The Joystrings | |
|---|---|
| Origin | England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1963–1969 |
| Past members |
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| Website | https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk |
The Joystrings (originally credited asThe Joy Strings) were a 1960s BritishChristianmusic group led byclassically trained keyboard player and singer Joy Webb, who was an officer inthe Salvation Army.[1]
After appearing onCliff Michelmore'sBBCTonight television show, they were given a recording contract byEMI Records.[1] In 1964, they became the first Salvation Armypop group to achievechart success with "It's An Open Secret" and "A Starry Night".[1] The main members through the years were Joy Webb (who wrote the group's first hit), Peter and Sylvia Dalziel, Bill Davidson, and Wycliffe Noble. The group had a number of other singers drawn, at intervals, from cadets at theWilliam Booth Memorial Training College,Denmark Hill inLondon.
They also recorded a version of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," using the music of The Animals' "The House of the Rising Sun" - an unusual blending.[2]
In September 2013, 50 years after the Joystrings' formation, group member Sylvia Dalziel published her memoir,The Joystrings: The Story of the Salvation Army Pop Group.[3]
Wycliffe Noble died on 1 April 2017, at the age of 91.[4] Joy Webb died on 1 October 2023, at the age of 91.[5]
