February 2010 Music

As Lent approaches, I have been thinking about past Lenten seasons and what makes that time meaningful for me. It probably comes as no surprise that my answer is music; but it is not just any kind of music. For me, it is that which touches my soul. Simply, it is the chants that I have come to know primarily through the music of the Taizé Community. These chants or short repetitive songs have a power to move one into the presence of God without the constraint of a lot of words. Many hymnals now include them among their offerings, but unfortunately, I think many parishes overlook them because they are unfamiliar with this type of music and there are no instructions as to how to use the songs. (Check out your hymn book for titles such as "Jesus Remember Me," "Ubi Caritas," and "Come and Fill Our Hearts.") There is one exception, however. It is the songbook, Spirit Anew, ("Singing Prayer and Praise"). It is published by Wood Lake Books, and has been in circulation since 1999. In the Music Leader edition, there is an extensive introduction that discusses singing as prayer and mantric chants. For those not familiar with this book, I would like to pass on some of its helpful information about the chants.

The mantric chant comes out of an ancient spiritual practice of contemplative Christianity called "lectio divino" or "divine readings." This process has four dimensions.

1. "Ruminatio" or "chewing the text" likens the repeating of text over and over to a cow chewing cud and ruminating on it. Not only is it a process of memorization, but early Christians believed that as the facial muscles moved, the body was shaped according to the words that were being repeated.
2. "Meditatio" or meditation is when the mind focuses on the text, drawing spiritual nourishment from it and exploring what it may suggest about life with God.
3. "Contemplatio" or contemplation is when one experiences the joy of God's presence.
4. "Oratio" or the act of expressing prayers to God is one's response to what has been experienced of God's presence.

All of the above can be experienced when engaging in mantric chant, and for many it has become a daily part of life. The Taizé Community in France is the epitome of this form of worship. It is an ecumenical community of brothers that was started by Brother Roger in 1940. Over the years, a style of sung prayer evolved with the work of composer Jacques Berthier. Through his music and the work of Brother Roger, the community became a popular destination for Christians from around the world, particularly young people. Every year, thousands now make the pilgrimage to study and participate in services of sung prayer that are offered three times a day. For those of us who would like to experience this but cannot go to France, the Taizé Community has published a series of music books and has a wonderful Web site where one can read more about meditative singing and even learn to sing the chants. Just go to www.taize.fr. Click on your language preference, and then click on "Prayer and Song." Once you navigate to that page, go to the side bar on the left and click on "Learning the Songs." A menu of letters will drop down. These indicate the first letter of the many chants offered. You may look for a particular chant or just browse. When you find one you want, the sheet music will pop up. You will also be able to listen to the music in harmony or isolate a particular voice part. The music is presented in its original language, but various other language options are included under the music. Many hymnbooks now include the music of Taizé, along with similar style chants that come out of the Iona Community or from other composers. Once a parish learns some chants they can use them in many ways. A special service of sung prayer can be created (see Spirit Anew or Taizé books for formats) or they can be incorporated into Sunday worship, using them in ways that include

1. singing before the service as a way to centre the congregation,
2. sung as prayer before a scripture reading, or
3. sung as meditative music during communion. These chants may also be used to open study groups and meetings or at home as part of one’s daily routine. The possibilities are endless.

A favourite saying from the Taizé Community is something like, "Those who sing pray twice." During this season of Lent I wish you well on your spiritual journey and hope that along the way you will take the time to sing, and in doing so, pray twice.