Alleluia

This is a lovely recording of non professional voices. Taize is specifically used for prayer and meditation. This recording is perfect for that.

I play it frequently and I love all the songs on it: they are all different and beautiful and have lovely orchestration.

AlleluiaTaize is a christian community in France where they make this beautiful music, having members from all over Europe who sing individually and in harmony together. Each song could be in a mix of Spanish, German, English whatever they feel comfortable singing in.All that makes for a very beautiful sound and this album has a very good recording quality

It was a gift for a priest and he was excited about receiving it.

Religious chant music has become popular in the past ten or fifteen years, especially the Gregorian chants of the Benedictine tradition. Other forms of chant from the orthodox tradition are likewise experiencing resurgence in interest. Some who listen to this music, whether for relaxation or prayer, believe it is timeless, but it is also believed that it is a form of music from another era. Chant lovers can become intrigued when they discover that this ancient form of prayer is not static and a present-day Christian monastic community has developed a contemporary form of chant based largely on the chant traditions of the Benedictines and orthodox traditions, as well as modern hymns. The community that developed these contemporary chants is known as Taize and is located in France.The music of Taize is rather simple, but it has a beauty that is derived from its ethereal feeling. The chants follow one of three basic forms. 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.ALLELUIA is similar to other Taize recordings. It contains music used in their prayer and liturgical celebrations. Some of these chants such as "Wait for the Lord" "Bless the Lord" and "Per Crucem" have become popular in liturgical worship, particularly in the Catholic tradition. While I am giving these recording five stars, it is based on the quality of the chants, not the flawlessness of the recording. One of the reasons the music of Taize is so moving is due to its being recorded live rather than in studios, which can mean imperfections. While there is little background noise, the engineering is not that advanced. Still, these slight flaws add an authentic flavor to the flavor of the recording.

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, this disc does include some of the pieces in English, also - 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.'

Hyperbole notwithstanding, this is simply the purest prayer available in recording in the Western tradition{ outside of Gregorain or Ambrosain Chant and Orthodox Chant.} taize`, dubbed by JOHN XXIII{of blessed memory} as"that little springtime" has been re-connecting young people for 50 years to the sacred simplicity of early Christianity with its empahsis on prayer,hospitality ans commonality. These songs here,very simple phrases repeated over and agian, are meditative and achingly beautiful.From the opening BLESS THE LORD to the final stirring notes of cantante domino , this is deeply moving and almost pure in its essence. If music can improve a person, this will.Humbling.