Young Malgache Liturgical Musicians

The Malgache community in France is one of the largest “minority ethnic” groupings within our Diocese in Europe. There is a vibrant congregation in St George’s Paris as well as growing work in St Alban’s Strasbourg and All Saints Marseille. Madagascar, their original homeland, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and itself larger in area than France! Anglicans in Madagascar are organised in 5 dioceses and along with Mauritius, and Seychelles form part of the Province of the Indian Ocean.

The Malgache community in St George’s is well organised. As part of the congregation’s planning for the future, 2 years ago, 9 young musicians, including some who had no musical formation at all, were encouraged and supported in a 5 year project of the congregation to produce a trained core of musical leaders for the Malgache services. Thus in 3 years time, there will be 3 organists as well as pianists, flautists, saxophonists, violoinists who are trained in liturgical music and ready to lead the hymns and the various chants of the Church such as the Te Deum, Benedictus, Creed, Nunc Dimittis, Magnificat, Venite, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Gloria in Excelsis. The young people are also studying music privately at various conservatories in greater Paris. Pictured here are some of the young musicians with those who are supporting them.

There is also a Malgache Scout Group in St George’s.