Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Taize - Experience the Holy, September 13, 1998
By A Customer
This contemplative music is perfect for prayer, private or group worship, yoga, meditation, massage therapy or just mopping the floors. It contains many Christian songs written and sung at the monastary in France. If you speak a second or third language etc.. it will be a special treat. This ecumenical monastary reaches out to all people of all cultures to spread peace. Started by a monk who took in refugee Jewish children during World War II it has grown into a refuge and retreat for all children from all over the world.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blessed music, October 29, 2005
Taize style music is very popular among college-age worshippers today, and our Centre for University Ministry regularly offers Taize services. The hallmarks of Taize services are simplicity, peaceful spirituality, and music based upon the chant styles of the Taize monastery in France. Founded in the aftermath of the second World War by Brother Roger, who died in a prayer service in the midst of the community in August 2005, Taize is dedicated to peace and ecumenical action.
Taize music is both simple and sophisticated. Brother Roger, founder of Taize, seeks to add a prayerful element to music, and a musical element to prayer, believing firmly in the old dictum, 'those who sing, pray twice'.
The songs of Taize are designed to be sung by those who have difficulty carrying a tune, as well as those whose training and background in music extends to high levels.
This recording contains many of the best Taize chants. Given the international outreach of Taize (it is a great pilgrimage site for people all over the world), the chants tend to be sung in Latin. The Latin is not due to Catholic influence as much as it a shared language among many people's linguistic heritage while no longer being anyone's first language. Brother Roger reclaimed Latin as a language for the monastery so that no one 'living' language would claim a dominance over others. However, it is a feature of Taize chant that it can be adapted to other languages very easily.
Taize worship relies on psalms heavily, as well as periods of silence, Bible readings, and prayers. Some such pieces are included here.
The way Taize chants 'work' is that they are simple phrases and simple tunes that gradually reveal depth and sophistication by being repeated over and over. All chants presented in this text are put in multiple-part harmony (usually four-part), and some are marked to be done in rounds.
This recording is a rich expression, wonderfully presented. According to Brother Roger, all who follow this journey of the spirit remain alongside other people, adding their prayers and voices together. 'They do not separate prayer and commitment.'
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Collection of Contemporary Chant, April 13, 2005
The ecumenical Christian religious community in France known as Taize has attracted interest for over fifty years, especially with young religious seekers. Their simple style of prayer, as well as the embracing atmosphere of the community has caught the attention of people world wide, including the late Pope John Paul II. Much of the music from this community has found a home in liturgical celebrations, particularly Catholic liturgies, and many have experienced the music of this community vicariously through recordings. JUBILATE is one of these recordings.
The music of Taize is rather simple, but it has a beauty that is derived from its ethereal feeling. The music is chanted like other Christian monastic traditions, but the chants are influenced by a variety of chanting traditions including the Gregorian chant of the Benedictines, the chant traditions from the Orthodox traditions (particularly Russian Orthodox), and the hymns of Christian worship. Some of the chants are simple musical notes repeated over and over, others are a refrain with verses, and others are rounds. The music corresponds with Taize's unique method of praying. The words of the chants are in a variety of languages, representing the community members from around the world, as well as the various peoples that visit the community from all over the world.
Many of the most familiar Taize chants are included in JUBILATE. Some titles include "Jubilate Servite," "Stay With Us" "Laudate Dominum" and "Jesus Remember Me." This is not a studio recording which for collections such as this is a bonus since listeners get to experience the feel of the music. It is easy to get the prayerful feeling of the music. Liner notes provide translations which helps in when first listening to the chants, but as new listeners will discover, the prayerful feeling of the music needs no translation.
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is one of Jacques Berthier's 
