There are moments of joy that we can vividly recall.

Sometimes these moments are everlasting but at other times they are fleeting, tranquil flashes of happiness that fill our hearts.

Meeting your children for the first time is glorious yet filled with trepidation.

There is instant attachment that is love, true love. The unbridled joy surfaces later once the shock and worry calm ever so slightly and just long enough for their mere presence and company to create pleasure.

Music brings joy. Lyrics and melodies that create feelings and stir memories.

All forms of music can bring joy, even for those passionate about heavy metal or rap or hip hop. Some describe classical music as the art of all arts. Composers are not painting from a photograph or a picture or a place once visited, rather, they are truly creating – the definition of art.

Sure, compositions have rhythms and beats and common chords and patterns that work well together, but there is something magical in grand arrangements that reverberate through the soul.  

Mahler and Brahms and Sculthorpe and Schubert and Elgar and Bridge and Price and Smythe were extraordinary artists with their music even more popular, vibrant, and instantly recognisable long after death.

And then there is Springsteen and Dylan and Mitchell and Swift and Parton and Nicks and Lennon and McCartney who have written songs that are played on high rotation and re-recorded to this day.

For a popular song, lyrics with rhyme and repetition remain key with pre-COVID stadium crowds rendering artists backing vocalists when a mass gathering takes hold of a banger’s chorus. Simple chord patterns create the background, and a bridge adds flair and dynamic to the experience.

The music of ABBA employed the key ingredients of popular composition and continues to provide some of the most iconic singalong moments for fans and followers alike.

Unsurprisingly Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are ranked in Rolling Stones’ 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (100).

The Swedish band comprising couples Agnetha Fältskog and Björn and Benny and Anni-Frid Lyngstad with their first names creating the acronym ABBA, found fame at the European Song Contest in 1974 when they became the first Swedish winners with their song Waterloo.

It is estimated that ABBA has sold more than 150 million copies of their albums with renewed interest in their music rekindled during extended runs of the hit musical Mamma Mia! in West End and Broadway theatres bringing joy to more than 65 million patrons since opening night in London more than 20 years ago.

Throw in a 2008 film and a 2018 Mamma Mia! sequel and you have a Swedish hit making machine that continues to enjoy success and recognition across generations.

A couple of Thursday night’s ago I was tired. Staying at home binging Succession after a hectic work week coupled with a busy family life was my preferred choice but that thought pattern was defeated by the commitment to attend a show at the Princess Theatre.

No doubt there were plenty of patrons who also felt tired, but for others there would have been plenty doing it far tougher.

Escaping tragedy or sickness or the terminal illness of a loved one or financial woes or feeling exhausted running from thoughts and terrified of thinking time, Encore Theatre Company's production of Mamma Mia! placed all that worry on pause, reminding us to wake up and experience the joy of music and live performance.

Launceston’s iconic Theatre holds special memories for most.  Attending the 1987 John Farnham Whispering Jack Tour unaccompanied as a 11-year-old with my 12-year-old brother was a belter of an evening and an introduction to my hometown's nightlife.

Although I do remember asking my Mum why female attendees threw their underpants onto the gigantic stage that still looks small from a distance. Funnily enough, she was unable to explain that joyful expression of appreciation.

From the moment we took our seats in the 110-year-old theatre, flipping down the red chairs and perusing the glossy program, feelings of unabashed joy filled the stalls and dress circle. Mamma Mia! and the delightfully classic tunes were brought to life by a local troupe of actors, dancers, and singers desperate to put on a show because COVID-19 rendered this production two years in the making.

There is something very special about Launceston’s arts’ scene. The close-knit community where many of us are known to each other has far more benefits that it does negatives even though detractors may disagree. We were watching friends and acquaintances and relatives and social media followers.

Their joy and the quality of the show created an incredible connection with deep pride felt for the eminence of performances that delivered humorous and exhilarating moments coupled with tears of joy.

No wonder the South Esk River is in flood.

Enjoyment can flow from quality performance, but pure joy can only flow when deep connection is made. The music and singing and dancing and acting and performing made us laugh and cry and sing and cheer with utter joy.

ABBA reminds us that the Queen can dance but it was the Princess who was joyful. Mamma Mia!