Ask any Heart girl and they will assure you, few things are more essential to camp culture than our songs! We sing together a minimum of five times a day: a quick blessing is sung before each meal, and we enjoy about ten minutes of songs from the Heart O’ the Hills Songbook after lunch and dinner. A special set of songs is reserved for Sundays when Jane, our Director, busts out her guitar to accompany our worship service and Sunday lunch. Some of our songs are fast and silly, some are serene and thought-provoking, but they’re all universally loved.
Jane has said many former-campers-turned-new-mothers sing camp songs to their babies, the songs being both etched firmly into the memory and strongly associated with positive memories. Group singing has been shown to have physical and emotional benefits for the individual, and strengthens feelings of togetherness in groups. One of the more touching parts of our Reunion Weekends is watching camp songs bridge the generational gap, forging bonds between Alumnae whose tenures at the Heart span five decades. One can observe the uneasiness of being surrounded by strangers melt away as the camaraderie of camp unites the former campers as Heart Sisters once again.
If you’re looking for ways to get your new camper ready for camp, feel free to check out our Digital Songbook and familiarize yourself with some recordings of our all-time favorites!
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