Improvised piano preludes and postludes for contemplation.
Taizé prayer is a meditative style of worship that began in the small village of Taizé, France. Through simple chants, scripture readings, and extended silence, Taizé invites you to quiet your mind, open your heart, and rest in God’s presence.
For many years, United Church of Chapel Hill held a Taizé worship service on the second Sunday evening of each month, and I played piano for fourteen of them — from 2011 until 2025. Each service opened and closed with a piano improvisation. Jack Mitchell generously recorded them live, as they happened — without him, these moments would be long gone. From those years of recordings I have gathered a few favorites here, and I hope you enjoy them.
Improvisation is the leading edge of memory — the moment where future memories are created in real time. — Milo Fryling