The Music Department is presenting A Spring Concert on Thursday, April 18^th, 7:00 PM in the Nash Student Center. The following ensembles will perform: Lower School Chorus, Middle School Chorus, Freshman Chorus, Upper School Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble. Admission is free.

Students received a total of 17 medals at the S.C. Independent School Assoc. Music Festival held at the University of South Carolina School of Music. Dr. Laura Ballard and Mr. Scott Warren, high school music teachers, accompanied the students to the festival which had more than 700 students from SCISA schools participating. The 9^th grade chorus and 10^th-12^th grade chorus both received a gold medal. Also receiving gold medals for individual performance were the following students: senior LeAnne Amick (vocal performance), freshman John Ballard (piano), sixth-grader Maggie Ballard (piano), eighth-grader Banks Burns (piano), senior Justin DuRant (organ), seventh-grader Chen Lin (piano) and sixth-grader Katherine Grace Singleton (piano). Receiving silver medals were senior Mary Kennon Arscott (violin) and junior Ken Ballard (vocal performance), and earning bronze medals were freshman Wells Osteen (piano) and sophomore Laura-Clare Thevenet (vocal performance).

The middle school debate team won first place and eleven students won individual awards in the S.C. Independent School Association State Literary Meet.  By accumulating the most points, Wilson Hall’s delegation won the entire competition for the middle school division. The debate team, which debated the topic of “Should Nuclear Energy Be a Viable Energy Source,” is comprised of eighth-grader Patrick Bell and seventh-graders Chandler Curtis, Madison Reaves and Abby Zilch. Mrs. Stacey Reaves, a high school English teacher, advised the students and accompanied them to the competition in Holly Hill.

Fourth-grader Madison DesChamps won her division in the poetry recitation contest.  In this competition students recite a poem of their choice and are judged on memorization, diction and interpretation. Fourth-grader Nolan Jones placed third in this competition.

Eighth-grader Michael DeVore and senior Sam Umbaugh won their divisions in the oral interpretation contest in which participants gave a verbatim reading of a single selection of literature, poetry or prose after presenting a brief expository statement about the selection. Students are judged on their ability to communicate the author’s meaning through inflection and expression.

Seventh-grader Liza Lowder won her division in extemporaneous speaking which had the purpose of informing and persuading an audience. Participants were given broad topic categories prior to the meet but did not learn of their specific topic until arriving at the meet. Once given the topic, participants were given 45 minutes to prepare a speech to defend or support it. Senior Katrina Salzer placed second and seventh-grader Bryce Lyles placed fourth in their respective divisions of this competition.

Third-grader Lucy Matthews and second-grader Caitlyn Schumacher won their divisions in the storytelling contest. For this competition students must repeat a story, which they just heard read to them, in four minutes or less.  Students are judged on spontaneity, originality and naturalness of delivery.

Seventh-grader Chen Lin placed third and senior Paige Leighton placed fourth in their divisions in the essay contest. For the competition students are given five topics relating to current events; students are not aware of the topics prior to the competition.  Students must choose one of the topics and write an essay that does not exceed 600 words in 60 minutes or less.  The essays are judged on content, originality and style.

Come join us in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City for an oddball romantic comedy that soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces a cast of vivid characters. Sarah Brown is out to reform the evil-doers of Times Square; Sky Masterson is the high-rolling gambler who woos Sarah on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide is the chronically ill nightclub performer who’s been engaged for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, is desperate to find a spot for his infamous floating game of craps.

Because of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, 20 students received recognition from the College Board.  Approximately 23 percent of America’s graduating seniors take one or more AP Exams, and only about 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million students who took AP Exams in May performed at a sufficiently high level to merit recognition.  In May 77 Wilson Hall students became eligible to receive college credit by earning a score of 3 or higher on at least one exam.

AP Exams, which students take after completing challenging college-level courses taught at their high school, are graded on a five-point scale (5 being the highest).  Most of the nation’s colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, or both for grades of 3 or higher.  To qualify to teach an AP course, teachers must attend an intensive AP workshop held during the summer.  Wilson Hall offers 16 AP courses.

Holly Avins (Purdue University), Chase Breeden (University of S.C.), Lawson Held (Furman University), Gibson Klapthor (Furman University), Jordan Lay (College of William & Mary) and Eleanor Smith (Hillsdale College), Class of ‘12, received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award for earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Mary Bennett Bracalente (University of South Florida), Kayden Reilly (Columbia College) and Robert Rohner (Duke University), Class of ‘12, received the AP Scholar with Honor Award for earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The following received the AP Scholar Award for earning a 3 or higher on at least three exams: David Bradham, Justin DuRant, Paige Leighton, Maggie Lowery, Sam Umbaugh and Nick Wrobel, Class of ’13, and Turner Brogdon (University of S.C.), Cody Clark (Waldorf College) and Julian Dixon (Clemson University), Class of ’12.

