Glory

Origins and Premiere

Glory! was the 5th musical written by John Gowans and John Larsson. Extracts were first presented at London's Mermaid Theatre on 7 July 1975, followed by the full musical's performance at the Royal Festival Hall during the 1976 British Congress, presided over by General Clarence Wiseman.

Historical Basis and Themes

General Gowans recalled the musical's historical basis:

"We seemed to be locked into Army history for a while. The musical Glory! presents the story of how The Salvation Army faced difficulties in its early days at Folkestone. For once we have full details of the opposition and the riots, so that, allowing for the need to reduce the material to a manageable size, all the stories are true." — General John Gowans

He also highlighted memorable songs like 'There is a message', 'If you want it, it's yours!', and his personal favourite, 'There is a time for tears', sung at the funeral of a Salvationist martyr.

Notable Productions

General Gowans considered a 1981 production at Le Théâtre des Champs Élysées in Paris, celebrating the centenary of the Armée du Salut in France, to be the best he had seen, praising the French cast's:

"natural flare for the dramatic, a sensitivity to atmosphere and emotion and a gift for timing." — General John Gowans

The musical had its North American premiere at the Northern California Redwood Glen Camp in Scotts Valley, California. The story is based on 'The Old Corps' by Colonel Edward H Joy.