Also, reach out to people who have just been through RCIA. New converts make excellent choir members because they long for ways to minister their new faith... 2 or more of my best singers are non-cradle-Catholics.

I absolutely agree with the comments above. One thing I might add is that you will have to be patient - building the expectations, the discipline, the structure, even "selling" the purpose and nature of being part of the choir. These are things that will take time, and will be reinforced every season.

It is easier to make adjustments to your music schedule if you know far enough in advance about absences. It might be one thing for a member to miss because they are traveling for work. It is completely another if they don't communicate that, or do so at the last moment.

I keep attendance for each practice and Mass, and I have an 85% minimum attendance policy (which might be pretty liberal in comparison to other choirs). But setting those expectations doesn't happen out of the gate... Everything in time. First, get members to recognize that there is a professional courtesy of advance notification of absences. People who can't be bothered to notify you in advance about absences won't be reliable on any level anyway, and get weeded out. That at least will enable you to adjust your music schedule accordingly to sing a simpler piece that is in your repertoire when required.

Patient encouragement regarding attendance... until you get to the point of underscoring the nature of what it means to be a member of a liturgical choir - that it requires some degree of commitment (choose what works best for your group and circumstances) - and then implement an attendance policy WITH the buy-in of the group. For me, that's usually at the end-of-year meeting.

In the meantime, I absolutely agree - unison or 2-part is likely best until you can establish more consistent attendance.

I would add that paid section leaders shouldn't be the "big guns", something brought in when the regulars don't seem to be pulling their weight. It makes the volunteers feel a bit miffed, and is extremely awkward for the pros, particularly if they don't know what sort of situation they're walking into. Having staff singers works best when their positions exist from year to year, rather than something that might or might not happen depending on any number of variables.

float between our three Masses

Make one Mass the choir Mass and build up a group dedicated to making it THE PRINCIPAL MASS at the Parish. Make every weekend sound like it's going to be an event they can't miss. Then make every principal Mass an event they don't want to miss.

Best advice I ever got on this site in terms of building a choir - treat them like family. Talk to them about things besides choir. Don't just make music - make friends. Make memories.

Make one Mass the choir Mass and build up a group dedicated to making it THE PRINCIPAL MASS at the Parish. Make every weekend sound like it's going to be an event they can't miss. Then make every principal Mass an event they don't want to miss.

I think both of these are key. My choristers are friends. They love each other. AND our Mass is the principal Mass at our parish. They don't miss unless they really have to.

We also have a few new members with little children and I encourage them to bring their children instead of missing. I haven't noticed one problem with that yet. (mind you they don't bring ALL of their kids, generally just one or two, or the gang, after communion.)

Finally, try advertising on Kijiji or Craigslist. I had a choir member say this worked for a church choir in which he was involved.

(BTW, my choir would never come a 1/2 before Mass on a Sunday... just saying.)

@chonak: I would suspect this choir had a dedicated choir room? I don't know how else it would be possible if there were other Masses prior to the Choir's Mass.

The choir I described above rehearses in the loft. There are two Sunday morning Masses in the schedule, with more than an hour between celebrations. That's not rare: a schedule like 8:30/11 would have enough space.

Perhaps we shouldn't see "excuse" as a pejorative in this context, but more along the lines of a "reason".

I let my members know that I have three standards that potential / existing members have to meet in order to be part of my choir.
__1 They have to want to sing to the greater glory of God (something I usually take for granted if they are expressing interest in being part of the choir, but which - I feel - needs to be stated, none-the-less).
__2 They have to be able and willing to make the commitment. Sometimes that means people have to go on hiatus for a period of time - so that they can focus on their primary state in life... including, but not limited to, work.
__3 They have to be able and willing to follow direction - from me when I'm directing, or from others who may lead the group from time to time.

If they recognize that being part of a liturgical choir involves increasing the honor and glory of God, that it requires commitment to practice and the discipline to follow direction... than we can work with that. But if they can't make the commitment to practice and to the Liturgy, does it matter whether it is because of a legitimate reason vs. wanting to watch ESPN on choir practice night?

I would definitely agree that one's first priority is to state in life. For that reason, there are times in my life where I've had to drop being part of - even directing - a parish choir for a time. Correspondingly, there are times where I've had to let people realize that they can't meet both obligations simultaneously and that they need to put aside the choir commitment for a time to focus on the more important commitment in their life.

Oh, I just checked, and that comment was by chonak, not me!

CHG - apologies.

I’m glad I’m not the only one with this problem. This year I’ve been trying something different. 1. I changed the rehearsal night, and 2. I’m alternating the choir every other week from the 4:00 Saturday Vigil and 11:30 Sunday Mass. The 4:00 is our most well attended Mass, so that’s my reasoning for that. It’s worked pretty well thus far. I’m still having issues getting them all here weekly, but they come together for big events. We had Confirmation this past week and I had 13 strong, which is great, but I want it to sound like that EVERY weekend!!

Baritenor, yes!

Even singing a 4 part anthem, like Thou Knowest Lord by Purcell with only sopranos and an alto or two with the organ or a keyboard (not a piano - you need sustained tone) has the power to bring both men and women out of the congregation saying, "I sang that in college, could I join the choir?"

Using live instruments to fill in parts tastefully (bassoon, cello for example) has the same effect. Monteverdi did it, everyone did it, so let's do it!

Your music program grows with every "!"

I went the 'easy music' route for some years. I found the choir members were bored. Now, we sing more difficult literature and much more of it. The rehearsals are long, the choir works harder, and they seem much happier and don't mind the workload.