Pictured are Justin DuRant, Maggie Lowery, Sam Umbaugh, Paige Leighton, David Bradham & Nick Wrobel.

Eighth-grader Ann Elizabeth High won the Best Actress Award at the S.C. Independent School Assoc. State Middle School Drama Competition hosted by Wilson Hall at the Sumter Opera House in November. The Middle School Drama Team, which earned an honorable mention, advanced to the state competition after receiving a Superior rating and winning first place in the SCISA regional one-act play competition held in Pawleys Island in October. Directed by Ms. Hannah Leirmoe, the team performed Law and Order: Fairy Tale Unit, a one-act comedy by Jonathan Rand.

The Wilson Hall Music Department presented A Fall Concert on November 5 in the Nash Student Center to a standing-room-only crowd. Sixty-six students in grades 4-12 performed a variety of vocal and instrumental numbers during the 45-minute program. Junior Ken Ballard provided the pre-concert music on the piano before Mr. Fred Moulton, Headmaster, welcomed the crowd. The Lower School Chorus, directed by Mrs. Frankie Eldridge, opened the concert by singing “If I Could Vote” by Jacobsen/Billingsley and playing “America” by Bergin on the choir chimes.

The Middle School Chorus, directed by Dr. Laura Ballard sang three songs, “Take Time in Life,” an African traditional arranged by Schmid, “Music Alone Shall Live,” arranged by Lopez, and “Light up the World” by Patterson.

In addition to providing the accompaniment for the choruses, the Instrumental Ensemble, directed by Mr. Scott Warren, performed “Those Were the Days” by Fomin and “Libertango” by Piazzolla. Senior Justin DuRant performed Tchaikovsky’s “Humoresque” on the piano.

The 9^th Grade Chorus and the 10^th-12^th Grade Chorus, both directed by Dr. Ballard, joined to sing three numbers: “Sizohamba Naye,” an African traditional arranged by Taylor, “The Journey” by Martin, and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” arranged by Funk. Freshman Wells Osteen was a featured soloist, senior Andrew Clinkscales played the djembe, and sophomore John Eagle Miles played the shekere.

The 10^th-12^th Grade Chorus performed the following three songs: “A Joyful Song” by Lighfoot, “Remember My Song” by Albrecht/Althouse, and “How Can I Keep from Singing” by Gilpin. Seniors LeAnne Amick and Andrew Clinkscales and junior Ken Ballard were featured soloists and senior Mary Kennon Arscott was the featured violinist.

All students joined together to sing the closing number, “Peace I Leave with You” by Mozart/Moore.

Senior Anna Self won Best in Show and 1st place in painting at the Sumter County Fair Art Show. Her blue ribbon painting, titled “Self-Portrait with Dad,” is of her as a young girl and her father walking on the beach. Senior Anna Crew Kinney won 2nd place in Best of Show and 3rd place in photography for her work titled “Paint.” A total of 27 ribbons in categories such as drawing, painting, photography, pottery and sculpture were awarded to Wilson Hall students who are taught by Mrs. Ashley Lareau, Mrs. Mary Ann Reames and Mrs. Tara Schumacher.

In addition to Kinney and Self, the following students received ribbons: (1st place) Bridget Anderson, Zan Beasley, Matthew Bochette, Natalie Ford, Breland Land, Lauren Memery, Rebekah Russell & Matthew Tavarez; (2nd place) Madison Elmore, Kirsten Fisher, Sean Jackson, Lauren Memery, Brady Prescott, Morgan Shaffer & Jett Wheeler; (3rd place) Chanson Bullard, Anna Hanford, Julia Ladson, Cori Moore, Elise Osteen, Savannah Palm, Kareesa Reilly & Rebekah Russell.

Seniors Justin DuRant and Sam Umbaugh have been selected as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. They are two of only three students in Sumter County to receive this recognition. More than 1.5 million juniors in nearly 21,000 high schools entered the 2013 National Merit Program by taking the 2011 Preliminary SAT which served as an initial screen of program entrants.  The nationwide pool of 16,000 academically talented semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. Justin and Sam have the opportunity to continue in the competition for one of 8,300 Merit Scholarships that will be offered in the spring.