http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/feels-like-teen-spirit-thousands-of-young-people-flock-annually-to-a-christian-camp-in-rural-france-2339347.htmlhis summer, some 100,000 young people from around the world – mostly between the age of 15 and 30 – will gather outside a village in the middle of France. They've been arriving here since June, to pitch tents, strike up friendships, enjoy plenty of music, and they'll continue to come until September. But this isn't some Gallic Glastonbury – it's a Christian community, and the crowds will sing psalms, not pop songs.
At the heart of Communauté de Taizé, named after the small village near the site, are over 100 monks, who live together very simply, in a life devoted to prayer, singing and silence. Drawn from over 30 different countries, the community is ecumenical, with Catholics and Protestants worshipping together.
And, even more unexpectedly, since the end of the Fifties, Taizé has been attracting young people in ever larger numbers, and from ever more far-flung destinations. Teenagers and young adults make the pilgrimage, usually for a week, joining the brothers in prayer three times a day, attending bible groups and helping out with chores. During the summer months, there will be a population of 3,000 to 4,000 at any one time, drawn from about 70 different countries, camping or staying in basic barracks, very cheaply (it's just eight euros a night for bed and board).