alumnistories
Singing Truth
CCM Magazine Calls Veritas ‘Truly Remarkable’ Andrew Goodwin ‘10 Scott Lawrence ‘10 James Berrian ‘10 Jordan Johnson ‘11 By Stephen Tindal The University of Mobile has earned a reputation for musical excellence in the 53 years since it was founded, creating dozens of incredible ensembles and bringing talented students together to make unique blends of music that are heard around the world. UMobile musical groups have made appearances in international concerts, at the White House and the Pentagon, and even at the 2014 Olympic games in Russia. Recently, one of these groups has extended its existence beyond its time at UMobile and is quickly climbing the ladder of success in the Christian music industry. Veritas is a contemporary classical group that combines the sounds of operatic, jazz and pop music into performances that leave audiences encouraged and inspired. This five-man ensemble traveled across the United States on a two-week tour in October following the national release of its selftitled first album. However, the story of Veritas began several years ago while four members of the group performed together as a new UMobile ensemble under the name “Shofar.” From Shofar to Veritas Andrew Goodwin ’10, Scott Lawrence ’10, James Berrian ’10, and Jordan Johnson ’11, all came to the University of Mobile to study and perform in various ensembles in the Center for Performing Arts. During their
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years at the university, the four secured different positions in many of the groups, including the award-winning barbershop quartet Ramtonz, the University Singers, Opera Workshop, Upper Room Theater, and Voices of Mobile. Dr. Roger Breland, vice president for project development, was inspired to create a contemporary classical group that reflected the same style as Il Divo, a world-famous quartet with an operaticpop sound. Breland makes time to cultivate personal relationships with students involved in the CPA, so when it came to selecting members for this groundbreaking new group, he knew exactly whom to pick. Breland noticed the talent and potential in these singers, and was fully committed to developing their sound into a professional-caliber group. The new quartet “Shofar” was soon performing at special events throughout the year, and promised to be another entertaining and successful ensemble for the university. Since its inception, there was one distinct difference between Shofar and the other ensembles in the CPA: this group was made with the intent of continued performance after the students graduated. “It was Dr. Breland’s ultimate vision to have the group continue on full-time after graduation,” said Andrew Goodwin, Veritas tenor. “We carried that same classical music concept with us as we graduated from UM.”
Shofar’s transition to Veritas began when Breland asked Goodwin, Lawrence, and Johnson to participate in the Truth 40th Anniversary Tour of 2011: a tribute to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame group Breland formed in 1971. On the tour, they met Jeff Anderson, a former member of the vocal group “Wings of Morning,” who was also singing with Truth. Anderson would soon become the next member of Veritas, and the only one who had not graduated from the University of Mobile. “We went into the tour knowing that the ultimate goal was to launch a male vocal group once it was finished,” said Scott Lawrence, Veritas bass. “Once the tour ended, we decided to change the name to Veritas, which is Latin for ‘truth’ so UM could continue to use the name Shofar. That’s when we asked Jeff and James to go on the road with us and sing for Veritas.” The Journey to Success In 2012, the new group was preparing to put on its first concert under the name of Veritas. The five singers made their way to Albany, GA, to perform for over 2,000 people. “I still get goose-bumps when I think of our very first concert at Sherwood Baptist Church in 2012,” said Lawrence. ”Regardless of the endless hours of preparation that went into that concert, we were still scared to death. Not because we were ill-prepared, but because we didn’t know what to expect or how people would receive our music.”