This month Ministry Monday is offering a 3-part series about Taizé music. We began the series with reflections by David Anderson, Editor-at-Large for GIA Publications and Director of Music and Liturgy at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, Illinois. Last week we featured a conversation Brother John Glasenapp, a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana, about the psychological and historical reasons as to why simple, repeated music including Taizé is so successful.

Today we widen the stage and re-frame the conversation. I spoke with Lauren and Dave Moore this week about the power behind simple refrains repeated consistently over time. You see, Lauren and Dave are the minds behind the Catholic Music Initiative, a sacred music collaboration based in the Dallas area. The Catholic Music Initiative’s goal is to compose beautiful liturgical music; to create a collaborative platform that leavens the heritage of our Faith through the formation of dedicated composers and musicians giving glory to God; and to bring the focus back to Jesus in the Eucharist with nights of Adoration, solid Catholic hymns, and education in our history and Tradition.

Today we consider the likeness between contemporary Catholic (and just Christian) music and Taizé music. How are they similar? Can we embrace the idea of simple music altogether to unify our communities, especially in a time when congregational singing is only just returning to our churches?

This month Ministry Monday is offering a 3-part series about Taizé music. We began the series with reflections by David Anderson, Editor-at-Large for GIA Publications and Director of Music and Liturgy at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, Illinois. If you didn’t listen to that episode, you can tune in later wherever you listen to podcasts, and at ministrymonday.org.

Today's episode features Brother John Glasenapp, a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana, where he currently serves as the Director of the newly-formed Saint Meinrad Institute for Sacred Music.

Last week we set the stage for our conversation by sharing a personal experience about both Taizé itself and the music that stems from it. Today offers a musicological and practical analysis of why Taizé music is so effective to unify a worshipping congregation, and how its historical and global roots are deeper than we may realize.

Taizé is a beautiful source of music, prayer, unity and community that it seems so right to explore the depth behind our human experience with it, as fellow pastoral musicians.

And so this month Ministry Monday offers a 3-part series about Taizé music. We begin the series with reflections by David Anderson, Editor-at-Large for GIA Publications and Director of Music and Liturgy at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, Illinois.

David has visited Taizé, France, several times, and has led monthly Taizé services for years in his parish. He reflects about the depth and beauty of Taizé and how you can implement its music and spirituality in your parish.