The Joyful Noise Coffeehouse is located just a few hundred yards from Lexington’s historic Battle Green, where the Revolutionary War began.  When a committee of the First Baptist Church formed to start the coffeehouse in 1990, they began toying with historic names, the Minuteman or Battle Green.  When someone suggested the Shot Heard ‘Round the World Coffeehouse, they knew they were missing the mark, the honest charms and neighborly grace that make folk music so popular today.  Founder Bill Schaeppe reached for a Bible, found a scripture with the phrase Joyful Noise, and one of the  most popular community coffeehouses in the country was born.

It is among the more concert-hall-like of the BACHA coffeehouses, with crowds averaging between two and three hundred, and a lineup that includes major folk-pop stars such as Jesse Winchester, Karla Bonoff, Tom Rush, Texas songwriting legend Guy Clark, and Chris Smither.  Despite its church affiliation, it is a purely secular concert series, as are all BACHA coffeehouses.

Large shows are held in the spacious, high-ceilinged sanctuary of the 19th-century church, the audience nestled in roomy pews and padded folding chairs.  Smaller shows are held in a wood-warm church hall.  Concerts are held monthly from September to May, usually on the first Saturday of the month.  Every season ends with an indoor folk festival hosted by Boston music journalist and folk singer Scott Alarik.

Asked about the coffeehouse's musical personality, manager David Hatfield, says, "I suppose the center-mark would be contemporary folk, leaning a bit towards the pop side, a mix of the younger people who are getting hot around town, such as Lori McKenna and Kris Delmhorst; and some of the older, more traditional folk stars, like Tom Paxton and Gordon Bok.  It's a fairly wide range."

Dress is casual, as at all BACHA coffeehouses, and there's plenty of free parking on-street.  As to the food, Hatfield says the specialty of the house is surprise.

"People from the church do the baking, so it's all homemade, and anything is liable to show up: carrot cake, chocolate cake, apple pies, brownies.  Beverages are the usual array of coffees, teas, juices, water."

Another specialty of the house is the engaging and informed emceeing of popular WUMB-FM folk radio host Marilyn Rea Beyer, a committee member and longtime Joyful Noise regular.  All profits support a number of community charities.

"I'm constantly amazed at how good all these performers are," says Hatfield.  "I don't mean just great musicians and songwriters, but people who can get you laughing one second, and have something poignant to say the next.  I got into this originally for the music, because there wasn’t anywhere nearby to hear the music I wanted to hear.  But it's a lot of fun getting to know the people who come.  We have two volunteers who met at the coffeehouse, and are getting married this spring.  Some people come for the music, some for the social fun.  It's just a great place to be around."