Madras College

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Welcome to the Expressive Arts Faculty which consists of the subjects

Art & Design

Drama

Music

and Photography 

You can follow the Expressive Arts Faculty on Twitter @ArtsMadras and Instagram @madras_music_drama  and @madrasart9 for updates.

This busy faculty aims to provide pupils with an exciting and enjoyable experience in the arts while enabling them to enhance their creative talent, develop their skills and prepare them with valuable skills for the workplace. Further details of specific courses can be found within the individual subject pages

Faculty News

All Music extra-curricular groups are busy rehearsing for the next performance.  (see extra-curricular timetable for further details).  Drama club is running every Thursday lunchtime for S1 and S2 pupils.

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Celebrating Success

Secondary School National Burns Competition Success 2025

Congratulations to the eight Madras pupils who represented Fife in the National Burns Competition on Saturday 22nd March at St Joseph's College, Dumfries.  

Individual Awards

Robert Hutchinson won the S3/4 singing competition and was awarded the trophy for Best Overall Singer in this years competition

Robert Hutchison S3 won the S3/4 singing competition and went on to be awarded the trophy for Best Overall Singer. 

Euan Miller S3 came 3rd in the S3/4 piping competition.  

Group Awards

Ellie Hughes and Matilda Gilbertson competed in the S1/2 singing competition.  Robert Hutchison and Euan Miller competed in the S3/4 singing competition.  Rita Konovalova and a pupil from Bell Baxter pupil competed in the S5/6 singing competition.  Together they won the National Singing Team Trophy.  

 

The other competitors included Sophie Robertson S3/4 instrumental & recitation, Lily Chalmers S3/4 piping and Andrei Morrison S5/6 piping who all performed extremely well.  

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Congratulations to Heidi Pearson who recently passed her Grade 2 Violin exam with Merit.

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Fife Burns Competition 2024 Success
Congratulations to Thomas Robertson S5 who won the S5/6 Singing Competition.  Thomas also came 2nd in the Instrumental and 2nd in the Recitation. 
Congratulations to Sophie Robertson S2 who won the S1/2 Instrumental Competition.
Congratulations to Euan Miller S2 who won the S1/2 Singing Competition. 
Congratulations to Robert Hutchison S2 who won the S1/2 Recitation Competition.  Robert also came 2nd  in the Instrumental and 2nd in the Singing. 
Congratulations to Jonah Thomson who came 2nd in the S3/4 Instrumental Competition.
All of the musicians went on to compete in the Scottish Schools Competition 20224 National Festival which were held at Clydeview Academy in Gourock on Saturday 23rd March. 
Everyone gave very good performances and scored very high marks.  
Robert Hutchison was awarded 3rd place for the Instrumental Competition.  

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Music Festival Success 2024
More than 200 Madras pupils participated in competitive and non-competitive solo/group classes.  The pupils were a credit to themselves and the school.  Every group rose to the occasion and gave amazing performances on stage at the Adam Smith Theatre.
 
Competitive Class Success
The Choir classes performed very well on the Monday and received excellent feedback from the adjudicator.
The Junior Choir achieved a Platinum award after performing Money Money Money and The Water is Wide.
The Senior Girls Choir and Senior Mixed Choirs achieved Gold awards for their performance along with positive feedback from the adjudicator.
 
In the Ensemble Groups Competitive class we had seven groups entered from Madras.
The Clarsach Group achieved a Gold award after a very traditional performance of a Skerryvore song which featured snare drumming.
The Flute Quintet achieved a Gold award for their performances. 
The Brass Group achieved a Silver award for their performances.
The Lower Strings performed their pieces to a very high standard and achieved a Platinum award.
The Percussion Ensemble performed very well and achieved a Gold award.
The Senior Trad Group achieved a Gold award for their performance of three jigs.
The Jazz Group performed three song covers, leaving the whole auditorium in awe of their performances. The adjudicator of course awarded them Platinum and the feedback was sensational.
The Senior Wind Band entered the Wind Band Competitive class on Tuesday evening and put on a performance they were very proud of. They received a Gold award along with positive feedback.
The Senior Strings Ensemble performed in the Secondary School Orchestra class on Thursday night and were awarded Gold for their performance.
Individual Success
Tara McGhie won the Woodwind open class and Daniel Armstrong won the String open class.  On Friday evening Tara and Daniel competed in the Young Musician Final.   
Non-Competitive Classes
We had three groups enter the Secondary School Non-Competitive Class. Positive feedback was given from the adjudicator for all groups in the class. We entered our Junior Strings, Junior Trad Group and Junior Wind Band.

