Photos:
Centre Musical Lake MacDonald Music Centre (Cammac)

The camp consists of eight independent week-long sessions each summer. In addition to a general program, some weeks have a specific focus, such as chamber music, early music, opera, jazz, or choral singing. There is a special children's program for those under 12 years of age; teenagers participate in the adult program.
Chaque éte, il y a huit sessions independentes d'une semaine. A part d'un programme général, dans quelques semaines il y a un focus particulier, par example en musique de chambre, musique ancienne, opéra, jazz, ou chant choral. Il y a un programme spécial pour les enfants jusqu'a 12 ans. Les adolescents font partie de programme des adultes.

I have been attending Lake MacDonald for about 6 years, wearing various hats from "student participant" to "wind ensemble coach", and especially "the guy with the camera". This page has a small selection of photos from my 3 photo albums, chosen to give a feeling for the atmosphere. Click on any the photos with a coloured border to view a larger version of the image.

J'assiste maintentant à Lac MacDonald pour environ 6 ans, dans quelques rôles differentes, de "étudiant-participant" à "coach d'ensemble des vents" et surtout "le ?&*%$ photographe". Ici j'ai choisi une petite selection de mes 3 albums de photos pour donner un petit gout de l'atmosphere. On peut cliquer sur les photos aux bords colorés pour voir une version plus grande de l'image.

What I love most about Lake MacDonald is the variety, including

• people of all ages, from 4 1/2 to 80+.
• players of all ability levels from rank beginner to very experienced, from current (or past or future) music students to doctors to homemakers to lawyers to ....
• bilingual French-English environment, with participants and coaches from across Canada, as well as the U.S. and as far away as Germany and South Africa.

The day begins with a musical wake-up and a participant mini-concert, then choir for all, then the scheduled courses. After lunch is free time, which many people spend playing for fun, though some actually take time out to swim in the lake, just sit around, or (gasp) leave the premises. A cappella choir and orchestra rehearse after supper, and then faculty concerts.
Chaque matin il y a un petit concert des participants après d'un réveil-matin musical. Puis il y a de chorale pour tous avant des cours réguliers. L'apès midi est de temps libre; on organise les sessions de musique pour le plaisir, nage dans le lac ... Le soir, il y un practique de chorale a cappella ou de l'orchestre et puis les concerts des professeurs.

Cammac is currently in the midst of a major fund-raiser to rebuild and renovate the Lake MacDonald facilities, since increasing maintainance and repair costs are becoming unfeasible --- the present building is a charming old hunting lodge in the Laurentian hills. An amount of CAD$2,500,000 is to be raised from individuals, the private sector, and governmental organizations. If you have money to spare, they would love to hear from you! Tax receipts available in Canada or the US.
Cammac est maintenant en train d'une levée des fonds majeure pour rénouveler et réconstruire le centre musical. Les dépenses pour maintainir l'édifice principale, qui était originellement un pavillon de chasse, ont déja devenues impracticable. L'objectif de la levée est d'une somme de CAD$2,500,000, provenant des individus aussi que  

Cammac also runs a music camp in Ontario, has a music lending library for members, and organizes many activities through the year in four local chapters. I used to be on the Ottawa-Hull executive ( outdated 1/2 page on "What is Cammac?").

(Septembre 1999 --- Y-a-t'il de volontaire pour faire une traduction ou paraphrase de ce texte en français? Ça fait maintentant plus qu'un an que je ne trouve pas le temps de le faire moi-même...)

All photos are ©1994-98, Martin Pergler (home page)