Songs of Taizé
Songs of Taizé

Summary/Abstract: Works composed by the Taizé Community often appear in liturgical hymnals. Regardless of the Christian denomination as well as the country and language of origin of these songs, they are played in Catholic churches during the celebration of the Holy Mass and at Protestant gatherings and prayer meetings. These works are commonly called the Taizé canons, even though, strictly speaking, not all of these pieces are canons. The fact that these songs are sung throughout the world during ecumenical prayer services and gatherings points to their popularity and the fact that they have become a symbol of the Taizé Community. This phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that the Taizé canon is based on a variety of musical sources that combine simple musical forms, clear rhythms, and balanced harmonies with rich and novel melodies. Because of Jacques Berthier and Josephe Gelineau’s compositions, the Taizé Community’s music is simple yet original. And thanks to the compositional involvement of members of the Taizé Community, particularly of Brother Jean-Marie and the community’s Prior Alois, new compositions have continued to reflect the characteristic style of the Taizé repertoire that has developed over many years. As a libre propos on the topic of the Taizé Community’s musical compositions, this article presents the relationship between the musical sources, lyrics and languages, and musical compositional techniques of the Taizé songs that undoubtedly reflect the ecumenical character and vocation of the Taizé Community.

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