School Buzz

2010-10-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Everything is RENT by Rachael Murray

2010-09-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

A small local theatre in the leafy suburb of Giffnock seems an odd place to stage a Rock Opera, so going into Theatre South's production of RENT I felt naturally skeptical. However, I soon realised that my fears were unfounded.

For anyone not familiar with RENT, it can be difficult to explain. Based on Puccini's La Boheme, it follows one year in the life of six artists living in New York. On the surface, it sounds x-rated, or at least only suitable for adults. Yet I saw many parents there, young children in tow, and I understood why. Beneath the AIDS, cross dressing and heroin addiction, there's an incredible heart to the show that most "serious theatre" does not come close to. RENT is a story about friendship, about love and - above all else - about having no regrets.

The small stage had been transformed to a miniature version of the classic back-alley set, and the impressive lights transported the audience to Alphabet City, haven for poor artists living the Bohemian lifestyle. Yet it was the cast that made this production most extraordinary. Christina Leon shone as Mimi Marquez - showing the more vulnerable side to such a bold character. Mélanie Morrison gave a heart to a potentially unlikable character in Maureen Johnston - and had the whole audience joining in with Over the Moon. Without a doubt, the highlight of the show was the pairing of Daniel Sedgwick and Sean McGovern as the show's golden couple, Collins and Angel. The two were an unlikely choice - they don't exactly scream Hispanic Drag Queen and Anarchist Philosophy Professor - but as soon as they started You Okay Honey? the whole audience being completely entranced. McGovern's Today 4 U deserves particular mention, if only for the impressive dance routine performed in six inch heels. The play's lead, Iain Runciman also stood out, when he lead the entire cast to triumph in the climax of Act 1, La Vie Boheme, a song that epitomises the true meaning of the show.

Ultimately, RENT is heart-warming show, that avoids all cliches but still conveys an important message of living in the moment, and Theatre South Productions triumphed in bringing this big city story to a small town. The audience were laughing out loud, crying into their hands, and by the Finale, were truly convinced that there's no day but today.

And even more discos......

2010-02-23T01:20:00.000-08:00

By Sopie Igoe, Megan Finnie, Eilidh McKendrick

The S1 and S2 disco was a great success. Almost all of first year were there and about 20 2nd years. The money from the tickets is going to the two S6 folk who are going to Malawi to help build and work in schools. The disco had a great range of musing from the Jackson 5 to Jedward's new song "Under Pressure". There was a raffle with various prizes including aftershave, nailpolish and chocolate. One of the winners was Mrs Graham. S3 pupils catered for the disco with sweets and juice. In our opinion the disco was a great night...unmissable.

The Chess Club

2010-02-23T01:09:00.000-08:00

By Joseph Coyle

The Chess Club is run on Mondays after school in English room 3 from 3;30 to 4;30. It is a great opportunity to make new friends. No previous experience is needed to come to the club, so if you want to learn them come along. Chess is a game of strategy and skill. It is a perfect game to play for people who like challenges. The students who attend have mixed abilities. You have a chance for an hour of fun every Monday. So far, there has been only one session, so you haven't missed much. We want to see more faces at the Chess Club so come along. Everyone is welcome!

More Discos By Amy Davis&Lousia Sabatini

2010-02-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

Last night was the s1/s2 St Valentine's disco. The 6th years going to Malawi orginised it , to raise money in order to go. The disco was from 7-9pm with music, food, dancing and raffles. There was a range of s1's and s2's there. Almost every first year went and a few second years went there , so in total I would say there were about 190 people. The 6th years made it a good disco so it was a huge success. Natasha Ali and her fellow 6th years made it fun. The raffle was a good way to raise money because it cost £1 for a whole strip , so it got them alot of money for Malawi. Different types of music was being played and many different songs were requested. The forum was nicley decorated with red and pink hearts everywhere. Teachers also participated in the raffle and many of them won. Mrs Graham did a good job of keeping it all under control. We hope that the 6th years enjoy their trip to Maloui!!!!! And i want to say thanks for such a great night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Gig Review - Kasabian

2009-11-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

Glasgow SECC – 12th November 2009

As Kasabian fans left the SECC on Thursday night, the streets sounded more like the terraces of a football ground as they continued to chant the band’s final song, LSF. Fresh from success with third album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’, Kasabian proved that they are one of the best live bands around, storming through a brilliant set lasting over an hour and a half.

