Iron scaffolding, safety nets, and the sharp smell of paint are common sights and smells at the iconic Mount Mary’s Basilica in Bandra, which is undergoing renovation. Yet, even amid all this chaos, the choir has been gathering in the back hall for about a month. Most singers are Sunday Mass regulars, but there are some new ones, too. Their harmonics rise over and drown out the carpentry repair on the old furniture around them.

Unlike old times, when choir groups were 40-50 members strong across churches, Mount Mary’s choir today has shrunk to only 15 singers. Packed schedules at work and academics are largely to blame. But these are dedicated vocalists. Father Michael Goveas, who heads the choir, explains, “Some of them drop out as the year progresses, but new people join every year. We welcome everyone. Since we are not a parish church, [we are a basilica], we need just one choir.”
In the last decade, some members have either stopped attending church or joined other choir groups, the church staff told Sunday mid-day. Yet, they manage to gather between a dozen to 25 singers every year.