December 25, 2014 — In celebration of Christmas, the Ignatian Schola, a Manhattan-based vocal ensemble composed of Jesuits and lay colleagues, presents a video of their song “Rise Up.”

Rooted in Ignatian spirituality, the ensemble performs an eclectic repertoire of sacred music including chant, Renaissance motets and music by contemporary composers. The Schola has performed in various Jesuit parishes and universities across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, among other locations. The purpose of their ministry is “to inspire prayer through music with a decidedly Ignatian focus.”

“This is our experience: that we feel closer to God in singing than in just saying words; that the music itself carries the emotion; that in singing we are attentive and focused on God in a special way; that in singing we pray with our entire being — mind, body, spirit, all at once. We find and praise God in the music and in one another,” members of the group explained.

To learn more about the Ignatian Schola, visit www.ignatianschola.org. [Source: The Ignatian Schola]