National Catholic Youth Choir


	A PROGRAM OF SAINT JOHN'S SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY • SEMINARY
	Sponsored by Saint John's Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota

Site Menu - Home - About - Archive - Music Selections - Staff - In the media - Contact us - CD Purchase FAQ/Help - Frequently Asked Questions 2008 Concerts - Tour Recordings - All Vocal Parts for Choristers	General Information What is NCYC? Where is Collegeville, and what is Saint John’s? Why participate? What is special about NCYC? What are the main features of the camp? Who runs the camp? *Audition and Acceptance* Who is eligible for NCYC? How are choristers selected for participation? When are the applications due? When are the decisions made? How selective is the process? *Finances* What does the camp cost? Are there scholarships? Is there other financial assistance? *During Camp* What is the daily schedule of camp? Are choristers able to call home during camp? Do choristers have access to internet or email during the camp? Can choristers receive mail at Saint John’s? Is there web information on the choir during the camp? *Supporting NCYC* How is NCYC financed? Could we host NCYC in our town? *Further Information* How do I get further information? *General Information* What is NCYC? NCYC is a summer music camp for Catholic high school students around the nation and takes place at in Collegeville, MN. Where is Collegeville, and what is Saint John’s? Collegeville is in central Minnesota, 75 miles west of the Twin Cities on the interstate. There are two Catholic colleges within 5 miles offering coordinated, coeducational programs: Saint John’s University for men in Collegeville, and the College of Saint Benedict for women in St. Joseph. Most of the camp takes places at Saint John’s, but some of it is at the Saint Benedict campus. Both colleges are sponsored by Benedictine religious communities. Saint John’s is a monastery, a university, a graduate School of Theology/Seminary, and home of the St. John’s Boys Choir, the Ecumenical Institute, the Saint John’s Bible, the arboretum, a guesthouse, and much more. Why participate? What is special about NCYC? Past choristers speak very highly of their time at NCYC. They say it is enjoyable, fun, inspirational, educational, spiritual, and formational. Many past choristers are still in touch with friends they made at NCYC. Choristers have had their faith renewed and have become excited to be a believing Catholic. They are very proud of the great music they make. What are the main features of the camp? Much choir rehearsal (4-6 hours) each day; religion and music classes; prayer and worship; recreation and sports; community and friendship; free time. The last days of the camp are spent on out-of-state tour. Who runs the camp? NCYC is a program of the School of Theology • Seminary of Saint John’s University. The founding director is Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, a monk of Saint John’s Abbey. The choir conductor is renowned choral clinician Dr. Axel Theimer. The administrative director who works with choristers and family during the entire pre-camp period is Michelle Plombon. The staff of camp leaders consists of current and past students of Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict. For further information on last year’s staff, see here. *Audition and Acceptance* Who is eligible for NCYC? Any U.S. Catholic high school student going into grade 10, grade 11, or grade 12 is eligible to apply. One must be present for the entire camp in order to be accepted. How are choristers selected for participation? On the basis of three things: written application, references, and audition tape. There is a written application available here, which includes directions for the brief essay. Two references (teacher, employer, clergy, etc.) are to fill out this form and mail it to us. The audition tape includes singing one scale and one stanza of a simple song or hymn. Audition tape: Sing without accompaniment one major scale up and down on any pitch (loo, lah, etc.); sing without accompaniment one stanza of a song or hymn such as Jesus Christ is Risen Today or America the Beautiful. When are the applications due? March 31, 2008. When are the decisions made? During April 2008. How selective is the process? NCYC strives to select the most highly qualified applicants. This depends on the number of applicants, which varies from year to year. Some years it is quite competitive for women, especially sopranos, but generally over half or even over three-fourths of the applicants are able to be accepted. So far we have been able to accept most male applicants. *Finances* What does the camp cost? The cost for 2008 is $650 for the entire camp and tour; this includes room and board and all fees. Choristers may wish to bring a small amount of spending money. Are there scholarships? Yes, there are scholarships of up to $200 based entirely on financial need. Scholarship applications are made available to those accepted for the choir. Is there other financial assistance? Yes. Many choristers in the past have received assistance from their home parish and/or from Catholic organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, the Council of Catholic Women, and similar groups. *During Camp* What is the daily schedule of camp? To see the schedule of a past year, look here. Are choristers able to call home during camp? Yes. Many choristers bring cell phones, and there are times of the day when choristers may use these. There are also public phones available on campus. Do choristers have access to internet or email during the camp? No. Can choristers receive mail at Saint John’s? Yes. Mail it to this address: Chorister name c/o Michelle Plombon, NCYC Emmaus Hall, SJU Collegeville, MN 56321 Is there web information on the choir during the camp? Yes. During camp the NCYC web site is updated most days with a photo journal and diary of the day’s activities. *Supporting NCYC* How is NCYC financed? The chorister fees cover less than half of the total costs of running this program. The remainder is made up by donations from many organizations and individuals. Parents of accepted choristers are invited to pay as much as they can (beyond the $650 fee) to cover the actual program costs. Could we host NCYC in our town? We hope so. We select tour venues on the basis of local organizers’ readiness, church with good acoustics and piano and pipe organ, possibility of drawing a good crowd, local fundraising and guaranteed financial support, and availability of host families. If you are interested in hosting NCYC, contact Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, at 320-363-3233 or at *Further Information* How do I get further information? For further information contact: Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, director and chaplain: 320-363-3233, Michelle Plombon, administrative assistant: Dr. Axel Theimer, choral conductor: 320-363-3374,
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