Day 11: Travels through Time and Space!
Happy Friday from Choir Camp! As the sun peeked through the redwood treetops, campers - yawning and bleary-eyed - awoke to the booming brass of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Once dressed, singers and staff gathered for a yummy breakfast of cereal, toast, ham, yogurt, and cereal.
Then, it was off to warmups in Redwood amphitheater, where voice teacher Liz led a stage presence exercise. Campers moved between four levels of movement - from head bobbing to full body wiggles - with corresponding accompaniment from camp pianist and theory teacher Katy.
As singers parted ways for their daily musicianship classes, Joyful Voices camper Maddy received a small visitor on her theory worksheet. See photos below for a sluggy friend! Campers of all ages also eagerly awaited tomorrow’s theory bowl. Place your bets on who will win in the battle between Eric, Mr. Brown, and Assistant Camp Director Will! Back in the cabins, there’s a tight race between several CC and Ensemble rooms for the “cleanest cabin” award. Only one more day left to snag that trophy.
After morning rehearsals, enthusiastic cheers could be heard outside the dining hall for today’s lunch of pizza, fruit, and salad. Many CC campers sat in their newly appointed mentor-mentee pairings, made up of one returning singer and a 1-2 rookies. Throughout the year, mentors support their mentees in learning music, making friends, and even sometimes room together on tour! Camper Murielle also celebrated her 11th birthday with a serenade from the entire camp and a special brownie dessert.
After lunch, camp tumbled back in time as cabins dressed up for “Decades Day.” Campers Ainsley, Stella, and Ilana rocked ‘70s looks, while Cabin Mykonos recreated an entire 1980s jazzercise class. Camper Eloise took inspiration from music of the 1960s, donning a choir binder shell as a “Beatle.”
Then, moans, groans, and more than a few cheers could be heard as counselors announced another day of mandatory rest period. Many campers got some much-need rest, while some mischievously tried to evade counselors’ roving shushes. A few campers outsmarted Counselor Owen for a few minutes of games in their room closet, but Counselor Rachel was too smart for their charades and they returned to bed!
As the clock struck two, campers burst from their dorms to various free time activities. Eloise led campers Daniel, Ayla, Avi, and Ryan in a rousing game of Set. Nearby, counselor Kay led a ball game on the front lawn. At arts and crafts, singers designed pet rocks using feathers, googly eyes, and paint. Rock names included Sandra, Gerald, Timothy, and Leonardo Da Vinci.
At recital, audiences were treated a jam-packed half hour of gorgeous performances, led by solos from veteran Ensemble campers and even two Ensemble rookies. Counselor Cat and CITs Mimi and Kailamae also sang to the cheers of their cabins. It’s always wonderful to hear the beautiful voices of campers past and present!
Dinner was a rousing success, featuring sweet and sour chicken, mini wontons, and … strawberries, a new addition to the daily fruit salad. At evening rehearsals, former CC third-year singers visited the current group to share their experiences, while Ensemble practiced a renaissance motet in small mixed-part groups across their rehearsal space and the front lawn.
Today’s night-time activity was the annual “Choral Fashion Design Academy Gala,” an impromptu dress-up and performance event where campers rapidly design a collection of outfits and strut their stuff on the front lawn. This year’s theme was biomes; each cabin was assigned a different ecosystem - from forest to beach to tundra. Ensemble cabin Grasslands emerged victorious with a winning combination of alive and dead grass. Other standouts included arctic polar bears and ice fisherman, lost hikers, living trees, and a crew of rabid cavemen.
To the sound of Madonna’s “Vogue” and cabin cheers, campers headed to their dorms for bed. Once warm in their rooms, campers fell asleep to the Mendelssohn’s “Lift Thine Eyes,” and traditional camp lullabies. We can’t believe there’s only one more full day of camp! Looking to performing for you all on Sunday.