Song Leader

Music is important to lift our spirits, and that’s why we sing a lot at Family Camp. We sing and need song leading before three types of program elements: The meals, the lectures, and some of the evening activities. The singing helps to gather everyone, and if the singing starts on time, we can more easily keep our schedule. The song leader therefore plays an important role in keeping the program on schedule. The song leader should be someone confident and experienced in leading others to sing along. It's good if the song leader can play an instrument, but if (s)he doesn't (s)he can team up with someone who does.

Singing Before Meals

• We meet outside the Dining Hall at 8am for breakfast, at noon for lunch, and depending on the program of the day, at 5pm or 6pm for dinner. The song leader should always be there on time and initiate the singing.
• We usually sing three songs before a meal. Two to get started, then it’s time for the announcements, and after that, one more song followed by a prayer before we break up and move to the food lines.
• Generally the song leader picks an upbeat song people know well to get started, then maybe tries a less popular one or introduces a new one. The last song before the prayer should be one that people know so we can sing united.
• Occasionally the kitchen is not quite ready yet to serve the meal, and the cook will ask us to sing another song or two so they can catch up. The song leader should be prepared for that.
• If the song leader plays with others backing you up, (s)he should pick the songs and agree on the key before the singing starts. Avoid long pauses between songs.

Singing Before Lectures

The Comets (13-14 years old) and Supernovas (14-18)/Quasars (19+) gather in the Recreation Hall for singing after breakfast/before presentations in the morning. The purpose of this song session is to prepare the spirit for the presentation. The Suns (11-12 years old) might join in this singing, too, or they might have their own singing session. This varies for the different program and depends on the makeup of the attendees.

Singing at Evening Activities

• We start with a song or two to gather everyone at the start of Family Fun Night. We will probably end with a campfire with s’Mores and we sing some songs to gather and focus everyone. The song leader should be there on time and initiate these songs.
• Candle Light Prayer is a program where music is very important to create a prayerful spirit. The organizer of that program will get in touch with the song leader at camp about the songs that (s)he would like to include.
• Before we start Talent Night (usually on the last evening at camp), we sing a few upbeat songs together to gather everyone. At the end of talent night we usually sing one or two closing songs together that everyone can join it. This could be songs like “I’ll Never Leave You Anymore,” or “We Are the World.”

Songs We Sing

The song leader should be familiar with our songbook. Below is a list of some of the songs that we sing often at Family Camp. The song leader should know or learn most of them. The song leader is also encouraged to introduce the singers to new songs to keep it interesting and fresh.

• All the Lands That I Loved, 3
• Sailing with Our Father, 4
• The Day of Hope, 5
• Bye and Bye, 6
• Top of the World, 7
• Country Roads, 8
• We Are the World, 11
• Down by the Riverside, 13
• When the Saints Go Marching In, 14
• If I Had a Hammer, 15
• Higher Ground, 16
• This Land is Your Land, 17
• By the Spring of Life, 22
• This Little Light of Mine, 72
• I'll Never Leave You, 73
• If I Were Free, 75
• Pass It On, 76
• If Life Were Gracious Enough, 77
• Shining Fatherland, 92
• Light of Grace, 93
• The Father's Dwelling Place, 94