For any doubters of the band’s indie-rock brand of music, one thing that can be said about them is that they know how to work the crowd. From the very beginning, ‘Julie and the Mothman’ and ‘Underdog’ sent the crowd into a beer-throwing frenzy as frontman Tom Meighan proved himself to be one of the best in the business, sauntering around the stage like a veteran. It was not only their music that went down well but the band provided a stage show that was unlike anything they had offered before. Guitarist Serge Pizzorno promised a stage set up with the theme of ‘seeing the world through a looking glass’, an idea heavily inspired by their most recent album. These newer tracks were followed by older hits such as ‘Cutt Off’, ‘Shoot the Runner’ and ‘Processed Beats’ with the strong set list proving just exactly how much hits they have had since they came on the scene in 2003. Slower songs ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ and ‘Thick as Thieves’ offered a moment of respite before the crowd went crazy for recent hit ‘Fire’. This was followed by ‘Fast Fuse’, ‘Club Foot’ and ‘Vlad the Impaler’, also going down a storm and keeping the crowd jumping. The sound of final song ‘LSF’ could still be heard 20 minutes after the band left the stage, showing that this live show will be hard to beat for a while yet.

Kasabian have recently been quoted as saying that they would like to take Oasis’ crown as the UK’s biggest band. After this performance, it seems that they already have.

The S1 and S2 Halloween Disco

2009-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

The S1 and S2 Halloween Disco took place on the 29Th of October. It was a extremly cold wet night but the weather did'nt dampen anyones spirits or the costumes. There were leprechauns , lifeguards,witches and even credit cards! To every ones delight there were not many of the same costumes.The night was extremely enjoyable. Sweets and refreshments where sold in the hub by older pupils.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009-10-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

As an avid Roald Dahl fan, you can imagine my excitement on hearing there would be a film adaptation of one of my most beloved children's books. Obviously, I was anxious to see how director Wes Anderson would translate the book onto film, and how the voice actors would measure up to how I imagined the characters. And when I finally did get to go see it, for lack of a better word, it was fantastic. It is filmed in stop animation, and you can see the sheer dedication that went into it. For those not familiar with it, stop animation basically means you shoot a frame, stop the camera, move the models, shoot a frame and so on. By no means is it the most modern technique (it was used in the filming of the original King Kong) and is certainly not one of the most popular techniques; off the top of my head I can only think of Tim Burton and the creators of Wallace and Gromit who favour it.

I of course knew that the film would have to be different from the book, which it was, the book afterall was less than a hundred pages long and aimed at small children. The plot became more complex and characters were added and existing characters were given much more depth. This is certainly an achievement for a film about a society of talking animals.

The cast, I felt perfectly captured the essence of the characters. Jason Schwartzmen's Ash Fox (son of Mr. Fox) portrayal of a boy who desperately wants to be like his father and feels inferior to his cousin Kristoferson provided both humour and emotion. I was doubtful about George Clooney for Mr. Fox but his cocky attitude suited the character perfectly. I felt everything was just as Roald Dahl would have wanted it, from Mr. Fox's study based on Dahl's own at Gypsy house, to the recurring 'bandit hat' gag to the three evil farmer's theme song adapted from Dahl's own poem. Anderson had wonderfully adapted the novel whilst adding his own spin on it.

