What is Chant Camp?
Under the capable administration of Sacred Music Director Scott Turkington, a rich roster of musical events continues to unfold at Our Lady’s Shrine. This includes Sacred Music Summer Camps and other events for the youth. Chant Camp has occurred every summer, since 2022.
The Summer Camps
Both the Choir Camp and Chant Camp take place Monday through Friday with classes, morning to noon each day. Chant Camp is reserved for students in ninth to twelfth grade. Students are considered to be in the grade that they will start in the fall. “I’ve found over the years that it’s very good for that age group to be together, to work together,” Turkington comments. “They can take on a tremendous amount of challenging information.”
The Learning Material
Indeed, the subject matter of these five days is challenging, in the most enriching, exciting sense. As the camp’s name implies, its sole focus is Gregorian chant. “While that may seem limiting, it is a huge subject,” Turkington explains. “There is a lot of singing methodology—how do we sing, how do we make a good tone, breathing, vowel formation. . . . There is, of course, quite a bit of discussion about Latin.” In addition to the techniques involved, the sheer volume of chants, known collectively as the Gregorian repertory, makes the topic so extensive that the particular chants learned in the camp are different every year.
Environment
Many students who participate in these camps respond with great enthusiasm. “I’ve had kids take this all four years of high school,” recalls Turkington. “The camaraderie is good, they love the music, they love being able to dedicate three hours a day to singing, to learning.” The passing on of this learning brings joy to teacher and students alike: “It’s wonderful to work with young people who are so open to new information, wide-eyed about music, about chant . . . they just think all of that’s very cool.”
Catholic Culture
In addition, the camps offer students an enrichment in Catholic culture. Sacred music, Turkington points out, has an especially important place in the Church because of its role in the Mass: “It is an important part of the mission of these camps to teach the children how to be good Catholics when they go to church, how to participate by singing what they’re asked to sing.” More generally, sacred music is an essential element of our Catholic heritage: “The more you know about a thing, the more you can appreciate it; so I feel like we are in our own small ways contributing to the education of a general Catholic culture.”
Gregorian Chant
Catholic culture has always cultivated all forms of the beautiful, which so powerfully draws the human heart. Our Lady’s Shrine, too, has striven from its beginning to create an atmosphere of sacred beauty. At the Chant Camp, young people are immersed in the beauty of the Gregorian musical tradition, a “gift that keeps giving” for years to come.
To learn more or to enroll a student, visit GuadalupeShrine.org. Questions may be directed to Scott Turkington at [email protected].
Upcoming Youth Events
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe provides multiple events focused on the spiritual development of the young Christians and their families.
Chant Camp 2024 (For High-Schoolers)
Learn and practice Chant at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on August 12, 9:00 am to noon. Students (ages 14-17) have the opportunity to then sing for the 12:15 pm Mass each day. Registration is open! The cost is $50/student for all 5 days.
10th Annual Homeschool Kickoff
8:00 am Shrine Opens 10:00 am Talk: Spiritually Motivated Homesteading: What and Wh – John A. Cuddeback, PhD (Pre-Recorded) 11:00 am Talk – Farm to Altar, a Vocation Story- Fr. Daniel Sedlacek 11:45 am Confessions available 12:15 pm Holy […]
Saint Nicholas of Myra Celebration for Children
Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday, December 1! Come for Holy Mass and stay to meet Saint Nicholas! Saint Nick, as he is affectionately known, enjoys meeting children (and their parents)! He will tell them the story of his life, how he became a Saint, […]
