Two years after the 1997 tape, we were ready for our first CD! The arc of the CD follows an evening at camp, from raucous to contemplative. Recording sessions were done right after camp at Erb St Mennonite Church and at KOR studios.

Scroll to the bottom for the staff list and Director Reynold Friesen’s message.

Track List

1. Halle, Halle, Halle (trad.) Staff

2. Now Let Us Sing (Public Domain) Staff

3. Swing Low (trad.) Staff

4. Kumbaya (RV) (Public Domain) Staff

5. Jesus Is A Friend (Unknown) Staff

6. And the People Said (Unknown) Staff

7. Rattlin’ Bog (trad.) Jenn B., Mike E., Ben, Norm

8. This Little Light of Mine (trad.) Staff

9. If I had a Hammer (Hays/Seeger) Staff

10. Down By the Banks (Unknown) Male Quartet, Mike E., Norm, Luke

11. Mayenziwe (trad.) Staff

12. Shosholoza (trad.) Staff

13. Snack Song (Smit and Band) Jenn B., Conrad, Mike E., Ben, Eryn

14. Ivory Coast (Shelasky) Conrad

15. Stem (Desser) Barrett, Jeff

16. Cast Thy Burdens (Mendelssohn) Small Choir

17. When Jesus Wept (Billings) Staff

18. I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say (Vaughan Williams/trad.) Small Choir

19. Helplessly Hoping (Stills) Jenn B., Mike E., Ben, Norm

20. I Bind My Heart This Tide (Watt/Zercher) Male Quartet

21. Psalm 23 (Enns) Jenny, Karen Enns

22. Irish Blessing (Enns) Small Choir

23. Prelude to 2nd Suite in D (Bach) Tim

24. In This Heart (Coulter/O’Connor/Reynolds) Jenny, Ben, Mike S., Rebecca

25. Long Time Running (The Tragically Hip) Steve, Thomas

26. Father I Adore You (Coelho) Staff

27. Daysong (Janzen) Jenn B., Jenny, Ben, Mike S.

28. Now the Silence (Vajda/Schalk) Jenn B., Jenny

29. 25th Hour of the Day (Tamblyn) Norm

30. Sanctuary (Scruggs/Thompson) Staff

31. God Be With You (Rankin/Vaughan Williams) Male Quartet

Bonus

32. In the Jungle (trad.) – Staff

33. Organ Interlude (Erb) – Mike Erb

Silver Lake Staff 1999: Jenn Bechtel*, Heather Bergen, Matthew Brubacher, Elizabeth Cameron, Jen Code, Barrett Cressman, Katie Drummond, Andrew Dyck*, Cara Dyck, Jon Dyck, Jenny Enns*, Conrad Erb, Mike Erb, Meaghan Feduck, Tim Frey, Reynold Friesen, Jackie Graham, Katie Harder*, Ben Janzen*, Norm Kaethler, Laurel Koop, Steven Lepp, Annette Martin, Bethany Martin, P.J. Mueller, Jeremy Neufeld, Joanna Nicol*, Lebo Nicol, Ricki Oltean-Lepp, Stephanie Paetkau, Katie Pauls, Christina Reimer, Thomas Reimer, Katherine Sawatsky*, Kara Schmidt, Jeff Shantz, Mike Shantz*, Melissa Simpson, Eryn Smit*, Luke Snider*, Tara Swanson, Matthew Tiessen, Rebecca Waltner-Toews, Janelle Weber, Claire Zaya

CILT IIs: Patti Ballantyne, Heidi Brubacher, Jen Day, Julia Ford, Anna Friesen, Zoe Heyn-Jones, Kirsten Janzen, Eimear Keely, Ian Kemilla, Lex Lobach, Emily Macleod, Eric Martin, Sarah Mattice, Caitlyn Mieske, David Miller, Seanna Murphy, Jake Pauls, Amanda Poste, Kari Pries, Heather Shantz, Tavis Weber, Rosanna Wideman, Rachel Yordy, Evan Yovanovich

*denotes Small Choir members
Male Quartet: Barrett, Andrew, Ben, Mike S.
SLMC Back-up Band:
guitars: Norm, Jeff, Mike E., Jenn B., Conrad, Eryn
dulcimer and bass: Norm
banjo and organ: Mike E.
mandolin and hand drums: Ben

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Having completed my first year at Silver Lake as director, many have asked me what were the highlights of the summer.  “The kids”, I reply.  “And the way the staff came together and pulled off a remarkable summer.”  The staff each brought with them unique talents, gifts and personalities which added a deep richness to camp.  And yet within such diversity, a unifying harmony quickly emerged.

The Friendship Circle is another Silver Lake moment that mysteriously produces unity out of diversity.  At the end of an evening campfire, the entire camp surrounds the campfire circle, links arms and sings a sending prayer. They say that “there is strength in numbers” and indeed in that moment of unity there is a strength I have felt.  A strength in knowing that you are not alone in this world, a strength in knowing that you are apart of a unique community, a strength in knowing that you are apart of something greater than yourself.

“Unity” is one of the songs sung around a Friendship Circle.  The lyrics are a petition to Jesus to “help us live in peace…  help us live in unity.”   Music’s power to unite many voices is well known.  And so these songs are sung in celebration and gratitude for the fact that God unites many unique voices and people together.  As you listen and sing along may you too be reminded of a God who continues to create beautiful harmonies in a world with many voices.

Reynold “Randy” Friesen