Schola Cantorum of Texas, Inc. is the premier volunteer choral organization in Tarrant County, and operates as a self-governing 501(c)3 charitable arts organization. In its four decades of performances, the chorus has consistently delivered programs of musical excellence, covering all periods of standard choral music repertoire. Schola! has presented over 400 concerts since its beginning in 1962. Under the baton of B.R. “Bev” Henson, of Texas Christian University, the group drew singers from around the DFW area whose motivation was, as he said, “a genuine love of singing and a desire to perform the best in traditional choral music.”

Continuing that tradition under Dr. Gary Ebensberger of the University of Texas at Arlington, beginning in 1975 the chorus expanded its repertoire and reach during his twenty-five year tenure. Dr. Ebensberger’s talent in selecting choral literature to develop and showcase the “Schola Sound,” a rich choral sonority for which the group is well known, brought international recognition and prestige to the organization.

Schola! performs regularly throughout Tarrant County and the DFW area. Over the years, Schola Cantorum has performed in cities across the United States and Europe. Performances were given in Germany, Austria and in England at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Schola! has traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform with Speaker Jim Wright at the Kennedy Center and to San Francisco to participate in Robert Shaw’s Festival of the Masses. The chorus always returns to its home base in Tarrant County to delight discerning audiences with the superb performances of traditional and contemporary choral literature. Of particular note is the tradition of the annual Christmas Season Concerts – A Gift of Music at Christmas – to a growing audience in Fort Worth, and now expanded to include a concert in Southlake. Each December, the chorus presents this joyful evening of Christmas music to thousands who participate with the chorus in singing favorite Christmas carols.

While the personnel of the group has changed over time, there has been strong continuity, too. Singers return year after year to enjoy new challenges in choral literature and the thrill of performance in a variety of venues. Over 600 singers have contributed to the success of Schola over the past four decades.

Just as remarkable is the continuity in the position of music director/conductor. In its first 38 years, Schola! had only two permanent conductors. That fact alone is the single largest contributor to the strength and stability of the chorus and the commitment of its singers to master and perform the best in choral literature.

Upon the retirement of Dr. Ebensberger, Schola! selected in 2001 its new conductor Dr. Donald Bailey, of Baylor University. Dr. Bailey has extended and expanded the capabilities of the chorus, which has lifted Schola Cantorum to new heights of singing and listening delight for singers and audiences alike.

Information from the chorus' site

Musicians

• Donald Bailey: music director

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