Twin Atlantic Exclusive

2009-10-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Since their start in 2007 Glaswegian rock quartet Twin Atlantic has always been the opening band, the support or that other band on the bill. For years they have toured across the UK playing with bands such as Funeral for a Friend and You Me at Six, playing music which they love both listening to and playing. Time and time again Twin Atlantic has proved they can win over any crowd with their relentless performances. This is one band however that seems unable to shake the comparisons to Biffy Clyro with their rough shaggy hair, energetic garage sound and blatant Scottish accents. As a band that have always shown they have potential Twin Atlantic silenced their critics in 2009 and proved their ready to take centre stage with their own tours , sell out gigs and a debut album on its way earning them prestige as a band that’s time has finally come. I recently caught up with Atlantic drummer Craig Kneale.

- Firstly how did Twin Atlantic start?
Sam and Ross were best friends from school and had been in other bands previously, after this they started Twin Atlantic in autumn of 2006. In January of 2007 they went on a UK tour with another Glasgow band called Piano Bar Fight who Barry was helping out on Cello. I knew Sam and Ross from their previous bands and had been to a couple of shows and really liked them. I told Sam's flat mate that I loved their band and it must have got back to him because not long after he asked if I wanted to try out on drums for them. Barry joined at the same time and the rest is (very minor) history.

- What contemporary artists would you compare yourself to or describe as an influence?
Mmmm, there's too many to mention! I wouldn't like to compare ourselves to a band musically, but I do agree with a lot of things that bands like Death Cab For Cutie and RX Bandits stand for. They purely make music for themselves and the joy of it, and have a really refreshing outlook on being in a band. If we could be considered in the same pool as bands like that we'd be very happy.

- You were recently involved in high profile gigs with The Lost Prophets and a tour with The Subways how important is support roles like these in the bands up rise or progression?
They are so important. I know that the first time I saw/heard of many of my favourite bands was supporting a bigger artist. That’s why when you have these supports you have to put as much into it as you would your own gig, perhaps even more. Usually, 90% or more of the crowd is not there to see your band so you have to fight for their attention. When it comes together you can actually see the crowd warming to you and some of these people can become real fans in that instant.

- How hard is it to create originality with your music in a city like Glasgow with such a fantastic music scene?
You try not to think about it! We have always tried to make the music that we wanted to make so we try not to think about what's going on in the scene around us. We don't intentionally try to be different either, I think a lot of the diversity in our music comes from the fact we're all from quite different musical backgrounds.

- How does it feel to be standing out from literally hundreds of bands as being a group with real potential and the chance of the big time?
Again, the minute you start thinking you’re bigger than everyone else is the second you lose track of what you started making music together for. We've all played in bands before where we never really got anywhere, and we do realize that our band has been very lucky and people seem to like what we're doing. We're just going to continue to keep doing what we're doing and see what happens!

- Finally what can fans expect from Twin Atlantic in the near future?
Hopefully a lot! We want to build on everything we managed to achieve in 2008, and just grow as a band. Expect an album, more tours, bigger songs, and more impressive shows - pretty much everything bigger!

Irrational Fears

2009-10-04T04:41:00.001-07:00

My Irrational Fears.

When I was three I wandered off in a supermarket, I turned around and I couldn't see my parents around the huge shelves. I'd been abandoned! For a little while my heart jumped in my chest and my eyes searched frantically, of course a second later her smiling, if not slightly panicked face appeared round the corner and lifted me into the trolley. The panic was over, but for a minute I was scared.

I'm not a huge fan of cats. I have a horrible, irrational fear of them so when one morning I awoke in a friends house to a cat sitting at the bottom of my bed my mind screamed lion and my fight or flight instinct prepared me to run, screaming from the ferocious beast as it prowled hungrily for prey. Then of course "Fluffy" - what a name for such a monster - hopped off the bed in search for a more meager, smaller prey, most likely residing in her food bowl. But for a minute, I was scared.

It's not just cats that terrify me, dangerous though they are. Heights also turn me into a quivering wreck. It's very easy for someone safely on the ground to command gently 'just to jump' and ' not to look down' but that is not the case when you are battling vertigo infinite miles up. As the wind throws you off kilter and you sway alarmingly close to the edge, it's very hard not to peer slowly downwards to certain death on the black foam floor of the playground. Twelve year old you is convinced the thin, frail metal slide will bend and break beneath you. Leaving you in a tangled mess of limbs wishing you never did. But then of course some dare devil behind you, over anxious for their turn, pushes you and you speed down the death defying drop. As soon as you reach the bottom you smile giddily before pushing away the ridiculous desire to slide again. Your feet are now firmly planted on the ground - where hopefully they will remain for all time - but for a minute you were scared.

