In 1994, Matt Jacoby was studying theology when he was introduced to the ‘Sons of Korah’ – some of the original composers of the Old Testament Psalms.
That year Matt and two fellow musicians set up in a church hall and advertised their very first gig; ‘Sons of Korah Live in Concert’.
Fast forward thirty years and Dr Matthew Jacoby is the senior pastor of a large church in Victoria, an international author, a lecturer at the Melbourne School of Theology and still finds time to lead and collaborate in the collective project that is Sons of Korah.
Over the past three decades the band has reset over 90 of the Psalms in their signature eclectic musical style, have released ten albums and two DVD’s (with sales exceeding 300,000 units worldwide), and have a ministry that connects with people all around the world.
To celebrate the thirty year milestone, Sons of Korah are playing two shows in June – their first shows in Queensland in over seven years. Anna Waters, who also sings with Sons of Korah will open the shows.
The band has been regular visitors to the Sunshine State, becoming mainstays of the Easterfest and Australian Gospel Music Festivals held in Toowoomba each Easter.
Matt told 96five’s new podcast series ‘The Rise & Fall of Easterfest‘ that those festival appearances were key in growing an audience away from their native Victoria.
“In 1995 we released our first recording on cassette. That makes me feel really ancient and without platforms on which to really connect with an audience it was very difficult. There was no such thing as look us up on the internet or social media! AGMF and Easterfest, which were the biggest of the Australian festivals, just gave us a monumental opportunity to connect with Christian audiences who were looking to engage with great music.”
As mentioned, Sons have Korah have an eclectic sound, drawing on influences from all over the world to reimagine the Psalms in a modern context. Matt says that the band will use different genres to highlight different emotions in the text.
“With many of the praise psalms we draw on the exhilarating sounds of Latin music. For the lament psalms we often draw on the haunting tones of Arabic music which also evokes the original eastern context of the psalms themselves. There are hints also of Celtic music here and there.
“To work with the psalms we have had to move outside the standard three minute pop song in many cases. Many of the psalms run over a few tracks on our albums and they are structured more in movements that follow the emotional content of the psalms. But in other cases the psalms do fit into a simpler folk-pop form which keeps them accessible.
“We play mostly acoustic instruments to keep a timeless element in the music. We do use some electronics though to create a kind of movie soundtrack effect that acts as a bed upon which the acoustic sounds can create an ambient and reflective mood.”
Sons of Korah Tour Details:
Friday June 13th – Glasshouse Performing Arts Centre, Beerwah (Sunshine Coast). Doors at 7pm. Purchase Tickets.
Saturday June 14th – Hope Centre, Bowen Hills (Brisbane). Doors at 7pm. Purchase Tickets.
For more information about the Queensland tour and the venues, visit the Sons of Korah events page on their website.
Main Image: Sons of Korah are celebrating 30 years of setting the Psalms to music (supplied).
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