The Schola Cantorum of the Pacific, a liturgical cantorale based in Los Angeles and Wrightwood, California, will be performing A Concert of Sacred Music: From Gregorian to Gospel at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, at St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Church, 330 Rep. John Lewis Way N, in downtown Nashville.
The Schola is “an association of Catholic laity preserving and sharing the Church’s great treasury of the music of faith over the ages, with an encouragement of new works for our time, and the special ministry of quality Catholic music education to children in neighborhoods where affordable music education is rare,” explained Marianist Father Ted Ley, SM, founder of the schola, which is in his 47th year. “I was a teacher of music and liturgy at St. John’s Archdiocesan Seminary in Camarillo, California, when the founding of the schola became a doctoral project in music education. Our choir school, the Escolania Pacifica, is Immaculate Conception School in downtown Los Angeles. The schola does indeed sing, and teach, music “from Gregorian to Gospel.”
The schola, comprised of adult and college-age choristers, will begin the concert with the oldest-known music manuscript of Patristic Greek Chant, and then progress through eras of sacred music with works by Josquin, Tallis, Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Cesar Franck, and Benjamin Britten.
The performance will also feature Gregorian chant, American spirituals, original compositions by Father Ley and more.
The schola will sing at the 5 p.m. vigil Mass at St. Mary prior to the 7:30 p.m. concert.
While the concert is free, donations are appreciated. For more information, email information@pacificschola.org.