It is true that we all experience 'The Fear' but we are not all so united in this irrationality than in those few terrifying moments outside exam rooms. Stomachs clenching, sweating and becoming convinced that the last five years of education have been forgotten. What's your name again? What exam is this? Did you have breakfast this morning? Have you ever had breakfast? The important thing is, forgetting these questions and believing, or hoping, that scared as you are the teachers know what they're doing and that the test paper you receive isn't going to be an hour long riddle. It's walking in to the room, taking your seat and reminding yourself that as terrifying as that lion looks, it is just a big kitten!

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

2009-09-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Arctic Monkeys
Humbug

The Arctic Monkeys are back and they’re back with their third album ‘Humbug’. Recorded in California with Josh Homme, frontman of Queens of the Stone Age, the band have created a darker sound that takes their music to a whole new level. Following the success of their highly-acclaimed debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ in 2006, and the more hard-edged second ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ a year later, ‘Humbug’ is a more mature album that displays the musical abilities within the band.

Throughout the album, Homme’s influence is clear as the songs are more sinister and menacing than in previous collections. Truthfully, this heavier sound is quite hard to get your head around after a first listen but ‘Humbug’ proves to be the most coherent Monkeys album to date as the tracks move seamlessly from start to finish. Alex Turner’s voice continues to improve, especially on opening track ‘My Propeller’ but it is his lyrics that remain the most striking thing about his albums. While they seem darker than before, the sarcastic sneering that characterised the earliest albums are still there, particularly in ‘Dance Little Liar’ and the more unsettling penultimate track ‘Pretty Visitors’. The album’s best track ‘Crying Lightening’, although not as volcanic as ‘Brianstorm’ on ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ is just as memorable and very moreish.

This is a brave move by the Arctic Monkeys who seem to have grown in confidence in their own abilities. It would be easy to create a dozen new albums full of anthems like ‘I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor’ and ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ but it is clear that they want to move away from this image that was then followed by a huge number of bands who just proved to be pale imitators. Many fans will wonder why the band has changed something that was working so well as they are in danger of losing the killer melodies that they are most famous for. On the other hand, never comfortable with their unofficial title as the ‘voice of a generation’, ‘Humbug’ shrugs off this burden as they take a big step forward, ensuring an interesting future.

Book Review: Small Island

2009-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

This novel by Andrea Levy gives a view into the life of both British and Jamaican people living before, during, and after the second World War. The novel has several different narrators. Queenie Bligh; an English woman who believes her husband to be dead and therefore forced to take Jamaican lodgers to get by(much to the chagrin of her neighbours); her husband Bernard; a banker who finds himself in war torn India; Hortense, a Jamaican woman from a good home and dreams of better things and her husband Airman Gilbert Joseph who both find themselves treated as second class citizens when they travel to England in search of better things.

The novel follows these characters lives, with each chapter being from one of their perspectives. I found it a truly insightful look into the past of Britain and the nature of 'The Empire'. Personally, I found the book improved as it progressed as the events became more dramatic and gripping and the characters became more and more developed. I didn't like each character all of the time, but that only made it all the more real as I saw their faults as well as good qualities and how others view them. For example, I found Bernard's devotion to Queenie and his country very touching, yet his attitude towards Gilbert is far from civilised. I found that characters I felt indifferent towards or disliked I grew to like as the book progressed, the character of Hortense especially. In the beginning I found her pretentious and cruel, yet by the end, after seeing life through her eyes and seeing how she changed I grew to like her.

