summer music camp
Each August, the choir holds its Summer Music Camp Session. The GGBC summer music camp is a careful balance of musical instruction and choral rehearsal, sports and arts & crafts, and all-camp activities and quiet time for rest and reflection.
Presently, we are privileged to have the facilities at the Oakland Diocesan Youth Retreat Center in Lafayette . The well-kept site has plenty of room for hiking and playing, while its various buildings provide locations for classes, choral rehearsals, and large group meetings.
The same music staff which has taught the boys during the year is the camp music staff, while the counseling staff is almost exclusively alumni and alumni family members.
At Camp
Each morning after breakfast, the campers and staff attend a vocalizing session, and then divide into their own rehearsals. Following the individual group rehearsals, the campers divide into their music theory groups, and attend regular classes of keyboard, sight-singing, and ear training, as well as theory workbook time.
After lunch, the boys enjoy a rest hour for sleeping or for quiet reading, or writing home. The afternoon schedule is divided into four periods, at which boys participate in announced sports activities (baseball, basketball, volley ball, soccer, swimming or other announced activities), arts and crafts, bell groups, or vocal coaching.
In the evening, there is one general rehearsal, and a special evening activity, and then bedtime. We are happy to include boys in the summer camp who are genuinely interested in the GGBC program but who may not yet be members of the organization. However, the camp is not open to casual attendance by non-members.