The Crown of the Continent Choir’s upcoming “Power of Kindness” concert will spread joy with a powerful cause.  

Inclusivity is a pillar of the volunteer, nonsectarian choir that got the idea for the season finale concert from a shared performance with Whitefish High School students earlier this year.  

“That’s always fun, to be able to sing with the young people, and for them to realize that, even if I don’t go into music when I graduate, there’s still opportunities to sing or be involved in community music,” said Leanne Roberts, vice president of the choir’s board.  

The choir also regularly sings with Flathead High School during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and visits the Montana Veterans Home for Veterans Day.  

Three benefit concerts this season raised several thousand dollars for three causes, including historical restoration of the St. Ignatius Mission, for Samaritan House and its work to expand housing for veterans, and the Sparrow’s Nest, which provides housing for high school students in need. 

Each concert throughout the season adds new songs to the program, building until the choir gets to the final concert of the season on Sunday, May 3 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the show starts at 4 p.m. The cost is free with a suggested donation.  

The finale is important for the choir’s finances because it’s the only performance where donations go toward the choir’s operating expenses. The choir’s annual costs include a small stipend for the director and accompanist, music rights and insurance.  

Under the direction of Craig Thomas Naylor, the finale features a mix of music centered on themes of kindness and belonging, with selections by Joni Mitchell, John Muir and Ola Gjeilo. 

Accompanist Eunhwa Park will perform two piano solos featuring works by Felix Mendelssohn. 

A highlight of the program is the African Zulu song Inkosi Namandla, a traditional Tshwane church song arranged by Michael Barrett and accompanied by guest drummer ensemble Ashè.  

Featured artists include Iona McMillan on djembe, Robert Sherrick on solo djembe, and Julie Sherrick on dun duns. 

For the members, the power of kindness runs through more than just its song selection.  

“With singing, it’s your voice – everything's coming from you and the people around you,” Roberts said.  

Members who are newer to singing will stand next to more confident members.  

“That’s the magic of a choir, that you pull from the people around you,” she said. 

For some songs, the choir recently started shuffling singers around from the typical sections that a choir stands in.  

“It’s fun to sing next to someone singing a different note, but you know that you’re singing the right note,” Roberts said.  

“Or, you’re not, and that’s OK too,” she said with a chuckle.  

Roberts joined the choir a few months after it began 17 years ago. Throughout the years she “just kept going,” she said, rebounding after a Covid hiatus and most recently, after a second fight with breast cancer.  

For a moment, she couldn’t even get a good breath, she said. But when she healed and rejoined the choir last November, a source of joy returned to her life. 

“It sounds cheesy, but it just warms my heart. Just the fact of being in the group, hearing the voices, and finding out I can carry a tune,” she said.  

Randy Carspecken, the choir’s board president, added, “Leanne’s got a sense of humor that doesn’t stop. And having that humorous approach to life, not taking things to seriously, is really important.”  

Ideally the concert would have a full range of ages, Carspecken said. He supposes the median age is about 60, though.  

“A lot of gray hair,” Roberts concurred. “But we are joyous and inclusive.” 

The choir of about 40 is always hoping for new members – no experience required. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at Flathead High School.  

No tickets are required in advance for the concert on May 3. 

For more information see crownchoir.org.

Editor Kelsey Evans can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.

    The Crown of the Continent Choir at a recent performance in St. Ignatius. (Photo provided)