The Schola Cantorum Sancti Pauli (literally School of Singing of St. Paul) was founded by its current director, W. Thomas Edwards, with the encouragement of Stephen Long (1945-1996), then Organist-Choirmaster of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, in 1994. For its members, the group rapidly became a vehicle for a particular kind of spirituality that finds its expression in the singing of plainsong (Gregorian Chant). The existence of the Schola helped to make the restoration of the liturgy of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament possible at St. Paul’s parish.

The Men of the Schola Cantorum at St. Paul’s parish do not sing because it provides a performance medium. For these men, singing is praying. The essential element of Gregorian chant is the unity of sound, which allows the music to soar. The individuality of each singer is absorbed into the oneness of the whole, singing in unison as if with one voice. The oneness achieved is the unity of the community lifting each singer and the whole ensemble in praise to God. This is an element of Benedictine spirituality that is a common thread at St. Paul’s.