Clue for Tomorrow's Surprise Our visitor tomorrow will tell you the definition of these words: ruck, maul, scrum, play-the-ball, and lineout. Who do you think it will it be? Take the Champions of Faith Quiz! Pictures for today Today's morning surprise was a special friend of St. Paul... Lydia, seller of purple cloth!  She told us her amazing life story. She was a businesswoman (very unusual in those days!) and a convert. She welcomed the Church into her home. (Read more about Lydia at Acts 16:13-15) And these six Choir Camp Champs guessed who was coming from yesterday's clue!  Wow! At morning prayer today, Lita McBride, who teaches Children's Faith Formation at St. James, told us stories from the life of St. Paul. Visit our own St. Paul Page to learn more. Mrs. McBride taught us a little bit of sign language to show how we could express love with "actions," not just "words."  What are some ways you showed your love for your family, your neighbors, your friends today? Keyboard students got an opportunity to try the great Archbishop Murphy Millennium Organ in the East Apse. photo by Candace Stevenson photo by Candace Stevenson At Noon, we had Mass in the Cathedral. Father Tom Marti offered Mass in honor of St. Paul.  St. Paul was a martyr, so Father Marti wore red, just like us! Lunch in Cathedral Hall after Mass, and then... Time for recess in the O'Dea gym. In the afternoon, Nancy Zylstra, a critically acclaimed specialist in early music and a fantastic vocal coach, volunteered her services to work with Queen Esther and her princesses in the Play of Daniel. Margriet Tindemans has performed and taught medieval music on four continents! She coached Daniel and his friends today. Coloring pictures from the story of Daniel. Singing in the Choir Room at the end of the day.  Each choir gets a chance to share with the whole group what they've learned. Click here to listen in to the Schola Cantorum singing an old favorite, the Malawian Easter Song "Chimwewe." Listen to St. Gregory Choir sing "Laudate Dominum." Click here to listen to a fun song about Daniel. Finally... the Schola Cantorum sings a piece from the Play of Daniel. Today's Choir Camp Champs... the magnificent BLUE team. Congratulations, gold medalists!

How did you feel the first morning of camp?

I felt nervous and excited at the same time.  I felt nervous because I thought I wouldn't like it here but I was wrong!  I was excited because I get to make new friends. At the beginning I felt rushed, but later on, I felt relieved that everything was going well. At first I felt nervous, but later I felt more comfortable and I really enjoyed myself.  It's fun! I felt excited and happy because it was good to be back in the Choir Camp, and with memories of last year's camp coming into my mind, it just felt great! Curious of what it would be like, excited to see some of my friends. Good and weird and had questions. Tired, and I wanted to be home reading my book. Good.  It was nice to be back with so many familiar faces. Nervous, excited, eager, scared, shy. Excited because I knew that choir camp would be fun.  I was bored for the whole summer!  So it's a relief that I'm in camp. Shy, yet excited because I knew it'd be fun seeing past friends and making new ones. I felt great, because I would get to meet new people, sing some new music and see Ms. Sunde again.  I was a little nervous, but once I met my desk partner I wasn't nervous at all. I felt invited, welcome, and excited.  Everyone was nice and helpful. Excited, nervous, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!  Very, very happy! Nervous, shy, excited, tired, bored, impatient. Excited and ready to see my old choir buddies and make new choir buddies! I felt like I usually feel, just a tiny bit more nervous.

What are your favorite parts about camp?

The singing and the playing. There are lots of opportunities to eat!  I get tired and hungry after a lot of hard work. I really like doing the play.  The songs in it sound beautiful.  I also like it when we accomplish a song.  It makes me feel good. Lunch, snack time, Daniel practice, singing, being with friends. The Olympics, learning new songs. Learning new music, meeting new people. Practicing for the play and singing. Practicing for the play, snack, lunch, and the second snack. The games and practicing for the play. Lunch, play time (Daniel), PE, and some songs. Snack, recess, and singing some of the songs. I like the singing and the breaks.  Also the people and the laughter. The play and the costumes The scooter relay races. Snacks! Snacks! Snacks! Dress rehearsals, putting on costumes I would say learning new songs, meeting new people, taking tours of the Cathedral, and being part of the Play of Daniel. Everything!! The people.  And the sports are pretty fun. Rehearsing and definitely singing for the Play of Daniel. The play! My favorite part is eating snacks. Working on the play and doing solos. The play.  I like the costumes. Practicing singing and for the play.

What have you learned?

I have learned beautiful new songs. Lots of techniques for breathing and singing that have helped throughout the week.  I learned a lot of things about the Cathedral that I normally wouldn't have asked about.  I also practiced working in groups that are both large and small. I've learned much more about singing.  It is helping me become better at singing.  I've also learned a lot about Paul and what we do in Mass. That music can't be sung without great diction in the choir room. What Paul's original name was and that a 9 year old was at the Olympics because he saved 2 classmates in an earthquake! I've learned many different things about music and Mass, like to breathe in before your first word, and that singing is like praying 2x. I learned a bunch of new songs and I've learned who the people in the stained glass windows are.  I also learned about purple dye. That the plus sign + in some of our songs means to do the sign of the cross. Open mouth and and different pitches, for example knuckleball, fastball, and curveball.  Just kidding.  Like how high I can go, and how low. I have learned some cool new songs and there is a ton of Church music in Latin. More songs that I didn't know... how to work with other people :)... and that God gave me the gift of my voice. I learned that I can learn things a lot faster than I thought I could. I've learned new words in Latin.  I've learned how to play shotput. I learned about the place where the bishops are buried is near the altar. I learned to sing better. Facial expression affects voice sound! O: Better breathing techniques To open my mouth wide to reach the really high notes! I learned that our guest, Lydia, makes purple clothes and now believes in Jesus Christ. I learned about Saul/Paul and Lydia. Opening your mouth makes a big difference. You pray by singing.

Thank you notes from St. Gregory and St. Cecilia choirs...

Dear Ms Pepin, Thanks for teaching us songs. I thank you for teaching me about Jesus and games. You are a good teacher. Thank you for being a great teacher this week. Thank you for helping me learn a new song. Thank you for teaching me how to sing. Dear Mr Kraus, Thanks for helping. Thanks for the bell class. Dear Mrs Newhall, Thank you so much for teaching me so much things. Thank you for helping me improve my singing. Dear Ms. Sunde, Thank you for Choir Camp.  It is a lot of fun! Thank you for the Choir Camp.  I am having so much fun!  I hope I can come again. Thank you for helping organize choir camp.  It is lots of fun!  I especially like going to Mass in the Cathedral! Thank you, Ms. Sunde, for learning us how to sing songs. I can't wait till I am in schola! Dear Dr Savage, Thank you for putting on this camp!  It is fun being a lion. Dear Everyone, Thank you.  This has been fun. Thank you for teaching me a lot. One thing I like about Schola is that we get to do a play about Daniel.  And the lions wear headdresses.  I got to be a lion. Dear Father Ryan, Thank you for saying morning prayer.  You are very cool. You are as cool as the Olympics say they are!  Thank you for visiting us at snack.  You made it totally rock!