MUSIC AT ST. PETER'S
Music is an important part of our life together.
Adult Choir - Members rehearse Sunday mornings at 9:00 am and sing at the 10:30 service.
Brenham Chorale Society - Contact Amy Schramm at 979-836-7248 or if you want to join!
THIS SERVICE HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Taizé Evening Prayer Service
For a Lent/Passiontide musical offering, the Choir of St. Peter's will be leading a service of Evening Prayer in the style of the ecumenical monastic community at Taizé, France on Sunday, March 22 at 6:00 pm.
The Taizé community was founded in 1940 by Br. Roger Schultz, a Swiss protestant, in response to the devastation of the Second World War. He intended to create a refuge where Christians of all backgrounds, distressed by a world collapsing around them, could seek God and find peace. The community has since continued this mission and has become noted as a site of pilgrimage for young adults around the world.
Taizé is known for its distinct pattern of worship, based on the Daily Office. Three times each day, the faithful gather in the Church of Reconciliation for prayer marked simply by chanting, short sentences of scripture, and silence. The goal of Taizé worship is reflection and feeding the deeply-rooted yearning to draw near to God.
The music has a particularly original character. Short phrases of text and music are repeated for 5-10 minutes. The melodies are simple; the texts plain. Through repetition, participants allow the words to become an object of reflection, akin to gazing at an icon. The performance of the music is often enriched by the addition of layers of countermelody, whether instrumental or vocal. Many of these simple chants have become beloved in the context of regular worship, such as "Jesus, remember me" and "Bless the Lord, my soul". Throughout Lent, we will sing these refrains during Communion - simple enough even to sing while in line or at the rail.
To experience this pattern of worship more deeply this Lent, one need only take a pilgrimage to Airline Drive. St. Peter's will have a service of Evening Prayer derived from the worship at Taizé on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Guest instrumentalists, together with the choir, will lead a service where you can come to a holy space, sing, and follow the Prayer Book's exhortation to observe a holy Lent through "reading and meditating on God's Holy Word".
Join us at 6:00 pm on March 22 for an encounter with a tradition that has impacted millions around the globe!
