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Today's worship leaders are faced with a tremendous demand for change that is impossible to avoid. The interest in change can involve several areas:
Churches of all sizes and denominations and from all types of demographic areas are dealing with change.[Sharp, 1998] Much of this demand has been met by popular culture and is sometimes accused of being market driven. However, two faith communities in Europe that are dedicated to renewal, ministry to the poor, and reconciliation among all people have provided alternative musical expressions and worship resources that meet the worshiper's need for a spiritual experience without sacrificing the canon of traditional worship. These ecumenical communities are the Iona Community based in Scotland and the Taizé Community (pronounced TAY-ZAY) in France. The number of young people that have sought the worship and spirituality of the Iona and Taize communities is staggering. While Taize is a monastic community and Iona is not, they both stress reconciliation and seek to meet the needs of the poor and the oppressed. However, neither tries to advertise its existence or to lure people to visit. The communities attract visitors because they are visible signs of the living Gospel centered in prayer and worship. GIA Publications acquired the North American distribution rights to the music of the Taize and Iona communities in 1990. Music from the Iona community (particularly that of John Bell and Tom Colvin) is published by the Wild Goose Resource Group. [From The Worship and Music of Iona and Taize, by Kimberly A. Johnson. A research paper presented in partial fulfillment of MUR 513, Belmont University, Nashville, TN. December 10, 2001.] See Iona Community See Taizé Community ------------------------------------ Sharp, Timothy W. 1998. "Hallelujah! Music in Community: The choral music and hymns of Iona and Taize." Choral journal 39:1 (August), 47-49. |