Tim Bray recounts a week at WCAMS, a summer music camp in British Columbia for amateur musicians. The camp hosts 250 attendees and professional faculty, offering chamber ensembles, orchestras, choirs, and specialty tracks like Celtic and Early Music. Bray, a cellist returning after a 25-year gap, also picked up a bodhrán just before camp and joined the Celtic track, performing to an enthusiastic crowd. He reflects on the demographics (mostly older, mostly women), the eclectic repertoire (avoiding Mozart clichés in favor of contemporary composers, obscure classics, and acoustic pop arrangements), and memorable performances including Bohemian Rhapsody for woodwind quintet and Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel. He advocates for similar camps as a joyful, mentally stimulating experience especially suited to retirees with musical backgrounds.
