This was the first “official” recording, shepherded by Jim Penner (see note below). A two-sided cassette with a mix of sacred and secular, campfire and performance. This would set the tone for all further recordings.

Side One

I Lift Up My Soul (Manion) – Steffen Pauls, Joanna Pauls

House At Pooh Corner (Loggins) – Joanna Pauls, Jennifer McTavish

Boy From the Country (Murphy & Castleman) – Jim Penner

The Wind (Stevens) – Steffen Pauls, Jill Poetker

New Generation (Paskow) – Staff, Steffen Pauls, Jim Penner

Find the Cost of Freedom (Stills) – Heirs to the Crock: Sheldon Neufeld, Ron Schweitzer, Jeff Enns, Tim Shantz

Side by Side (Woods) – Jeff Enns, Duanne Heide, Ron Schweitzer, Tim Shantz

Sicut Cervus (Palestrina) – Jeff Enns, Duanne Heide, Ron Schweitzer, Tim Shantz

Eat This Bread (Berthier) – Steffen Pauls, Rosemary Crick, Tim Neufeld, Joanna Pauls

Environmental Song: The Last Cry (Redekop) – Quinn Redekop

Side Two

Canonic Sonata #1: 2nd & 3rd Movements (Telemann) – Jeff Enns, Quinn Redekop

606 (Praise God From Whom) (Mason) – Staff

All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name (Ellor) – Staff

Sing Hallelujah (Stassen) – Staff

Freedom is Coming (Trad.) – Staff

Children Of The Light (O’Reilly) – Melanie Cameron, Rosemary Crick, Rebecca Harder, Elinor Kool, Connie Lepp, Joanna Pauls, Jill Poetker, Yvonne Rogalski, Lori Tiessen, Cathy Unrau, Bay Woodyard

Barges (Unknown) – Staff

Babylon (Trad.) – Melanie Cameron, Rosemary Crick, Elinor Kool, Joanna Pauls, Julie Penner, Jill Poetker, Yvonne Rogalski, Corinne Snyder, Cathy Unrau

The Prodigal Son (Unknown) – Staff

Christ, We Do All Adore Thee (Dubois) – Staff

Oh, Silver Lake – Staff

Bonus

(Jenn Forgot to Sing) – Joanna Pauls, Jennifer McTavish

Silver Lake Staff: Lauren Adamthwaite, John Brubacher, Ken Bryson, Melanie Cameron, Kyle Cotton, Jeff Cressman, Rosemary Crick, Korey Dawe, Wesley Dyck, Mike Enns, Jeff Enns, Naomi Enns, Sarah Granskou, Rebecca Harder, Susan Harder, Duane Heide, Deb Janzen, Nancy Kliewer, Elinor Kool, Patricia Mann, Bryan Martin, Alec McTavish, Jennifer McTavish, Sheldon Neufeld, Tim Neufeld, Joanna Pauls, Steffen Pauls, Jim Penner, Julie Penner, Jill Poetker, Quinn Redekop, Joel Regehr, Marian Reimer, Yvonne Rogalski, Andrew Rourke, Joël Schmidt, Ron Schweitzer, Tim Shantz, Corinne Snider, Lori Tiessen, Cathy Unrau, Linda Weber, Mark Weber, Bay Woodyard

A Short Note From the Director

During March Break of 1990, several Silver Lake staff went to Florida. During their stay, they sang around their campfire, and gradually more and more people would walk past the campsite in the evening to listen to them sing. One gentleman asked them if they had ever made a record. They laughed.

On returning home they relayed the story to me (as well as one about an alligator), and jokingly said, “We should make an album this year.” So we did.

This tape was recorded in the Dining Hall at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, between Camps IV and V, on the staff’s day off. The sessions went from two in the afternoon until two in the morning. Due to the limited time, we recorded as much music in as little time as possible. Part of the beauty is in the spontaneity. All the taping was done live, and there are no overdubs.

While music has always been a large part of Mennonite culture, this tape reflects only one facet of the Silver Lake staff. Their gifts and talents are as diverse as the music on this tape. The cover design was done by Konrad Sauer, his artistry pointing to a wealth of talents, other than musical, which lie within the Silver Lake staff. I love these kids, it has been anhonour to have served with them. They could make any director look good!

Jim Penner,
Camp Director

Produced, Engineered and Mixed By: Jeff Cowell, Jim Penner and Gord Berg