Reviews

Second Year Musical: “Captain Stirrick”

‘Captain Stirrick’ was an ambitious choice for the Seconds’, Musical but this production was full of colour, with great costumes, a wonderful setting, and imaginative staging and production ideas from director Christopher Turley.  The singing, especially Sapphire Armitage as the ballad-singer Peg, was spirited and moving and a great tribute to the hard work of Angus Tully.

The setting is ‘London, 1807 – a house of correction’, where Ned Stirrick, thoughtfully and convincingly played by Calum Rust, is about to tell the story of his arrest for murder. The child gangster with a soft heart is a feature of English fiction and Ned’s gang specialise in swarming through fairs and fleecing the visitors. The down-and-out kids rob the toffs – the main one being Lord Kensington, played with great humour by Guy Linton,  but Stirrick’s weakness for puppets lands him in trouble as he falls for the daughter of a puppeteer and murders her meddling and threatening brother. 

The stage is full of eccentric and colourful figures, chief among them the puppeteers, played with strength and conviction by Constance Plevris and William Munro.  Indeed the whole of the Fantocinni family added a sense of flair and mystery to the proceedings.  Rory Hardie’s Rico taunted Stirrick which cost him his life, and his performance brought out the pathos of that moment.

Ned’s gang are all an extraordinary bunch, chief among them Andrew Glynne-Percy’s pushy Donkin, Emily Russell’s lively Charlie and Andrew Petrie’s memorable urchin Thomas Gray.

This was another memorable evening’s entertainment in the new Performing Arts Centre and showed, again, what a versatile space it is.  Messrs Turley and Tully are to be thanked for bringing such a challenging and rewarding show to the stage.

Weir E. Cutter

School Piping and Drumming Competition Results 2009

Beginners Chanter: 1st Thomas Lothian, 2nd Lorne Scott-Dempster, 3rd Eilidh McGoldrick

Intermediate Chanter: 1st Calum Reynolds, 2nd Hamish Spilsbury, 3rd Sam Mateer

Advanced Chanter: 1st Angus Hawkins, 2nd Will Hartop, 3rd Jamie Bell

Junior Piping: 1st Finn Macpherson, 2nd Angus Macpherson, 3rd Jamie Allan

Intermediate Piping: 1st Nick Keyden, 2nd Hamish Macpherson, 3rd Chris Allan

Jig Piping: 1st Graham Inglis, 2nd Angus Lutton; 3rd Hamish Macpherson

Senior MSR Piping: 1st Graham Inglis, 2nd Bertie Allison, 3rd James Munro

Piobaireachd Piping: 1st Graham Inglis, 2nd Bertie Allison, 3rd Angus Macpherson

Beginners Drum Pad: 1st Calum Lothian, 2nd Phillip Tremmel, 3rd Scott Robertson

Junior Drumming: 1st Robbie Brown, 2nd Marc Petrie

Intermediate Drumming: 1st Fraser Graham, 2nd Rory Simpson, 3rd Fergus Nimmo

Senior Drumming: 1st Jack Connor, 2nd Christopher Seaman, 3rd James Byrom

New Trophy

presented by a former pupil for the School Piping Competition...

On behalf of all who are involved with the Pipe Band we would like to thank former pupil and band member Edward Seaman for kindly donating a new trophy “The Plockton Quaich” for the School Jig competition. Edward left the Academy at the end of the summer term 2008 and moved to a music school at Plockton near Skye to further study in traditional Scottish music. He has just completed his time there and is shortly about to start a degree in bagpipe music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. We would like to wish him every success with his further studies and hope it is not long before he can return and visit the School and Pipe Band.

MJ Gray, Pipe Major     

Parents Association

Big (Picnic) Thank You

Many thanks to everyone who turned out on Saturday on what was an unexpectedly good morning weather-wise, and a very good day otherwise. A lot of hard work was put in by a lot of people, and especially Ronnie Paxton - and sorry we ran out of burgers - twice!

We'll let you know the result as soon as we can, once Jane Bredin has finished her hard work of counting all the money! Anyone with an expenses claim still unsubmitted, please do it now! No duck islands please!

EAPFA AGM

Monday 14th September 2009 7pm   Main Hall, Henderson Row

 Please note the Parents’ Association AGM will take place on above date and time. All welcome! Anyone who would like to join the committee please contact me.

Tory Craig 07745 130987  torylintoncraig@aol.com

EAPFA Class Reps Wanted

The intention has always been that every class in the school (Junior and Senior) should have a class parents representative, whose role can be as big or as small as he/she would like!

The preference is that they organise at the very least one social event of some kind for parents in their class so that they can try to get to know each other (this can make life a great deal easier for parents pupils and staff). In addition there are usually meetings each term  with the Rector of the Senior School and Headteacher of the Junior School to discuss issues that have been raised by the parent body. Reps are also asked to become involved in some of the social and fundraising initiatives which the committee organise, e.g. Big Christmas and Big Picnic, and to act generally as a conduit of information between the parents and the school.

