I can't imagine a more wonderful week!  I got to spend five days with forty-three (43!!!) fun, gifted, spiritual, silly, cool kids.  I'm already looking forward what we'll do next year together (gulp) and hope that the rest of your summer is full of fun and relaxation.  Thanks for a fantastic week.

• You’re welcome (43 times)!

Thank you so much for composing the Introit "Within Your Temple." It is very beautiful and we sing it every day at Morning Praise at our Choir Camp at St. James Cathedral. I hope that we get to sing more of the music that you composed and thank you again for writing such beautiful music.

• Yes, I do have more music. Dr. Jim has a copy of my book, By Flowing Waters: Chant for the Liturgy, and he can give you more beautiful pieces to sing.

How did you make your song "Within Your Temple"? I think your music is one of the best music I have ever heard. How old were you when you started composing music?

• I have sent Dr. Jim my working pages for “Within Your Temple.” You can see that I matched the English words to the Latin original. I began composing when I was sixteen. How many years before YOU are sixteen? Why don’t you try to compose music for your favorite verse from the Bible? Begin by praying the verse aloud and say it over and over; perhaps the tune will emerge from the words!

Thank you for writing us music and for being kind to us. You are a great friend.

• Dr. Jim is one of my best friends in the world of church music.

I would just like to thank you for writing such beautiful music. I hope you are able to hear us sing it someday.

• I would LOVE to hear you sing my music.

Keep writing good songs for us to sing!  "Within Your Temple" is a lovely piece, and I hope to discover more of your music one day. Again, thanks!

• Dr. Jim can share with you another BIG project I have been working on: 600 new songs for Mass—new entrance songs, new responsorial psalms, new communion songs. The project is called Psallite and you can find out more about it here. There are songs that you can play on your computer!

Hope you're having a fantastic summer. You are cool guy! I really like what you do.

• I am having a great summer, thanks to you and your friends in choir camp!

Today's Pictures
A million thanks to Mrs. Newhall for taking the fabulous photos all week!

This morning's surprise:  Mark Kuhar on the big bass!


Today at Morning Praise seminarian Mr. Bryan Ochs talked about Blessed Pope John XXIII.  We're all called to holiness in different ways.


We sang our morning hymn one last time!


The keyboard students got to play on the great Rosales organ.


Can you imagine playing four keyboards with your hands and another with your feet, all at the same time?  That's what our organists do!


At Mass, our soloists led us in the psalm, "Sing, sing, sing to the Lord a new song!"


Father Ryan talked to us about St. Clare.  Even a very young person can make a huge difference!  Clare was just a teenager when she followed St. Francis of Assisi and embraced a life of joyful poverty.  Read more about St. Clare.


Singing and giving glory to God at Mass.  "Oh, happy day!"


At the end of Mass, family and friends got to say thank you!  You guys ROCK!!


As a surprise at the end of the afternoon, one of our campers played on the harp...


...while her sister played the violin.  Beautiful!!!!!

All the campers got a CD of our recording session on Tuesday, "electrified" by Stephen Cavit.  Click here to listen!

CREDITS.  Psalm 48, "Within your temple":  traditional Latin chant.  Musical adaptation copyright (c) 1999 by Paul F. Ford.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.  English translation of The Roman Missal (c) 1973, ICEL.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.  This chant can be found in By Flowing Waters:  Chant for the Liturgy, by Paul F. Ford, published by the Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 1999.

Ice cream "Sundaes in the Park."


Camp is all about making music and making friends!


A big thank you to all our helpers in blue shirts!  All four of these counselors started in the Youth Music Program when they were 8 or 9.  Now they sing in Jubilate! and St. Edward and volunteer at camp.