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Fife Burns Competition March 2023

Congratulations to the following pupils who represented Madras College in the Fife Schools Competition.  Several of the winners and runners up went on to compete in Scottish final which took place at Belmont Academy in Ayr.  

 Fife Competition Results

Robert Hutchison S1 - 1st place in the S1/2 Singing and Instrumental

Anna May Dury S4 - 2nd place in the S3/4 Singing

Nadira Dawood S5 - 1st place in the S5/6 Singing

Thomas Robertson - 2nd place in the S3/4 Instrumental

Ellenor Gray S6 - 2nd place in the S5/6 Instrumental

Niamh Day S6 - 3rd place in the S5/6 Instrumental 

Jamie Mc Donald S2 - 1st place in the S1/2 Piping

Callum Gillespie S5 - 1st place in the S5/6 Piping

National Competition Results

Thomas Robertson - 2nd place in the S3/4 Instrumental

Nadira Dawood S5 - 2nd place in the S5/6 Singing

Ellenor Gray S6 - 2nd place in the S5/6 Instrumental

 

NYCOS Success

Congratulations to Mark Stevenson S2 who has been selected for the National Boys Choir.  Mark has experience performing in the training choir and looks forward to taking up his place in the Boys choir.  

Fife Youth Orchestra

  • Congratulations to the Madras pupils who performed in the Fife Youth Orchestra Concert at Auchmuty High School 2nd November.  The orchestra thrilled the audience with their high standard of playing and varied programme of pieces.   The programme included Three pieces from Swan Lake, Highlights from Wicked and The Great Gate of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition.  

 Daniel Armstrong S4 - Cello

Andrew Armstrong S6 - French Horn

Thomas Robertson S4 - Cello

Katie McGhie S6 - Trumpet

Tara McGhie S4 - Clarinet

Matthew McGlashan S5 - Oboe

Niamh Day S6 - Violin

Robert Fleming S5 - Double Bass

Daniel Wahl S6 - Violin

Kaila Bartlett S5 - Percussion

Daniel O'Riordan S6 - Cello

Callum O'Riordan S4 - Viola

  • Congratulations to Eric Hao S6 for passing with Merit his Grade 8 Piano exam

  • Congratulations to Lexi Paterson S4 for passing with Merit her Grade 4 Drum Kit exam

  • Congratulations to Howard More S3 for passing with Merit his Grade 6 Piano exam

  • James Mitchell has been selected for the Byre Theatre Pantomime – Jack & the Beanstalk.

  • Congratulations to Jonah Thomson S1 for passing with Merit his Grade 3 Piano exam 

  • Congratulations to Lucy Franks S1 for passing with Distinction her Grade 5 Violin exam

  • Congratulations to Daniel Armstrong S3 for passing with Merit his Grade 8 Piano exam

  • Congratulations to Daniel Armstrong S3 who has been selected for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland - Junior Orchestra

  • Congratulations to Andrew Armstrong S5 who has been selected for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland - Senior Orchestra

  • Congratulations to Zimeng Chen S3 for passing with Merit her Grade 4 Piano exam

  • Congratulations to Mark Stevenson S1 who has been offered a place in the NBC Training Choir of NYCOS National Boys Choir.

  • Congratulations to Zaara Nabi S5 for passing with Merit her Grade 5 Piano exam.

  • Congratulations to Eric Hao S6 who was awarded Piper of the Year 2022 by the St Andrews Burns Club.  The trophy was presented by the new president Kyff Roberts.

E Hao Burns Piper of the Year 2022

 Congratulations to Tara McGhie S3 for passing with distinction her Grade 4 Piano exam.

 

Please let us know of any wider achievements your child has been involved in.  We would love hear about it!

 

Gallery

S2 Pupils Art work in progress for this term

 

 Study Support

Study support is available every Monday and Wednesday after school in the Music Department

Study support is available every Monday after school in the Drama Department

 

 Staff list

 Music

Mrs Miller (PTC Curriculum)

Mrs Day

Miss Waddell (Maternity Leave)

Mrs Henderson

 

Drama

Mrs Garrie (PT Drama)

Mrs Hall

Ms McGrath

 

Art & Design

Mr Wotherspoon (PT Art & Design)

Ms Cardle

Mrs Houston

Miss Stewart

 

Music Instructors

Mrs Furness - Lower Strings

MS Howe – Piano

Mr Higgins – Upper Strings

Mr Lloyd – Guitar

Mrs Morrison – Percussion

Mrs Ritchie - Woodwind

Ms Russell – Clarsach

Mrs de Villiers – Brass

 

Pipe Band Tutors

Mr Aitken – Bagpipes

Mr Foggo – Pipe Band Drumming

Miss Lunsden - Tenor Drumming