ABOUT THE SCHOLA CANTORUM OF THE PACIFIC
Fostering Catholic Sacred Music Since 1976
Forming hearts and minds through liturgical music education, choir performance, and sacred tradition across the Pacific and beyond. A 501(c)(3) non-profit music ministry providing free choral education to children and young adults.
OUR HISTORY & LEGACY
Five Decades of Sacred Harmony
The Schola Cantorum of the Pacific®, is an adult choir now completing its fiftieth year with a cantoral and concert repertoire of modern and traditional Liturgical and Concert Music – “From Gregorian to Gospel.” The Schola fosters the goal of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council in their hallmark, Sacrosanctum Concilium, that the Church’s musical “treasure of inestimable worth” continue to inspire. The Catholic Church has cultivated over centuries this magnum opus of prayerful music. Catholic Music Ministry today builds upon this musical testimony of the Ages of Faith.
Our Schola has three ensembles. Our adult cantorale, The Schola Cantorum of the Pacific®, includes in its concerts, music accessible to parish choirs and cantoral groups, of practical interest to church musicians in attendance. Our second ensemble is the Schola Americana, our younger adults who perform classics of world music. The group has presented Jazz, Popular and Folk at such diverse locations as a major hotel in Las Vegas, a summer resort in Minnesota, two state legislatures in session, and similarly diverse venues. The Schola Americana regards these genres of music as Fine Art and culture of lasting value. Our third ensemble activity is Music Education of the highest calibre to inner city children. Our Children of the Schola, the Escolanía Pacifica, are the Student body, the concert choir and Instrumentalists of Immaculate Conception Parochial School in Downtown Los Angeles, California.
“Great Music contains Truth, Goodness and Beauty. Great Liturgical Music embodies the ageless wisdom and wonderment of the Catholic Faith experience.”
— Fr. Ted Ley, SM
Founder
The Schola Cantorum of the Pacific® • Marianist Center, Cupertino, California
Our Three Ensembles
The Schola Cantorum of the Pacific®
Our adult cantorale performing a concert repertoire of modern and traditional liturgical music, from Gregorian chant to Gospel, accessible to parish choirs and church musicians.
The Schola Americana
Our younger adults who perform classics of world music — Jazz, Popular, and Folk — presented at major venues from Las Vegas to state legislatures, celebrating American fine art and culture.
Escolanía Pacifica
Music education of the highest calibre for inner city children — the concert choir and instrumentalists of Immaculate Conception Parochial School in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Immaculate Conception Choir School Programme
Our programme at Immaculate Conception is unique, in that the entire student body is the choir. They sing in parts, a cappella as well as accompanied, Gregorian Chant, Renaissance polyphony and contemporary hymnody. Students K through 8, sing from memory such classics as Johann Sebastian Bach’s, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring;” the Dios Te Salve (Spanish Hail Mary) of the California Missions; Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, and such varied hymnody as, “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” “Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All,” and the Taizé Laudate.
Their touring concert choir is also their cantoral group at Mass, for Grail Psalmody and Communion meditation music such as “Jesu Rex Admirabilis” by Palestrina, and “If Ye Love Me,” by Tallis. The students intermix English, Spanish and Latin, all texts carefully explained. The ICS Staff considers Music essential in the school culture. ICS students may play musical instruments during lunch. A young bugler will play at the raising and lowering of the flags. Though it has a choir school Music curriculum, Immaculate Conception is a regular high quality downtown parochial school.
The choral music repertoire contributes significantly to the children’s learning of reading in both English and Spanish, insofar as one must learn phonics in order to sing well chorally. Most European choir schools begin students around age nine; ICS students begin in kindergarten at age five when Music is mainly “fun” — fun with great music.
HISTORICAL GALLERY
Five Decades of Sacred Music History
Mission San Juan Capistrano Fiesta (1977)
Initial Schola group performing at the Capistrano Fiesta in 1977 — the very beginning of our journey.
Papal Blessing by Pope St. John Paul II
Pope St. John Paul II blesses Escolanía youth choristers during a Rome pilgrimage — a cherished spiritual heritage.
Riverside Festival of Lights
In concert at the Riverside, California, Winter Festival of Lights, bringing sacred music to the wider community.