Thank you, Ms. Sunde

• I enjoyed by first year in Choir Camp because of my teachers and friends.  You are one of the nicest and funnest teachers I ever had.  I learned a lot from you.  I like how you teach us the fun way.  I'm looking forward to joining Choir Camp next summer!
• Thank you for everything you have done for Schola camp.  We all appreciate it.  It is very thoughtful of you to help.  You also have a very nice voice.  It's very beautiful.  I love it.  I wish I was like you.
• Thank you for teaching me a lot of things about music.  I learned how to open my mouth a lot more.  Thanks again.
• Thank you for teaching us all the new songs.  This week has been really fun.  One thing I learned from you was that you really have to open your mouth for the vowels.  Thanks again.
• Thank you for making camp so much fun!  I learned to stay on track with the music because of you!
• Thank you for teaching us all the songs we learned this week.  Also, for teaching us the Exultate justi.  I learned Psalm 150 from you.
• Thank you so much for this camp!  You have such a beautiful voice.  Also, you're the best teacher!  I learned all my "O" shapes from you!
• Thank you for teaching all these wonderful songs.  I think that you made this year's camp better than the last.
• Thank you for being a great teacher!  You are one of the best singers I have ever met!
• Thank you for coming to St. James.  I wrote this poem:

Blue, yellow, black was painted across the sky today
blue sky, yellow clouds, black birds.
This worlds awaits a day
a fellow will come and say
"Amen, Amen to you for I'm Christ, Christ in you."
He will erase the wars and bring light.
Erase the fears and bring comfort.
He will show that speaking out is not the hard part
but seeing what your speech will do is the hardest.
When Children laugh their first laugh,
God smiles.
When animals find loving homes,
God smiles,
And the fellow will become brighter
with all the love in the world.
It will feel good to step outside in the morning
the light shed on you echoes out into space
and around the world.
Wrapping Earth up like a candy
and letting everyone look, not touch.

• Ms. Sunde, you are COOLEST MUSIC TEACHER!  I learned from you to sing clearly, and how to dance well singing.  Some of my fave things to sing are the African piece, Psalm 150, and EVERYTHING ELSE!!  You are in our midst as one who serves.
• Thank you for being our teacher.  You are awesome!  My favorite song is "Exultate justi."  Because it sounds so cool with the two parts.  I had so much fun this year, thank you!
• Choir has been a joy.  See you in the fall!
• Thank you so much for making this camp possible.  I love how much you teach us.  I can't believe how much fun I had.  I hope I can come next year.
• Thank you so much, Ms. Sunde, for being a good teacher, you never put anyone down when they do solos, or when they make a mistake when singing.  I learned from you that being nice gets you further than being bad.
• Thank you so much for everything.  It was so FUN!!  I loved the music, the activities, and the cheese and crackers.  This year was my favorite out of all the Schola Camps I've been to.  With your help, I learned how to sing MALAWIAN.
• Thank you for teaching us COOL (!!!!!) MUSIC, for being kind and conducting us.
• Dear Ms. Sunde, OH MY GOSH!  This has been the most spectacular thing that I have ever been to and I really enjoyed it.  I was so happy to see you on the first day, and I knew once you walked in the doorway we were going to have a lot of fun!  I want to thank you for praying for me these past years and I think my prayer has been answered in coming back to St. James and seeing you again and using my voice to serve God at St. James with you.  Thank you for everything!
• Thank you for helping me learn all different kinds of songs.  I love you.  Thank you.
• It's so cool to be here again and thank you for letting us get to sing the Malawian song and Exultate justi.  Those two are both my favorite songs.  I get to have cool teacher and a good one too!
• Thank you so much for your amazing leadership skills in putting together this wonderful camp.  My sister and I feel blessed to have been included during this week.  Your joy in music as a gift from God really excited all of us.  Thank you for your ministry in music.  (I will always remember this week with you!)
• Thank you so much for all you did for me in Choir Camp.  It was so much fun that I would really like to come back next year.  You have a wonderful gift of singing and teaching.
• Thank you for teaching me new songs and for the golf balls!
• Thank you so much for being a great choir director!  I love Schola and it has been a great experience for me!! 
• Thank you for teaching me how to sing better.  This is one of my favorite camps I've ever been to and I wish it could have been longer.  I want to come back next year because I learned a lot about the Cathedral, drums, xylophones, and bells.  I had a lot of fun!
• Thank you for all your enthusiasm, support, and kindness towards me.  I find you the most unique person because of your excellent sense of humor, profound character, and incredibly sunny disposition.  Throughout the week, you've been motivational and inspiring to me.  While you were instructing the choir, I was able to remember forgotten abilities inside of me.  You're the FINEST teacher I ever had.
   