It's a great way to get to know people and the school a bit better.

We would very much like more reps in the Senior School, especially in these days of coeducation, and when there are a large number of new parents - please help!`

If you want more information  and /or would like to become or have agreed to become a rep in either of Junior or Senior Schools please let us know. Equally if you are resigning from the post having done it this year (thank you), please let us know.

Contact Gill Peters  Tel 07769 902027  melford@quik.com

What's On?

Senior School: Finishing Times

Tuesday  School ends at 3.30

Wednesday  School ends 3.30 (except 3rds/4ths Division Cricket 5.00)

Thursday  School ends 2.50

Friday  School ends after the Exhibition, about 12.15

Sport

P4-6 Sports Day

On Tuesday 9th June, on a beautiful day for sport, we held our annual P4-6 Sports Day. After a very successful field event competition in the morning, each year group ran their own fun division events whilst running finalists competed for points and medals on the main track. There were 11 new records set and many new personal bests achieved and the day provided much fun and activity for all. Well done to all who participated and a massive thank you to all the staff and parents who contributed to making the day a memorable one! The results and photographs have been posted on the school website.

Mark Enos, Head of PE

CRICKET

Thursday 18th June S3 Scottish Schools National Cup Finals (20 overs)

Semi final v Dollar Academy. Won by 49 runs

EA 137 for 2 (R. Orr 70 no) Dollar 88 all out

Final v High school of Glasgow (17 overs due to rain) Won by 9 wkts

HSOG 77 for 6 (A. Rive 4 for 19) EA 83 for 1 (G. Brown 45 no, R. Orr 31 no)

An excellent day for the B1 cricket in the S3 National Finals at Stirling. They defeated Dollar Academy by 49 runs in the semi final, having set a tough challenge by scoring 137 for 2 in their 20 overs, with Robbie Orr top scoring with 70 no.

In the final they bowled well to limit the High School of Glasgow to 77 for 6 with Angus Rive taking 4 wickets. They chased down the winning target in 9.4 overs with Grigor Brown scoring 45 and Robbie Orr a further 31 runs.

Mike Allingha

Notices

School Photograph

Please collect your photograph from the School Office before Thursday (25th June).

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) 2009-10

If pupils are 16 years and older by the end of February 2010 they may be eligible for the above allowance which is designed to encourage young people from low income families to stay in education. Further information can be obtained from Laura Howie tele 624 4945 or lhowie@edinburghacademy.org.uk

Senior School Exhibition Car Parking

Parents attending the Exhibition on Friday 26 June are reminded that a limited number of parking spaces will be available in the school yards from 9.00am.

Anyone needing assistance to get into the St Stephen’s Centre or requiring a reserved, disabled parking place at Henderson Row should contact Dr Blackmore via the School Office before Friday 19 June.

Leavers' Ball Photographs

Photographs can been viewed and purchased at www.scottisheventsphotography.co.uk

The Clacken 500 Club is now open!

We launched our in-house lottery at the Big Picnic on Saturday. I’d like to say a big thank you to those who have already signed up and extend an invitation to those who have yet to join us. The entire proceeds, less prize money, from the monthly draw will go into the Bursary Fund and hopefully raise a much needed £50,000 over a year. As many of you will be aware it is the work of the Foundation to raise money for the school and our most pressing need is to be able to offer Bursaries to new pupils as well as provide help to existing parents who find themselves in difficult financial circumstances. The provision of a Bursary Fund is therefore essential to the smooth running of the Academy, not just an optional extra; therefore we have devised a fun way to deliver both a reasonable sum of money and offer parents, grandparents and Accies a chance to enjoy a small windfall each month!

The first draw will take place in the autumn term, so sign up now but pay nothing until 1st September. Cash prizes of £250, £100, £50 and 2 x £25 will be drawn every month with a Bumper Christmas Double Up in December.

Forms are available from the Foundation office, or download from the website, or by post if you call Lorna on 07921 871005 or email eafoundation@edinburghacademy.org.uk

Lorna Duncan, Development Director

Academicals In the News

May-June 2009

We start with tributes to a headmaster of another school, Melville College. Their last headmaster, Roger Sheriff (28-39), died on 3rd May. Obituaries in 'The Scotsman' and in 'Life & Times' tell of a man who was held in warm regard both as a teacher and a headmaster. He had a keen love of languages and, having been a member of the intelligent services in Italy during the war, when he became fluent in Italian and German, he went up to Queen's College, Cambridge, where he gained a double first in French and Spanish. He taught in Birkenhead and Leeds before taking up the appointment at Melville College in 1962. He oversaw the merger with Daniel Stewarts College in 1972 and retired as senior deputy headmaster from the united Stewart's Melville College in 1982.

Another obituary appeared in 'the Scotsman' in May, that of David Ross Stewart (37-39). At the outbreak of the war, David left the Academy for St Mary's Melrose, later gaining a scholarship to Rugby and an exhibition to Clare College, Cambridge. He became involved in business and in 1968, became managing director of the map-makers, John Bartholomew & Son in Edinburgh. Taking after his grandfather, inventor of the salmon fly the Garry Dog, he was a keen fisherman all his life and was president of the Edinburgh Angling Club for a number of years.

