Day 11: The Final Day
The last full day of choir camp started off with a quiet and misty morning. Singers rose to a beautiful Mahler symphony chosen by Counselor Owen. Campers were welcomed into the dining hall with eggs, potatoes, sausage, rice crispy cereal, assorted fruit, and orange juice.
Audrey led warmups to start the day off right. From there, singers went to their last and final musicianship class at camp. We saw various groups outside working on sight reading, groups stomping in rhythm, and beautiful sounds of solfege.
From their final class, singers headed to their last morning rehearsal. In a classic last-day-of-camp fashion, a twist was thrown into our typical lunch plans, which delayed lunch till 1 PM. After rehearsal, singers had a rest period accompanied by a snack of Cheez-Its. After an impromptu rest period, singers sauntered to lunch and ate a delicious Turkey sandwich paired with oranges, kettle chips, and an assortment of vegetables.
The last spirit day of “Barbie/ Dress like a character day” was taken in great stride as some cabins embraced the Barbie theme while others found inspiration in the clothing they packed.
At arts and crafts, we had ad “finish your project” day where campers created and finished projects they started throughout the weeks. With the pond opening promptly at 3:15, campers journeyed to Turtle Pond for one final dip. With some singers enjoying the boats, and others swimming, we had a lovely final afternoon and went out with a splash.
Rounding out our final recital, with lovely performances from Ainsley, Aiden, Tanya, June, Ava, Larissa, and an intergenerational Ancora of current Ecco campers and past Ancora alum.
For dinner, campers were met by a crowd-favorite choice of BBQ chicken, Mac & Cheese, Salad, and Lemon bars. Post dinner, singers went to take pictures at “the rock,” a camp tradition where current members of Ensemble pose on and around a rock. After photos, the singers entered their final evening rehearsal.
Counselors kicked off the campfire with some crowd-favorite “repeat after me” songs. We heard from every singer about their time and experience at camp. We shared many laughs and shed many happy tears. With many campers having never been at a sleepaway camp before, they recounted their favorite memories and expressed their excitement for next year’s camp! After a heartfelt speech by Eric Tuan, counselors closed out the night with “Come Along” a song about belonging and coming together, the perfect summary for Choir Camp.
While I sign off on today’s blog, I just want to thank all of you for trusting us with your children, as they are all excited to see you tomorrow. We’ve had an exciting 11 days and have created many new memories, formed new bonds, and, more importantly, came together and created beautiful music.