Thank You, Mrs. Newhall

• Even though I only had you for a teacher for a week, I enjoyed having you as a teacher.  You teach us music in fun ways and I learned the African piece quickly when you taught me the soprano part.  I hope to see you next year.
• Thank you you are very kind and nice to me.  You are so funny sometimes.  I love that you also have a lovely voice.  I hope you'll still be here for a longer time.
• Thank you for correcting me on my singing.
• Thank you for teaching me things about music.  I l earned how to breathe without lifting up my shoulders.  Thanks again.
• I learned how to conduct because of you!
• Thank you for teaching us the games and helping us when we are singing.  I learned fun rhythms from you.
• Thank you for an enjoyable week.  It was great having you as a teacher for a week because you usually teach St. Cecilia.
• Thank you so much for helping this year!  Your voice is so pretty.  I learned lots of rhythms from you.
• Thank you for sacrificing your time for us!
• Thank you for helping us with our posture and our singing.  You made everything so exciting and fun.
• You are a wonderful singer.  You are very nice.  You are GREAT!
• Thank you for sharing your lovely singing voice.  You're witty and quick thinking.  You always had a fun thing for us to do when it was time for a music game.
• Mrs. Newhall, you are one of the most fun and happy people I've ever met.  I learned from you:  how to sing while another group is singing at the same time.  I am glad you came to St. James to sing.  And you are good at piano.
• Thank you so much for teaching us.  You are so nice and enthusiastic.  I especially liked doing the round game.  Thank you so much!
• I love your energy and your games.
• Thank you for teaching us to sing, I liked the games we played, especially the "Music" puzzle.  I learned that you can play games while learning.
• I had so much fun with you at Camp.  AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING ALL THE PICTURES!!  They turned out really well and they look fabulous on our website.  You are a really cool lady.
• It was such a pleasure to meet you this week.  Your voice is very pure and beautiful and I hope to see you this year during the school year.
• Your games and teaching were always very fun (and educational at the same time!).  Thank you for sharing your gifts with us this week.
• Thank you for teaching us new songs and new games.  Thank you for helping us and helping Ms. Sunde.
• I learned what "Domino" means also I learned how to be patient with people.
• Thank you for all the knowledge that you shared with me.  I believe that I have improved my rhythm while practicing it with you.  Choir would not be the same without you.
• Thank you for teaching me the art of singing.

Thank you, Mr. Kraus

• Thanks for the beautiful piano playing and organ playing.  I had a lot of fun with the tours of the Cathedral.  Thanks again for everything!
• Thank you for helping us with bells and exploring.  It was a lot of fun.
• Thank you for being the bell teacher for this year's Choir Camp.  I learned how to make noise from the bell, because I kind of forgot.
• Mr. Kraus, I can't say anything but CAMP WAS AWESOME!
• Thank you for teaching me how to ring bells and process.  I also liked you as Mozart.  This was a really fun camp.
• I've had a wonderful time at camp, especially learning the bells.
• Thanks for the fun time!
• Thanks for teaching us how to peal with the bells.  That was way cool.
• Dear Mr. Kraus, thanks for playing bells with us, and piano.  "Mozart's" pet was really cute!  Thank you so much for all you've done.
• Thanks, Mozart, for the birthday cards!
• Thanks for the cool lesson in bells.  We all enjoyed your class.
• Thanks for all the hard work that you do at this camp every day.  You're a really good piano and organ player, and you played a good Mozart yesterday.
• Thank you for the time you put into Schola Camp this year.  You're a great inspiration--and jump roper!
• Thank you, Mr. Kraus, for being with us all week.  You are so awesome.
• Thank you for letting us see around the church, and also for letting us play the bells.  I love your DOG!
• Thank you for teaching me bells.  I'll remember everything you taught me.
• You're an excellent musician.  I enjoyed your piano and organ playing.  It is marvelous.

