By David Eck

ST. MARYS DEANERY — When Mel Vallo joined the St. Augustine Church men’s choir in 1935, the group had already been making music in the venerable Minster church for almost three decades.

"It was a kind of a tradition," said Vallo, now 89, who was a member of the choir for a total of 52 years. "I thought it was a part of my life to be a choir member.’’

Vallo sang in the men’s choir until he entered the service during World War II. He returned in 1946, but soon moved to Dayton and then St. Henry, singing in church choirs at Immaculate Conception Church and St. Henry Church. In 1962, he returned to Minster and rejoined the St. Augustine men’s choir. He retired from the group in 2005. "My (St. Augustine) service was interrupted," he said.

COURTESY PHOTO

St. Augustine Church music director Amy Noykos leads the St. Augustine men’s choir during a recent rehearsal.

Tradition runs deep at the 175-year-old St. Augustine Parish, known as mother church for the north of the archdiocese, particularly with its men’s choir. It remains one of the oldest continuously performing Catholic Church men’s choirs in the nation.

Now with 31 members, the choir has survived two world wars, military draft, tough economic times, Vatican II and changing leadership in the 1990s.

Currently the members range in age from 42 years to 73 years old, records show. The average current tenure in the choir is just shy of 26 years.

Several families have been in the choir for generations, and once there were five brothers singing in the choir at the same time. A.H. Knapke and later his son, Luke, combined to lead the choir for 64 years.

In a small town like Minster, the parish and the community tend to become one. Nearly everyone in town is Catholic, they all know each other, and they all belong St. Augustine Parish. That family atmosphere is also found in the choir.

"The thing that touches me the most is how much of a brotherhood it is," said Amy Noykos, the first woman to lead the choir. "They’re there for each other."

In addition to the 10 a.m. Sunday Masses at St. Augustine, the choir performs at area sporting events, concerts and occasionally at other churches.

St. Augustine Parish’s music ministry also includes a mixed choir, a children’s choir, a brass ensemble, a bell choir, a funeral choir and a folk group,

But the men’s choir is the foundation, Noykos said.

"It’s really phenomenal what we have here," Noykos said. "We’re blessed."

Most of the men say they commit to the weekly rehearsals, weekly Masses and special services, and outside church ceremonies — nearly 100 events each year — simply because of the tradition and they love to sing.

"It’s changed my viewpoint on the Mass," said Jim Cull, who has been a member of the choir for 33 years. "It’s more enriching in the Mass to sing. It just makes me feel good."

The men’s love of singing also expands to barbershop, which the choir sings at special nights four times a year. The group has presented the "Old Kentuucky Minstrel," the operettas "Mikado" and the "Pirates of Penzance." The choir has performed in barbershop at events around the region, and even at a members’ wedding.

"They can sing anything," Noykos said. "In our repertoire right now, we sing Latin music, and then we come full circle to spiritual. We’re very adaptable. They guys will do anything I ask them to do.’’

Noykos was organist at St. Augustine Church from 1989 until she left in 1993. She returned as the parish music director in 1998. Although she is the first woman to direct the choir, she gets along well with the members. They also have her respect and vice versa.

"We have a ball together. They’re my guys," she said. "It matters to me how well they do. It matters to me that I uphold their heritage."