Taizé in France - the history and the music

Brother Roger and the Taizé Community

It was called by Pope John XXIII, “Ah, Taizé, that little springtime!” And in more recent times described by Pope John Paul II, “One passes through Taizé as one passes close to a spring of water. The traveler stops, quenches his thirst and continues on his way.”
 
Taizé, (pronounced “teh-ZAY”), is currently a community of approximately 100 religious brothers, located in southern France. In July 1940, Roger Louis Schuz-Marsauche, then a Swiss Reformed minister, arrived in the tiny community of Taizé in southeastern France, approximately one hundred miles from the Swiss border. Brother Roger, as he became known, soon became involved with giving refuge to orphaned children and to hiding Jews fleeing Hitler’s Nazi atrocities during and immediately following WWII.
 
Currently, each year, about 100,000 young adults between the ages of 18-30 make week long retreats at Taizé from cultures spanning the globe. Pilgrims of all ages are most welcomed to visit too. Becoming a spiritual destination for pilgrims was in no way the initial intent of the monastic community at Taizé; but, come they did in amazing numbers.

Again turning to the words of Pope John Paul II during one of his visits to Taizé, “…although you did not look for it, you have seen young people from everywhere come to you by the thousands, attracted by your prayer and your community life. How can we not think that these young people are the gift and the means that the Lord gives you as springtime for all who are searching for true life?”

Early in life of the monastic community, as Taizé was becoming a destination for young pilgrims, it was Brother Roger’s vision to attract both Protestant and Catholic youth. Yet, at the time, he was personally being drawn to embrace the Church of Rome, and to become reconciled to the Bishop of Rome.
 
Brother Roger received his First Holy Communion in 1972 from the Bishop of Autun, Armand Le Bourgeois. This began an ongoing media controversy; which Brother Roger continually worked to quell, trying to remain sensitive to the delicate ecumenical balance among the community and the young pilgrims coming to Taizé.
 
In an interesting turn of events, at the funeral of his beloved Pope John Paul II, Brother Roger received Holy Communion from the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, also a beloved friend of many years. Unknown to both of them at the time, Cardinal Ratzinger was about to become Pope Benedict XVI.
 
Brother Roger and Pope Benedict XVI were to have met again at the 2005 World Youth Conference in Cologne, Germany; but. Brother Roger, now 90 years of age, tragically was murdered by a disturbed woman during vespers at Taizé. From the World Youth Conference in Cologne, Pope Benedict said, “… I would also like in this context to remember the great pioneer of unity, Brother Roger Schutz, who was so tragically snatched from life. I had known him personally for a long time and had a cordial friendship with him. He often came to visit me and, as I already said in Rome on the day of his assassination, I received a letter from him that moved my heart, because in it he underlined his adherence to my path and announced to me that he wanted to come and see me. He is now visiting us and speaking to us from on high. I think that we must listen to him…”.  Cardinal Walter Kaspar, Vatican Secretary for Christian Unity, presided at Brother Roger’s Requiem Mass at Taizé.

Taizé Sung Prayer and The Chants of Taizé

Amidst these multicultural assemblies of global pilgrims, a new kind music developed to fit these global gatherings – many using brief sung texts in Latin set to simple melodies with verses in several vernacular languages. Many of these Taizé chants have been readily available over the past two decades in our various Catholic hymnals here in the states; listed as songs composed by Jacques Berthier, or the Community of Taizé.
 
The mystical sounding chants of Taizé are indeed a “music of participation.” The chants are brief texts that one sings over and over, using repetition as a mechanism for the words to enter one’s very being. It becomes the unending song that continues in one's mind, long after one has stopped singing. Various other instrumental or vocal parts may embellish the basic chorale or round. Taizé sung prayer as a holy hour is a marvelous way to experience a peaceful emersion in both song and silence, where one can encounter Christ. Often amidst subdued lighting, the worshippers gather. Using Taizé chants throughout, the entire assembly sings practically everything. The song of the worshippers continues gently out accross the assembly, as waves across water.
 
During the sung prayer there is a period of silent reflection for one to absorb the meaning of what has been sung, read and seen.  Icons are often present for one to visually meditate.  Icons bring to one’s eyes what words bring to one’s hearing.
 
The Catholic Church's National Association of Pastoral Musicians at their 2006 Eastern Regional Convention presented the Jubilate Deo Award to Jacques Berthier, (posthumously), and the Brothers of Taizé for their “passionate commitment to a life of simplicity, prayer and song.” The Award was received by Brother Alois, who succeeded Brother Roger as the spiritual leader of the Taizé community. Brother Alois is a Catholic brother of German origin.
 
Taizé prayer is offered through out the year here in The Galveston-Houston Archdiocese at the Cenacle Retreat Center, and on specific dates in the Chapel at the Villa de Matel of the
Incarnate Word Sisters.