Thank you, Corinna!

• Dear Dr. Corinna, Thank you for teaching us about patron saints.  I learned quite a lot from you.  I really enjoyed listening to your lectures.
• Thank you so much for giving us those shows about Blessed Mother Mary Rose and the patron saints!  They were really interesting.
• Thank you so much for being part of the St. James Cathedral Choir Camp.  You've really helped us all learn through your leadership, fun teaching, and love of the Lord.
• Thank you so much for teaching about the saints and the icon.  They are both very interesting.
• I really liked how you showed us the patron saint of TV, Saint Clare.  The way you taught us got me to wonder about saints.
• Dear Miss Corinna, Thank you for being among the Choir Camp.  Thank you for teaching us about Mary Rose and the patron saints.  You are really kind.  Are you a teacher?  Also, your sister is also kind.
• Dear Corinna, thank you SO MUCH for telling us about the saints and Mother Mary Rose.  I enjoyed it.
• Thank you for showing us the patron saints.  Did you know that St. Monica is the patron saint of mothers?
• You have taught me a lot about saints.
• You are such an awesome teacher!
• Thank you for the saint lessons.  They were awesome!
• HEY!  The talk about Mother Mary Rose was really cool.  I didn't know she existed before.  But now I know who started the Holy Names Sisters.
• I liked your PowerPoint presentation.  I never knew there were saints of e-mail.
• We appreciate everything you do so very much.
• Thank you for your presentations.  They were both very interesting.  I never knew there was a patron saint of feet problems.  See you in Mass sometime!

Thank you, Mr. Ochs

• I really enjoyed our conversations.  I hope only the best for you.  Good luck at seminary!
• Thank you so much for your help at this year's camp!
• I hope you have a good time at seminary.
• Thank you for being with us all week.  You're so amazing.  You taught me to be kind and patient with people.  I hope you have a good time in seminary.
• Thank you for your support and time you put into this camp.
• Thank you for helping with the Britten group.  You did a really good job.
• Thanks for helping my brother!
• You are a very nice person and I hope you become a very good priest.
• HEY!  I don't know you that well, but my brother's a big fan of yours.  I hope I see you again someday.
• Thanks for being a good friend to me.  I will miss you.
• Thank you for being Britten's counselor.  You're really cool.
• Thank you for working with the Britten group and keeping it under control.
• I love how happy you always are, and your energy.  You will be a GREAT PRIEST.

Thanks to the Webmaster

• The website you made is beautiful.  You are very creative.
• Thanks a lot for taking a lot of pictures.  Thanks so much for creating the awesome website!!!
• The pictures and texts are wonderful!  Thanks for your ministry!
• Thank you so much for the photos and the website.
• Thank you for taking pictures and organizing the website.  Thank you!
• Thank you for taking all those photos of us, and then making that website for us!  It will give me a lot of happy memories.
• Did you do everything on the website?  How did you do it?
• Thank you for making the website!
• Thank you for all the work you've done.  You're awesome.
• While you help out being a server, you become even busier making the website and taking photos.  See you Sunday!
• Thank you for the pictures and the website and stuff like that.  It is really cool.
• Dear Maria, YOU ROCK!! Thanks for doing the webpage.  It's WAY COOL.
• Thank you for the website.  I really enjoyed going to the website and pointing out pictures of the day to my Mom.
• We all so appreciated it so also thank you, you too!
• I hope you take pictures next year and do the website again.
• The website is AWESOME!!!!!  It gets better and better every year.  See you in Mass sometime.

A note for Gerald

• Thank you so much for getting us the song from Malawi.  That is my favorite song from Camp.  Hope all is going well with you and your family.  Good luck.  God bless you!