EAT THIS BREAD

Composer: Jacques Berthier

Berthier was born in Auxerre, Burgundy; both of his parents were musicians - his father Paul was the kapellmeister and organist at the Auxerre Cathedral. Learning first from his parents, Berthier was trained in music at the César Franck School in Paris. While there, he was taught by, among others, Edward Souberbielle and Guy de Lioncourt (whose daughter he married). In 1955 Berthier was first asked to compose music for the Taizé Community, which was then just a monastic community of twenty brothers. Six years later he became organist at the Church of the Jesuits in Paris, Saint-Ignace, where he worked until his death. In 1975, Berthier was again asked to compose for Taizé, this time for chants to be sung by the increasing numbers of youn… Go to person page >

Tune Information

Composer: Jacques Berthier (1984)
Meter: Irregular
Incipit: 55666 77771 71223
Key: G Major or modal
Copyright: © 1984, Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications Inc. agent

Texts

Eat this bread, drink this cup

Eat this bread, drink this cup,
come to me and never be hungry.
Eat this bread, drink this cup,
trust in me and you will not thirst.Go to text page >

Eat This Bread

Eat this bread, drink this cup;
come to Christ and never be hungry.
Eat this bread, drink this cup;
trust in Christ and you will not thirst.
Go to text page >

Notes

Like JESUS, REMEMBER ME (217), EAT THIS BREAD is a meditative chorus intended to be sung repeatedly and accompanied with various descants; repetitions are more natural when sung as refrains to the solo stanzas. Sing this chorus in harmony without accompaniment, with a song leader indicating dynamics, sometimes forte, sometimes piano.
After several repetitions, intersperse humming to enhance the meditative effect of the singing. Add oboe, flute, recorder, or violin for the instrumental descants. The number of repetitions (with or without stanzas and instrumental descants) may be determined by the worship leaders. It should not be rushed. Use a combination of choir and congregational singing, if you like, perhaps interspersed with instrumentals and humming. One manner of performance is recorded on We Come, 0 Christ, to You (1985), a CRC Publications cassette recording of hymns for worship. Additional descant melodies are published in Music from Taizé (vol. 2; Instrumental Edition, G-2778A).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Instances

Instances of this tune:
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