“It takes a sky-blue juggler with five red balls to shake our gravity up”- Richard Wilbur

In G.K Chesterton’s biography of St. Francis, Chesterton articulates Francis’ vocation as primarily one of a troubadour. He states, “he was a Troubadour of a newer and nobler romance, he was not using a mere metaphor, but understood himself much better than the scholars understand him. He was, to the last agonies of asceticism, a Troubadour.” To be a troubadour in the way in which Chesterton describes it involves two qualities, ability and confidence. An ability to praise God through one's actions and the confidence to be “the court fool of the King of Paradise.”  It is this ideal that young men will strive towards at St. Julian’s Boys Summer Camp.  This weeklong camp will involve learning and developing primarily three skill sets: Learning and singing folk songs, juggling, and public speaking.  

Primarily, these three skills will be directed towards the ability to put on a juggling show at the end of the week. The show will feature various juggling acts accompanied by a robust singing of Irish, Scottish, and American folk music. The boys will learn how to busk, earning money through these public performances. These shows will mimic the style which many of the counselors have used in performing in places as various as Rome, Krakow, and Galway. With this experience, counselors at St. Julian’s will not only guide the boys in learning these skills but also teach them how to perform for strangers with elegance, tact, confidence, and humor. 

However, the ultimate purpose of these skills extends beyond the ability to perform and raise money. Rather, it will give young men the tools to be true troubadours for God in all aspects of life. By learning these skills, young men at the St. Julian’s will be learn how to praise God through hard work and practice, how to present themselves and their faith with confidence and joy, and how to find enjoyment in the absurdity of the Christian life. 

The sections of the camp will be three daily classes, interspersed with other activities: 

Folk Music 

In these classes, boys at St. Julian’s will learn music from Irish, Scottish, and American folk traditions. These songs consider topics of Love, War, Faith, Humor, and Tragedy. From songs as carefree and joyful as “Tell Me Ma”, to the tenderness of “Red is the Rose”, young men will learn how to find the music to express joy and sorrow in a beautiful manner. They will learn about how to consider music with a sense of joyful seriousness. They will learn how to sing well with others. More than just learning these songs, they will learn the merit of music that brings one outside of oneself.  

Here is a brief list of a few of the types of songs you can expect young men at St. Julian’s to learn: 

Songs of Love 

“Red is the Rose” 

“Wild Mountain Thyme” 

“Annie Laurie” 

“Loch Tay Boat Song” 

“Reilly’s Daughter” 

Songs of the Sea 

“Leaving of Liverpool” 

“The Mermaid” 

“My Son John” 

Songs of Great Men 

“John Henry” 

“My Brother Sylvest” 

“The Ballad of Jesse James” 
 

Juggling 

In Richard Wilber’s poem “Juggler”, Wilber describes how “It takes a sky-blue juggler with five red balls/ To shake our gravity up.” While we cannot guarantee that young men will be able to juggle five balls by the end of this camp, buys will be taught the juggling trade. This will primarily consist of learning how to juggle three balls, but there will be other juggling props that the boys will be introduced to such as diablo, poi, and juggling clubs. These skills take practice and resilience. During the juggling sessions, councilors will teach the boys the ways in which to learn these skills but will also encourage practicing on one’s own. Through these sessions, young men will begin to understand the endurance and focus that is required to bring about delight and “shake our gravity up” 

Public Speaking and Acting 

“All the world’s a stage”, Jaques muses in As You Like It, “And one man in his time plays many parts”. While one might consider these lines of Jaques cynically, the learn how to present oneself in public and “play many parts” is an essential part of any young man's education. A crucial part of any performance is how one presents himself. Furthermore, to imbibe the lives of the saints and great men requires one to learn how to perform and act in imitation of these men. In these “Acting” sessions, young men will learn how to play a part, confident and full of belief in themselves as the role they adopt. This will be practiced in two ways. Firstly, the boys will practice giving a speech at the end of a busking performance. This will involve speaking clearly and confidently stating who they are and what they are doing. For example: “ We hope you enjoyed our performance! We are St. Julian’s Summer Camp from Irving, TX. We have been practicing and learning these songs and juggling routines throughout the week and have come here to Grapevine to perform! We have one last song for you. Thank you” Secondly, the boys will practice this skill by rehearsing a small play which will be performed at the end of the week. They will learn the story and strive to truly imitate the actions of those in the story by understanding the characters.  

Through these two methods of public speaking, these young men will learn not only how to play a part, but how to present oneself confidently in public, ultimately aiding in their pursuit of fulfilling the Christian mission, and becoming “court fools” for Christ.