Focus On Parish Music
SKU: GI.G-1046
UPC: 785147004622.
For the Taizé Community, prayer together, three times a day, is a vital way to return to the wellsprings, to renew hope, and to get ready to take on practical commitments. This CD, like the other recordings made in Taizé, shows how this prayer is renewed while yet remaining constant throughout the years. Many of the songs presented here are new: they were written by brothers of Taizé between 2012 and 2017 and are recorded here for the first time. Others have been part of the community’s prayer for many years. A few come from a much older tradition: for example, the hymn Ô vous qui dans l’obscurité (You who in darkness) comes from the German evangelical churches of the 17th century, the litany Ô Sagesse (O Wisdom), which calls for the coming of Christ, is based on antiphons of the age-old tradition of the Latin Church. These last two pieces are sung at Taizé especially during the season of Advent. Most of these songs focus on an essential reality that can be internalized more and more deeply, as the words are tirelessly repeated. The simplicity of these repetitive forms makes them easy to sing in many situations, but they can nevertheless achieve great breadth and depth, especially when the voices of a large assembly are united with solo singers and instruments. To help use these songs in prayer groups or parishes, practical suggestions as well as the musical scores are available online and in books listed on the Taizé website www.taize.fr/en.
SKU: GI.G-001702
Through his many pastoral experiences all over the United States, it was while serving as the pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Emporia, Kansas that Rev. Darren Henson wrote these insightful essays. Within these pages, he reflects on several facets of musical participation at the Mass, focusing on the roles that everyone--pastor, music ministers, assembly--has in singing their praise to God. This resource also indicates quotations from Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship that support Rev. Henson's insights.
