Stepsinging
Photo by Macy Lipkin '23
Just as the campus oak trees still grow proud and tall over our beautiful landscape, our Wellesley community continues to grow and flourish. Campus life may look very different than it did decades ago, but the Wellesley College Alumnae Association remains committed to championing our beloved College traditions. We are pleased to offer the community a new way to experience Stepsinging with Stepsinging: A History - a detailed look into the history and music of one of Wellesley's oldest traditions.
This site is intended to be explored at your own pace, and features treasures from the archives, videos, recordings, and supplementary articles for especially enthusiastic readers. There is enough here for even the most experienced Songmistress to learn something new. Sections to enjoy include:
- A history of Stepsinging past and present
- An in-depth look at each of the current songs in the Wellesley song book
- A round up of the silly and sentimental practices that accompany the music of Stepsinging
- For those who prefer not to be sung unto, but to sing, a collection of digitized song books through the years
- A conversation with Stepsinging devotee Leslie Meyers Holmes '58
To visit these sections of the site, simply use the gray navigational bar at the top of the page.
It is our hope that students who have yet to discover the joys of Stepsinging will find this to be an informative guide to where Stepsinging came from, and the fun yet to come at future gatherings. Likewise, we hope that this site will help alumnae to rekindle fond memories of songs, cheers, and cherished days spent in sweet harmony. Alma mater fair, since thou art ours, our hearts are yours!
"College days are from care and sorrow free / and oft will we seek in memory / the days that are past, far too joyful to last / 'Neath the oaks of our old Wellesley" - 'Neath the Oaks
This project was produced by Darcy Kupferschmidt '12, Associate Director of Alumnae Engagement and would not have been possible without the help of the Wellesley College Archives, Leslie Meyer Holmes '58, Molly McLachlan '20, Briana Vigil '21, and sound recordings from the Class of 1951, Class of 1958, Wellesley College Tupelos, Wellesley Widows, Wellesley Blue Notes, and the Wellesley College Choir. We thank you for your contributions!