8/26/06
Each week, in the Order of
Service during Communion, you see a short text to be sung over and over.
Sometimes, the word “Taizé” appears next to the text in italics. Here are a few
words about Taizé music, its role in worship, and how it is presented at St.
Mary Magdalene.
Taizé, a village in France, is the place these
melodies were written. If you look at the citation after a hymn in our Hymnal,
you’ll see separate sources for words and music. The title after the “music”
part usually refers to the place the melody was written. Likewise, Taizé music
uses the location of its origin to describe the whole style. Go to the Eastern
part of France (Burgundy) about halfway between the northern
and
southern borders of the country (near Macon), and travel east of the Rhone River
about ten miles. You’ll find the village of Taizé, where Brother Roger
(1915-2005), a Catholic Priest from Switzerland, founded a religious community
in 1940. It has been quite successful in welcoming visitors of many faiths
(usually for a week) to partake of their simple life. From the beginning,
singing was deliberately made a central element of worship and the brothers at
Taizé sought ways to make it accessible to all.
Here is a quotation from “Meditative Singing” (Taizé Workshops and Press, 2005) which describes it well: “To open the gates of trust in God, nothing can replace the beauty of human voices united in song. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character. Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly.” The community has published song books and CDs that can be purchased online (www.taize.fr).
We inherit
Taizé singing from Mother Michelle, who experienced it at St. Boniface on Siesta
Key in Sarasota, her previous position. In its
simplest form, you can follow it like this: As soon as communion begins, I
softly play through the chant once, perhaps singing, “Loo” for each of the
syllables.
Then the choir and I sing it through with the words the second time. I voice
the organ with more sound with each repeat, then back it off little by little
for a few more repeats. On the last time through, I simplify the organ part,
softly playing fewer chords by just touching and releasing them to allow for the
singing to stand almost alone. You’ll know we’re about to finish when the
voices are carrying the chant with almost no organ. Since the chants are
simple, you might be able to come up with harmony parts. I’ve done this with
the choir a bit. Sing the chant without harmony the first two or three times,
then let the spirit move you after that. If you don’t want to sing, hum the
melody or whisper the words. Let it take on its own life of meaning in
simplicity and regularity by becoming automatic. Remember the beautiful paradox
of singing Taizé as a way of listening. When it begins to chant by
itself upon your lips, you can discover a little miracle of conscious contact
with God.
Yours, Russell
