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Steamboat Springs — Cheryl Kutscher knows first­­hand the power of familiar, uplifting Christmas carols. A violinist of 55 years and a music teacher, Kutscher has seen holiday music awaken the hearts of nursing home residents and children alike.

“There’s a bond that happens between the music and the person,” said Kutscher, a part-time resident of Steamboat Springs. “Just because of so many memories.”

She thinks holiday music is meant to be shared year-round.

Kutscher and eight of her violin students from her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, will perform traditional Christmas music in the heart of summer at 9:30 a.m. Sunday for the first Christmas in July celebration at Steamboat Springs Evangelical Free Church.

The church’s interim Preacher Rich Hall said the idea to hold the celebration popped into his head while he was watching TV advertisements for “Christmas in July” sales.

“I have always disliked the fact that you can only sing Christmas songs for a few weeks out of the year,” Hall said. “It’s the most beautiful music of the church tradition, and we sing them for a few weeks, then we’re done.”

Because July 25 happened to fall on a Sunday, he saw the perfect opportunity to celebrate the classic holiday and the birth of Jesus Christ.

“For me, I grew up in a pretty mainline denomination where Christmas was all about Santa Claus and the trees and decorations,” he said. “But I realized that Christmas is about (Jesus) and what he did and celebrating that by way of those songs and stories.”

He said the event would feature Christmas treats like eggnog and cider and Christmas music by the violin ensemble.

Kutscher, who attends the Evangelical Free Church while in Steamboat, said her nine-piece violin ensemble will be made up of several high school and college-aged students from Des Moines who are traveling to Steamboat to participate in a music camp for the week.

“I think that students performing for the community is a very important gift back,” Kutscher said. “It’s good for the students and good for the community. And what better place than a church.”

She said the ensemble will perform classic holiday pieces such as Johannes Brahms’ “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” “Joy to the World,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “First Noel” and a part of Arcangelo Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto.”

Hall also will deliver a message about how God uses people who many would not choose. He will tell the story of Ruth and Naomi that leads to David being born and the eventual birth of Jesus.

“It’s so ripe in tradition,” he said about the holiday. “It’s become more than Christianity itself to a lot of people. When people think of Christianity, they think of Christmas and the holiday. I think it’s going be a great time.”

From a musical standpoint, Kutscher said celebrating Christmas in July is an “interesting and creative” idea.

“Quite honestly, we can celebrate the birth of Jesus any day, any time,” she said. “It should be very lovely.”