This beautiful canon was composed by Jacques Berthier of the Taizé Community, an ecumenical monastic community in France that prays for reconciliation and peace in the world. The distinctive chants and songs used at Taizé often set simple phrases (usually lines from Psalms or other pieces of Scripture) repeated until they work their way into the rhythms of the heart, a form of “praying without ceasing.”
This tune can be shared without printed music two ways:
1. Sing the canon from beginning to end, then line out each section of the canon using call and echo until the group is confident. Combine the phrases, then divide the group and cue one at a time.
2. Divide the group into three sections and teach one phrase of the canon to each. While the melody won't migrate around the group as it does with a canon, this strategy can be helpful when time is limited.
"Da pacem cordium"
Translation:
Give peace to every heart.
Copyright for the piece is held by GIA Publications, Inc. so you'll need a OneLicense membership to print the text or music.
Find sheet music for the chant on Hymnary.
Here's a recording by the Taizé Community:
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