Taizé Prayer in London

Source: Wiki image by Andrew Smithson

Marion Hill writes: Taizé is an international & ecumenical community in France founded in 1940 by Brother Roger. Today, the Taizé Community is made up of over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from various Protestant backgrounds, coming from around thirty nations.

A pattern of prayer has been developed for this international community coming from a variety of Christian traditions. The candlelit services are quiet and reflective and include Bible readings, prayers and times of silence as well as music - simple, repetitive chants in different languages may be sung unaccompanied or enhanced by extra vocal verses and instrumental parts.

This style of prayer service and, in particular, the Taizé chants have spread around the world. In London the following churches regularly host Taizé services.

Monthly services at St Saviours, Eton Rd, NW3 4SU www.stsaviourhampstead.org.uk/. The next service is Sunday 14th October 4.30 - 5.15pm.

Every Wednesday, 6pm; All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street, London EC3R 5BJ; tube: Tower Hill; For more information contact: Bertrand Olivier parish@ahbtt.org.uk See: www.ahbtt.org.uk/services/taize/ 35 minutes with drinks afterwards on 1st Wed of month.

Saturdays, 7.15pm; Notre Dame de France Church, 5 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX; See: www.ndfchurch.org/en/ For more information contact: Margaret Cawley info@ndfchurch.org On the 1st Saturday of the month, this is a Taizé (RC) Mass

First Sundays ,7pm; St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
Sacred Space - A reflective service using chants from the Taizé community.

Third Sundays 6pm; St James's Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL;
For more information contact: Graham Sharpe, grahamtsharpe@hotmail.co.uk

Learn more about the community on the Taizé website: www.taize.fr/en

Find the songs and music here: www.taize.fr/en_rubrique2603.html