Letters from the week of 22-28 October 2018

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Thoughts on Taizé (in reference to our front page of 21 October 2018)

I first went to Taizé in 1958 when the brothers were still worshipping in the (then largely abandoned) local catholic village church and were beginning to build their new facility.

I was an undergraduate student of English at the University of Nottingham where Professor Alan Richardson and his faculty members were making a huge contribution to the development of the theology and spirituality of Anglican students. I had gone to work in the long vacation at the village of Romenay in Saone et Loire where I was working as an English-speaking waitress at a hotel, which was half way between Parish and Lyons and so used by English-speaking tourists.

Since then I have very much appreciated and affirmed the contribution of the Taizé chants to our Liturgy.

Vivienne Hayward
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
22 October 2018

Taizé was well-loved by my young family, until we went through some objectively terrible events. We found that the previously-loved music and phrases had become fraught because we felt that God hadn't been and still wasn't present amid the evens and our despair, even though the music had formerly drawn us to Presence, and eager happy people continued to suggest we could/should be so drawn. With an intervening decade, I started to wonder if Taizé might be for some as I used to disparage "country gospel" (sorry about that!): music ain't neutral, it either helps you move toward God or pushes you away. Like so much in the world: it depends.

James <private>
Anglican when possible
Canada
23 October 2018

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