The antics of the cast of The Play that Goes Wrong kept audiences laughing for 3 performances this spring.
Sem performed the the regional premiere of the show! We were the first in the area! No adults or high schools have done it in NEPA!
Author: Ivy Miller
Wyoming Seminary Music 2023-2024: The Grand Finale
by Abby Ryu ’26
As the school year comes to a close, life on campus seems to inversely get busier as most extracurricular groups hold important end of the year events. One of said events is the annual Spring concert, which was presented by the Wyoming Seminary Music Department on Saturday May 4 in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts (KCCA). This concert was the last large performance for those in the music department, allowing students in the music department to showcase their immense effort throughout the school year. Chloe Caputo ‘26, a member of both the Chorale and Band as well as the two smaller ensembles, Madrigals and Jazz Band, echoes this sentiment: “The Spring concert is such a rewarding way for us to display our growth. We’ve all worked very hard and come a long way since the beginning of the year.”
The evening started off at 5 P.M. with an exciting performance by the Band. Directed by Tyler Harvey, the group performed a large variety of compositions: from fantastical pieces like Ralph Ford’s impish but forceful Dark Adventure, to bold modern arrangements, such as Hugh Stuart’s triumphant A Hymn for Band. Following this performance was a mini reception in the lobby; Guests replenished their energy with delicious snacks while the Wyoming Seminary jazz band provided background music.
The Chorale and Madrigals, as well as the String performances commenced at 6 P.M. Similarly to the Band performance, audience members also experienced a wide range of music from these ensembles. The String ensemble, notably, delivered a very impressive finish to the concert with the classical piece Carnival of the Animals by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The Chorale, including the Madrigals, also dazzled the audience with a broad selection of songs, including chilling songs of praise like Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Ave Maria as well as upbeat folk songs like Walter Ehret’s arrangement of Cindy. Dr. Daniel Hall, Chorale Director at Wyoming Seminary specifically comments on his favorite part of the concert: “It’s really cool to hear everyone performing, especially, my arrangement of Shall We Gather At the River. It’s exciting to hear SEM singers bring it to life.”
The Music Department’s Spring Concert brought the community together to commemorate the hard work of students, but also to appreciate music by specifically showcasing its beautifully diverse variety. The concert served as an unforgettable finale for the 2023-2024 year and left both the audience, as well as the performers, in excited anticipation for what’s to come next year!
Sem Walk For Water 2024
by Finn Ruderman ’25
Just for a second, put yourself in their shoes. You wake up and instead of a daily morning routine, you have to grab your empty five gallon water container—weighing over 40 pounds when full—and set out on your walk to a water reserve roughly five miles away.
For almost everyone in rural Burkina Faso, this is their everyday lives. There is no running water, and the water obtained from these daily treks is almost always dirty and unsafe to drink. This, as you can probably imagine, causes a lot of problems for those in this situation. These problems are exactly what those involved in the recent Walk For Water conducted here at Sem sought to resolve.
For the past couple of years, Sem has partnered with the Barka Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those without access to clean water in Burkina Faso through the implementation of water wells in different villages throughout the eastern part of the country. For this past walk, all of the funds generated went directly to the new well-building project in the village Fada-N’gourma.
The walk, organized by the Upper and Lower Schools’ Environmental Clubs and myself, was a fully in person event for the first time since Sem has started doing them. 57 Sem students, faculty, and friends, along with five dogs, came together on April 21st to walk from back campus, to Kirby Park, and back for a total of around three miles all whilst carrying jugs and containers of water in an effort to simulate, even in a very small way, the journey that the residents of Fada need to make daily to get their water.
In total, the walk managed to raise over $2,000, roughly one-fifth of the total cost of the well—a fairly significant amount. As always, one of the main purposes of the Walk For Water, aside from raising money, is to call attention to certain aspects of life (in this case, having access to clean/fresh water) which you may unconsciously take for granted, all while others who go without are struggling.
For all those who helped in any way, I offer you a sincere thank you. And to those who missed it this year, the Walk for Water will be an annual event, so there will be more opportunities to come.