There is a medical slant to this month's 'In the News'. Alan Robertson (87-97) was on Radio 4's 'Today' programme at the end of May and Radio Scotland's 'Good Morning Scotland' at the start of June, discussing the European Working Time Directive and its implementation in hospitals. Alan is a member of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee.

At the sharp end, Matt Cheesman (83-96) appeared on BBC1's 'Frontline Doctors' on 19th June. As a newcomer to the air ambulance service, Matt was thrown into the deep end, first having to deal with a head-on crash, which left a car driver unconscious and seriously hurt. He had to anaesthetise the driver in order to fly him to A&E, though he'd never done this out of hospital before. Later in the day, he had to do it all over again with a farmer who had been trampled by a herd of bulls — and the drama increased when one of the bulls escaped.

The surgeon and lecturer Joseph Bell (1847-54) featured in 'The Scotsman' of 18th May in an article about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edinburgh. Joseph had been one of Sir Arthur's mentors while he was at the medical school and was the inspiration behind the author's most universally known creation, Sherlock Holmes.

'Scotland on Sunday' of 31st May carried a feature on Tommy Macpherson (26-30), Britain's most decorated former soldier. Tommy, brother of the rugby legend, G.P.S. Macpherson (09-16), led a commando force that harassed the Germans by 'setting Europe ablaze', blowing up roads, railway lines, bridges and, his favourite, electricity pylons. After the war, he played rugby for London Scottish and was invited to join the athletics squad for the 1948 Olympics, which he turned down because he 'could not spare the time'. Amongst the photographs of Tommy is one of a very innocent-looking Junior School pupil.

On the Radio 4 'Today' programme on 8th June, the Australian town of Maryborough featured as having hosted the biggest pub-crawl in the world. 4657 people had taken part in the event on the previous day. "Maryborough is famous for not very much," said the commentator, "except that P.L. Travers, author of 'Mary Poppins' was born there". Her great grandfather, Robert Morehead (1824-26) had emigrated there and his daughter, Helen, was the model for Mary Poppins.

Nicky Campbell (66-78) chairs the BBC1 show, 'The Big Questions'. He found himself on Sunday 7th June at Tonbridge School discussing, amongst other items, whether private schools should be abolished. In the following programme, 'The Politics Show', Charlie Falconer (57-65) was being asked about Labour Party politics. "We are moving moderately quickly," he said, "towards the need for change and that change may be a change in leadership."

On the sporting front, we are pleased to advise any of you who didn't already know it, that Mike Blair (86-99) was selected for the Lions team visiting South Africa. He has played in two district matches, against the Royals on 29th May and the Southern Kings on 16th June, as well as being on the bench in a couple of other matches. In a feature on the history of the British Lions in South Africa on the IRB web site, William Maclagan (1869-76) was described as having attended 'Scotland's leading rugby nursery', the Edinburgh Academy. He was also a notable member of the Scotland team in the first Calcutta Cup match in 1879.

Lastly, letters to 'The Scotsman' during May and June have included contributions by Fenton Robb (38-39) on the inefficiency of carbon capture and storage, David Hamill (staff 84-89) on the comparison between MPs' salaries and those of teachers and social workers, Ranald Coyne (44-46) pointing out the difference between greed and dishonesty in MPs' claims for expenses, Sandy Macpherson (47-54) on memorials to the nursing pioneer, Elise Inglis, and Michael Romer (58-65) on the size of new Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy's butt — in relation to her claim for a 'butt of sack', the sherry traditionally given to the Poet Laureate.

Appearances in the Fringe and other summer events

Saturday 25th July 2009: Nick Keir (1958-70) will be performing at a Folk Night at the Heritage Centre in Corstorphine as part of the Edinburgh Homecoming Week. The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £8 to members of the Corstorphine Trust and £10 to non-members — phone 0131 316 4246 for details.

Saturday 1st August 2009: Catherine Backhouse (1998-2000) will be singing in St. Mary's Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh. The recital with Sam Hutchings (piano) starts at 1:00pm and entrance is free.

Wednesday 5th August, Peter Backhouse (staff 1990-) will be performing a celebrity organ recital in St Giles Cathedral (Jackson 'Capriccio', Krebs 'Trio in F', Carter 'Passacaglia', Atkinson 'A Little Liturgical Suite', Mendelssohn 'Sonata I'). The recital starts at 8pm. Tickets are £7 (accompanied children free) from St Giles Cathedral Shop (0131 226 0673) or at the door.

Sunday 16th August: Nick Keir (1958-70) will be performing as a member of 'The McCalmans' at Queens Hall, Edinburgh, as part of the Festival Fringe. The concert starts at 7.00pm. Tickets are £12 (concessions available). The McCalmans have a new live album, 'Coming Home, released in March of this year.