Some years ago, on Good Friday, I was a participant in a choir up in a loft from which one could not see how things were progressing down in the body of the church. The veneration of the cross had been poorly planned and as a result was extremely time-consuming. During the whole thing, the choir had to sing “Jesus, Remember Me” over and over and over and over and over. Other sung or instrumental music could have been added, giving some variety to that part of the liturgy, but that never happened. As a result, that Taizé refrain produced a lasting, negative reaction among many singers thereafter, instead of a prayerful, thoughtful response.

Overuse of a single piece of music can be felt as abusive by the members of the assembly.

Instead, develop a carefully selected medley of music from the community’s existing repertoire together with other music that’s primarily sung the choir. There’s nothing wrong with “Jesus, Remember Me,” if it’s not clubbing assembly members into numb submission. The traditional “O Sacred Head Surrounded” and “Ave Verum,” the evocative “What Wondrous Love Is This,” contemporary songs and hymns like Bob Dufford’s “Behold the Lamb of God” or Roc O’Connor’s “Jesus the Lord”—there’s a lot to choose from, and carefully blending a variety of musical styles can reflect the variety within the community.