based on appearances, instead of the heart.
Worstall sets a background in the story, by using an amateur choir as a minor character, who is learning how to sing one of the most beautiful oratorios composed by Georg Friedrich Händel, with the exception of The Messiah, the oratorio, Belshazzar. She writes a story about love, moral ethics, trust, and the determination never to give up on someone, whom you consider being your perfect partner for life.
The protagonist is a sweet and inexperienced young woman, who is hopelessly lost in the pedantic world of classroom teaching. Young and at odds with her sister, whom she thinks is perfect, she is blinded to the many dangers cloaked in goodness behind the thinking and personality of her antagonist. That she is blinded by the aura of his good looks and seemingly lack of manners, makes the male hero in Worstall’s story stand out even more so as a man of character, the man every mother would like her daughter to come home with. Surprisingly, everyone sees the wolf walking around in sheep clothing except the protagonist, her own mental judgment being impaired by her assessment, while looking only at the outside appearance. Thus, the antagonist stands, in my opinion, as Belshazzar in Händel’s oratorio, lurking for his prey but will he succeed?
I thank thee, Sesach! Thy sweet pow’r
Does to myself myself restore.
Thy plenteous heart-inspiring juice
All my courage lost renews.
I blush to think I shadows fear’d.
Cyrus, come on, I’m now prepar’d![1]
(Belshazzar song before he fights against Cyrus)
Make a joyful Noise by Jenny Worstall, however, is not a peaceful Pollyanna book, which paints the world as hunky dory, and all is right in life.
Family oriented, yes it is,
Easy to read, undoubtedly so,
But valuable life principles based on truth, respect and trust written within the book will have you constantly hoping Little Red Riding Hood is not eaten by the big bad wolf. The complications of her being able to see the truth elevates the story line, especially because the obvious is not seen by the protagonist. I kept wondering as I read the book, how many times did it have to be spelled out before she could see through the clouds. So, Make A Joyful Noise held my interest, until the last page.
Sure, the protagonist wins at the end, but Ms. Worstall does a fantastic job of stitching a story together that is believable and can happen to anyone.
Again, I think of the choir, who played a minor, but significant role in Make A Joyful noise, and how Ms. Worstall threaded in the oratorio, Belshazzar,
Daniel sings: I will magnify Thee, O God my king! And I will praise thy name forever and ever,
And afterwards Daniel and Nitocris sing a duet: My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And let all flesh give thanks Unto His holy name for ever and ever,
Before the choir sings the finale of the oratorio, which, in my opinion, can be compared with The Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah as Händel’s crowning moment.
The choir sings one word, Amen! And their rendition of that one word shatters the earth.[2]
So is it with your book, Ms. Jenny Worstall. By writing Make A Joyful Noise, you have written an excellent story of goodness that shatters the earth. I congratulate you on writing a book, which can be read by any family member. It is a book for the heart wrapped in a sweet fragrance with an excellent after taste, which will bring smiles to many faces.
Ciao,
Pat Garcia
[1] http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti..., Belshazzar, Georg Friedrich Händel, 1745.
[2] http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti..., Belshazzar, Georg Friedrich Händel, 1745.
January 28, 2013
Definitely "An insightful story mastefully woven with threads of delight and wit!" Jenny Worstall chose such an enticing choral piece, “Belshazzar’s Feast,” to serve as the backdrop for this marvelous tale. MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE certainly does offer so many zesty tidbits for her readers to feast upon! The human foibles of her characters’ touched me deeply; I commiserated with them as each coped with hopeless yearnings, romantic misunderstandings, or older age issues and the consequences that ultimately ensued from their own misguided actions.
Ms. Worstall was remarkable in the way that she scripted this insightful, witty story. Just as choir members who sing alto and bass provide the underlying quality that carries a choral performance forward, so, too, does the author’s array of secondary characters add to the tale a rich flow that offers balance and harmony. Her characters are well-developed, tending to be captivating and quirky yet, at the same time, earnest and intricate in personality.
Throughout my read of MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE, I found myself gaining in admiration of Ms. Worstall. As a musician, teacher and former member of the BBC Symphony Chorus, she must have used the wisdom gained from her own experiences in order to so masterfully weave for us such a fascinating and delightful story.
Ms. Worstall was remarkable in the way that she scripted this insightful, witty story. Just as choir members who sing alto and bass provide the underlying quality that carries a choral performance forward, so, too, does the author’s array of secondary characters add to the tale a rich flow that offers balance and harmony. Her characters are well-developed, tending to be captivating and quirky yet, at the same time, earnest and intricate in personality.
Throughout my read of MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE, I found myself gaining in admiration of Ms. Worstall. As a musician, teacher and former member of the BBC Symphony Chorus, she must have used the wisdom gained from her own experiences in order to so masterfully weave for us such a fascinating and delightful story.
January 31, 2013
I bought this book for myself as a present from the Indielit catalogue and I'm so glad I did!
The blurb describes the book as 'a delightful mix of romance, music and humour'...and that's just what it is. It's a simple story, well told with recognisable, well rounded characters. I loved the description of Amy's first piano lesson, recognising the book I learned to play piano from when I was four years old.
The book builds steadily and easily to an end of year dance and the choir performance, keeping the reader guessing as to the ending. I was happy to give this book my 5* rating as I loved the story, would recommend it and will read it again.
The blurb describes the book as 'a delightful mix of romance, music and humour'...and that's just what it is. It's a simple story, well told with recognisable, well rounded characters. I loved the description of Amy's first piano lesson, recognising the book I learned to play piano from when I was four years old.
The book builds steadily and easily to an end of year dance and the choir performance, keeping the reader guessing as to the ending. I was happy to give this book my 5* rating as I loved the story, would recommend it and will read it again.
July 21, 2013
This is an ideal holiday book and I read most of it sitting in the garden in the sunshine enjoying the sound of the bees in the honeysuckle and a glass or two of chilled white wine. It’s pleasant and easy to read and if it happens to be more typical British summer weather and you want something to take your mind off cold, wet and miserable then this book would do just fine. Definitely recommend it.
February 11, 2015
This book should be on a "must read" list for anyone who loves a clean, uplifting read while being interesting and unstuffy. The characters are believable, some you want to shake to wake up and some you want to slap just because they deserve it! A wonderful read for any one of your family.
December 2, 2012
Loved this very English tale around a choir, all mixed up with romance and teaching. Lots of lovely feel good moments. Well done Jenny!
January 10, 2024
Choir members need to read
Author moved story lines right along. Was not dull. Choir members can all associate with the antics and people. easy light reading. Enjoyed it.
Author moved story lines right along. Was not dull. Choir members can all associate with the antics and people. easy light reading. Enjoyed it.
December 27, 2015
This was the last of my "seasonal" reads and I was disappointed. A reasonable story line, spoilt for me by silly characters and names (Miss Goodmitt??). This smacked of not being able to think of better ones and some weak characters. This could have been improved by developing roles more and taking out some of the daft statements which could have been made into a deeper plot with more feeling. Sorry, but not for me.
February 8, 2015
An easy and 'joyful' read especially if you have experience of a choir :)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews