When the choir at Risen Christ Catholic Church in Evergreen sings its Easter anthem today, parishioners will notice a few new vocalists.

After decades of faithful music ministry, Risen Christ’s choir is still drawing in new singers at a time when many congregations are moving away from traditional choirs. 

Maryruth Fallon has directed the Risen Christ choir for more than 25 years, with much of the time spent behind the piano leading the group during weekly rehearsals and performances. 

Over the past few weeks the choir has gained several new singers, bringing the total to 22. In addition to the core group, the choir has several people who like to join in to sing for special occasions and holidays such as today’s Easter services. 

Fallon credits the family-like setting of the Risen Christ choir for its continued growth. 

“The people that we spend time with here, they’re really there for you, in sickness and in health,” Fallon said, and it shows. 

During one recent rehearsal, the group rejoiced and celebrated as one member announced she’s pregnant with her first child. 

The Risen Christ choir has sung at funerals, weddings and special ceremonies for members and the families of members, all in an effort to continually give to one another. 

Each choir member participates purely on a volunteer basis. 

“No one is paid to be here,” Fallon said. “They come because they enjoy it, or because the people here mean something to them.” 

Fallon acknowledges the choir is a big commitment and can be a difficult one for many people. The group rehearses once a week for two or more hours and performs regularly at weekly services. The performances are kicked up during holiday seasons such as Christmas. During Holy Week leading to Easter, the group will perform at least four days in a row. 

Fallon said it may be this level of commitment that challenges other churches to keep their choir programs going.

A study completed by the National Congregations Study found that the number of traditional choirs performing during worship services has decreased in recent years. 

In 1998, the study surveyed more than 1,300 congregations across the United States and found that over 72 percent of regular church attendees said their church worship service included a choir. However, that same study conducted in 2012 found that only 57 percent of services had a traditional choir. 

The average age of regular church-goers is decreasing, from 74 years old in 1998 to 66 years old in 2012. The changing demographics and a push to reach younger audiences has prompted big changes in how music is presented.

Canvas Church in Kalispell recently disbanded both its choir and orchestra after a major rebranding effort. Last fall the church, previously known as the Christian Center, morphed into Canvas Church in an effort to bring in more worshipers and appeal to a younger generation. The church’s message never wavered, according to lead pastor Kevin Geer, but the changes were put in place to rejuvenate lagging attendance. 

Geer said traditional church choirs and musicals were lost on younger generations. 

The changes seem to have worked for Canvas Church. Average Sunday attendance has grown from about 550 people to around 1,500.

The church was known for its Christmas musical productions and other musical ministries, and Geer admitted that the church lost a couple of hundred regular attendees when those programs were disbanded. However, the church saw large growth in young families who may be drawn by the more contemporary look and feel. 

“We were known for our choir and orchestra, and those were good programs,” Geer said in a previous interview. “Churches are good at starting programs, but they’re bad at knowing when programs have run their course.”

Canvas Church isn’t the only place of worship making changes. 

Fresh Life Church, founded in 2007, decided to go with a new, innovative approach to music in its ministry. 

Instead of a traditional choir, the church hosts around 30 band members who rotate between the church locations — Kalispell, Missoula, Bozeman and Billings — each week to create new, exciting music for those attending the service. 

“Fresh Life is trying to be real and relevant to the current culture,” Administrative Assistant Ashley Franks said. “We wanted to create something that strove to be musically excellent and still gives people a way to worship Jesus in a musical way.” 

The group of musicians have any number of talents — some sing, drum or play a multitude of instruments. They gather together in groups during the week to practice and then head to various venues to perform during the services on the weekend. 

Musicians interested in becoming part of the roving band can apply on the church’s website and are then selected through an interview and audition process. 

The church also utilizes multimedia and art as part of its service in an effort to stay relevant and relatable and draw in younger members.

Fresh Life’s Easter service at 10 a.m. today at Majestic Valley Arena is expected to attract thousands of participants.

REGARDLESS OF a trend toward different music venues, some local churches have found that a traditional choir is still an integral part of worship services. 

Stephanie Boyer has been the choir director with Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish for five years and said she can’t see the choir going away any time soon. 

“I would hate to think choirs are a thing of the past,” she said. “The music can be such a powerful message, not only for the people singing in the choir, but also for the congregation to hear.” 

The choir at Christ Lutheran has about 25 “regulars” but fluctuates based on participants’ schedules. Boyer said she is very aware of the time commitment it takes to be a member of the choir and tries to accommodate members’ busy schedules. The choir only performs for six months out of the year, from October to December and February to May. The relaxed schedule seems to give participants ample time to do other things during the summer, allowing them to return refreshed for each session.

THE RISEN CHRIST choir plans to continue on its current track. 

The choir has made strides to make sure members are comfortable and happy, and that the choir appeals to different generations, Fallon said. In addition to traditional hymns, singers also perform more upbeat, contemporary songs. 

The group also is accompanied by a variety of musicians, from college-aged percussion students to trumpet and cello players. The instruments add to the music and keep the performances from becoming stale, Fallon said. 

The choir is made up of all ages and walks of life, including two high school students. 

Fallon said one of the reasons choir members keep coming back is because singing has become their worship style of choice. Members of the choir — and those who simply sing along on Sundays — relate to the lyrics, which allows the message to resonate better. 

“These people would be horrified if the choir went away,” Fallon said. “They’d feel lost and shut out that they can’t worship in the way they’re used to.”

Reporter Brianna Loper may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at [email protected].