Taizé

The songs of Taizé are a way of taking time to let the life of the heart grow. They usually consist of a brief phrase, drawn from the Bible, sung in harmony or in canon, and repeated many times, so as to let the mind calm down and the sense sink in.

They come from the Taizé Community, located in a small village in Burgundy, France, which welcomes tens of thousands of young adults from across the world every year. The Community seeks to provide a space where young people can spend a few days to ask themselves what really matters in their life, by sharing, praying, and undertaking practical work together. Trust in the young, and a conviction of the importance of an inner life and of human solidarity are central values at Taizé. Three times a day, everyone gathers to join the prayer of the Community, during which the songs play a central role.

The Taizé Community, founded by Brother Roger in 1940 to be a small "parable of communion", now numbers about 100 brothers, Catholics or from different Protestant backgrounds. The songs were created by the Community starting in the 1960s, with the help of composer Jacques Berthier, and they are now known and used widely on every continent.

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