'Music at Maple Mount' reunion set for June 7-9

In 1975, James Douglas White and his wife, Julie Ann White, created “Music at Maple Mount,” a two-week camp which brought in students from across the country to learn from top-notch music instructors also known as the Greater Owensboro Music Camp, to Mount St. Joseph for more than 30 years.

By 2006, it was announced the three-decade program would become “A Summer Institute for Young Artists,” which is still in operation under the Owensboro Public Schools district.

But in honor of Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph’s 150th anniversary celebration, the organization is seeking participants who have been involved with the camp throughout the years to take part in a three-day reunion from June 7-9.

Dan Heckel, director of mission advancement and communications and the chair of the 150th anniversary event planning committee, said the event has remained popular despite it concluding at Mount St. Joseph nearly 20 years ago, which sparked the idea of creating the reunion.

“I’ve worked with the Ursuline Sisters here for 16 years and I’m routinely running into people who have nothing to do with music now but say, ‘Oh yeah, I came to the Mount for the music camp when I was 14 years old,’ ” he said, “and it struck me; that’s such a connection to people who may otherwise (would have) never come here ….”

When planning the events for the sesquicentennial milestone, Heckel reached out to the Whites about the reunion who were immediately on board.

“I thought, ‘We should try to bring all these people back for a reunion,’ fully expecting that when I reached out to the Whites (that) they would say, ‘Well, that’s a crazy idea; there’s no way we can do that, ’ ” Heckel said, “and instead they said, ‘Oh, that would be great. We would love to do that. People have been asking us to do this for a long time.’ ”

According to Heckel and Julie White, this year would have marked the 50th year of the “Music at Maple Mount” if it continued.

The reunion will kick off on June 7 with a meet-and-greet on the patio outside Lure Seafood & Grille, 401 W. Second St., during Friday After 5.

The first full day of activities, which will take place at Mount St. Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, will begin at 9:15 a.m. June 8 with registration before a 10 a.m. choir rehearsal in the Motherhouse Chapel with Julie White followed by line dancing in Maple Hall with Sr. Elaine Burke at 11 a.m.

Following lunch, choir rehearsal will resume at 1 p.m., followed by optional activities — play in, rehearse skits, theory test for placement, music bingo, treasure hunt or sign-ups for additional rehearsal time — will occur from 1:30-4 p.m. An alumni recital will occur in the chapel at 4 p.m., which will also include a performance by the Kentucky Youth Chorale, followed by a picnic dinner and skit performances at 5:45 p.m. in Maple Hall. The evening will conclude with roasting marshmallows over a campfire in Maple Mount Park.

On June 9, faculty will lead the session, “Reliving the Dream,” which will allow students to reminisce on how “Music at Maple Mount” changed their trajectories for future accomplishments at 10 a.m. in Maple Hall and will have the option to attend mass with the sisters in the chapel at 11 a.m.

There will also be the “Aloha Concert” in the chapel, performed by mostly faculty performers, at 2 p.m. before the alumni choir concludes the concert beginning at 3:15 p.m.

While Heckel said there’s “been a lot of enthusiasm” about the reunion, he said tracking down former participants has been slow considering some of the records of those who attended were on paper and not in a computer system, particularly within the first decade.

“... There are a couple of Facebook pages for ‘Music at Maple Mount’ — one for the people who were participants and one was more for the instructors … just to kind of keep in touch with each other (but) we have utilized those groups,” Heckel said. “... We just ask everybody once (they’ve) gotten the word (about the reunion), please share it with everybody you know ….”

As of Monday, Julie White feels attendance will be promising.

“We already have people (confirmed). I think that the farthest one is coming from Oklahoma so far …,” she said. “... This (reunion) will bring them back together and it’ll renew some friendships with people that they might have lost contact with along the way.

“I do think there will be a desire for them to want to meet more often now, (and) it will be a really valuable connection for them and an affirmation.”

For more information about the reunion and how to register, contact Heckel at Heckel at dan.heckel@maplemount.org or 270-229-2007 or visit: ursulinesmsj.org/music-at-maple-mount-reunion.

Registration for the reunion closes May 24.