Title: | JESUS, REMEMBER ME |
Composer: | Jacques Berthier (1978) |
Meter: | 6.8.6.8 |
Incipit: | 33343 42222 12323 |
Key: | E♭ Major |
Copyright: | © 1981, Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications Inc. agent |
JESUS, REMEMBER ME (1978) is a simple tune from the hand of Jacques Berthier (b. Auxerre, France, 1923; d. Paris, France, 1994), one of the primary composers associated with the Taizé community. Consisting of just two phrases in melodic sequence, the tune is intended for singing in harmony, with repeats optional at the discretion of the performers. One can forgo the quarter rest at the middle of each line, singing basically two long lines for the entire song. In a meditative service, repeat the song a number of times (with some use of the two descants)–sometimes softly, sometimes forcefully, sometimes only humming. The song can also be sung as a "frame" surrounding spoken or silent prayers, or as a refrain to a series of spoken prayers.
A son of musical parents Berthier studied music at the Ecole Cesar Franck in Paris. From 1961 until his death he served as organist at St. Ignace Church, Paris. Although his published works include numerous compositions for organ, voice, and Instruments, Berthier is best known as the composer of service music for the Taizé community near Cluny, Burgundy. Influenced by the French liturgist and church musician Joseph Gelineau, Berthier began writing songs for equal voices in 1955 for the services of the then nascent community of twenty brothers at Taizé. As the Taizé community grew, Berthier continued to compose most of the mini-hymns, canons, and various associated instrumental arrangements, which are now universally known as the Taizé repertoire. In the past two decades this repertoire has become widely used in North American church music in both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
Organ Solo
|