Notes
Now in it's twelfth year, the Schola Pacis is an all-male a cappella ensemble based in Nashville. The group performs a rich liturgical repertoire that includes Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, gospel, and modern masterpieces. Started by men who had a passion for harmony, the group has grown from three vocalists to seven. Current members include Nelson Berry (counter tenor), Gregg Colson (sopranist), Kevin Fogarty (counter tenor), Dave Lybarger (bass), Rick Seay (tenor), Chris Simonsen (baritone), and Matthew Smyth (tenor). They sing all vocal parts from low bass to high soprano, giving them the versatility to perform a wide range of liturgical styles. The Schola Pacis performs regularly in venues throughout the Nashville area. Hailed by the Tennessean as "dynamic, joyful, and triumphant," the group has garnered glowing reviews and a strong local following over the years. A highlight each year is the ensemble's annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, a free event offered to the Nashville community as a holiday gift. Consistently drawing large crowds, this festival has become a mainstay of the holiday season in Nashville. Schola Pacis has worked with numerous guest artists/musicians over the years. Noted harpist Mary Alice Hoepfinger, pianists Jane Kelly Watt and Rachel DeVore Fogarty, violinists Eli Bishop, Maureen Riley, and Jason Wallace, trumpeter Allan Cox, and organist Hildegard Holland Cox have accompanied the group on occasion. Rachel DeVore Fogarty, composer-in-residence for Schola Pacis, created settings of "Dignus Est," "Alleluia," "Entre les Boeufs," and "For Unto Us" for the ensemble. Her husband and group member Kevin Fogarty arranged versions of "The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came" and "In the Bleak Midwinter" as well as composing the title song for the group's first album, "Springs of Water." Schola Pacis is very pleased to produce Springs of Water, a sampling of the rich variety of styles that define this unique ensemble and makes them so popular.
