The sound of children’s voices, drums and other percussion instruments filled St. Alban’s Church in Oakland/Franklin Lakes from June 20-24 as Sacred Sounds Music Camp returned for a highly successful week. Forty-seven elementary children and 23 junior high schoolers joined 13 professional and volunteer adults in an exciting and rewarding week of faith, music and fellowship.
The program, begun at St. Alban’s as a joint effort with Trinity, Allendale and St. John’s, Ramsey, ran for two summers in 2011 and 2012 but had to take a break due to staffing challenges. This year it returned with the highest ever participation when, still anchored by St. Alban’s, it was ecumenically sponsored by four other churches of Oakland and Franklin Lakes, as well as Trinity Church in Allendale.
For many years the churches had joined together for interdenominational VBS, but attendance had fallen off. St. Alban’s rector, Kathryn King, suggested to the joint group that taking things in a different direction might bring some new energy to the program. The group enthusiastically joined together to offer a program with two main purposes: first, to provide a high-quality, interdenominational program of faith formation to the children and youth of the area; and second, to give children from the various congregations a repertoire of songs that could be sung back in their home congregations throughout the year. Selections were chosen for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost and Earth Day/Rogation Sunday. Children’s ministry and choir directors around Oakland and Franklin Lakes are excited that fresh material is prepared and ready to be offered in Sunday worship and Christmas pageants... and it’s only July!
The percussion instructor utilized 18 floor tom toms as well as the maracas and bell shaker instruments the campers made in the craft rotation. The campers also had fun playing “Boomwhackers” – individual plastic tubes that each produce a note like a xylophone – and floor drums. When added to the woodblocks, bells and tambourines, there was a cacophony of wonderful percussion.
The program ran Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM, including hot lunch. After care was available until 4 PM.
The weeklong program culminated with two concerts on Friday. The first was during the day and was specifically an outreach concert for the senior centers of Oakland and Franklin Lakes. This concert was followed by a reception, hosted and served by the campers who also had baked the refreshments.The second concert was for the family and friends of the campers and open to the public. In all over 150 people enjoyed the joyous musical romp through the liturgical year.
While the instruments all belong to St. Alban’s, a lending program has been established to enable any of the participating congregations to borrow the instruments for use in worship offerings throughout the year. The purchase of the instruments and the underwriting of a portion of the Sacred Sounds Music Camp were funded through the District 10 Congregational Ministry Fund.
Plans are already underway for next year and campers and parents are asking for the program to be made year-round. St. Alban’s and Messiah Lutheran of Oakland are currently meeting to do just that.
Sacred Sounds was sponsored this year by St. Alban’s, Oakland / Franklin Lakes; Trinity, Allendale; Messiah Lutheran, Oakland; Ponds Reformed, Oakland; Franklin Lakes Methodist; and High Mountain Road Presbyterian Church of Franklin Lakes. If you would like more information about offering a similar program please call The Rev. Kathryn L. King at St. Alban’s, 201-337-4909.