However, one character I more or less liked consistently was Gilbert. Not only was he was funny and good natured, but he was terrifically observant and in many ways tragic. He had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but was condemned to go through life as a driver, first for his mother's cake business, then in the RAF after being refused the position as a pilot, and finally as a post van driver after being rejected from law school. He gives the reader a magnificent view of life as a Jamaican in Britain and the injustice of their position in society. Gilbert and his fellow Jamaicans know everything there is to know about Britain; what products are made where; famous Britons; famous monuments. Yet when you ask the average man in England at the time 'Where is Jamaica?' He would reply 'Somewhere in Africa isn't it?'. And the more wealthy are no better; they rave about Jamaica's savage jungles and even more savage natives; and, of course, how lucky the natives were that the British were there to 'civilise' them. When we are reading Gilbert's narrative, we are given wonderful metaphors and insightful observations into the world around him, yet to many he is nothing more than a savage, and to the more 'open minded' he is a child to be taught the ways of the 'Mother Country'

I thought that this book was superbly written with vivid descriptions and wonderfully constructed characters. Not only that, but I thought it was an incredibly interesting subject as I knew little about race relations in my own country before and after World War II. I saw life in Jamaica and life in Britain, the plight of a black soldier and the plight of a white one. I saw the terror felt in battle and the terror felt during an air raid. It is clear that Levy has researched her subject well and has a wonderful grasp of what is at it's core. I think this book will appeal to all kinds of people, there is romance, action, sorrow and humour but most importantly it is a book that entertains you but finds you really interested in it's subject matter and very thoughtful about our past as a country.

St Ninian's Life Group

2009-09-18T03:09:00.000-07:00

What is the LIFE group?

LIFE is an organisation that supports and cares for women who are considering an abortion, suffering after having had an abortion or are facing having their baby in difficult personal or financial circumstances.

St Ninian's LIFE Group help LIFE do this by raising both funds and awareness through coffee mornings, masses and sponsored walks.
Click here to visit the life group blog.

Film Review - Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

2009-09-18T03:08:00.000-07:00

Being a self-confessed Harry Potter fanatic, I found the concept of the sixth in a series of gripping films greatly appealing. And, as hoped, the wizards behind the magic of the Harry Potter films failed to disappoint yet again.
Granted, this was not by any stretch of the imagination a film adaptation of the book, missing various storylines and the epic battle at the end of the book. However, this is excusable given the ever-increasing size and complexity of the novels. Nevertheless, there's no denying that this is, in it's own right, a spectacular film. With laugh-out-loud moments at every corner and hormones running at an all-time high within the wondrous walls of Hogwarts, the sixth Harry Potter film sees the development of characters, old and new, reach an entirely new level.
This is the darkest film so far, reflecting the turmoil into which the wizarding community is being thrown and yet, the creators have managed to concoct a perfect potion of dark humour, serious plots, and the entirely clumsy nature of adolescent romances. On the other hand, the core plot is where non-readers are at a loss as the whole storyline behind the hunt for Horcruxes is explained with such brevity that it has a detrimental effect upon the audience's understanding of this particular plot.
There is no doubt in my mind that this captivating film leaves the audience wanting more. "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" has, if anything, confirmed my loyalty towards the series and has left me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails for what's to come next.

peace and love

eilidhbailey.

Film Review- 'Moon'

2009-09-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

In respect to films, 2009 has been disappointing; the same cheap, cliche plots used over and over again. I will admit that some were vaguely entertaining and some could even be called good, but these films were few.

Aren't people starting to lust for something more? Something that makes you think, something exciting, something unique. I definitely have, and I've found it.

'Moon', directed by Duncan Jones (David Bowie's son), is a breathtaking film set in the future. The main character is Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell, an astronaut working for a company which is harvesting the surface of the moon with automated machines. Sam Bell's job is to supervise and maintain the machinery for three years, completely isolated from all humans, with only the videos from his family and a monotonous talking robot called GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) to keep him sane.

Sam reaches the last two weeks of his job and is desperate to return to his wife and daughter, and leave the harsh, cold loneliness of the lunar facility. However when out on the surface of the moon he begins to hallucinate and crashes his moon-buggy into a piece of machinery. What he finds when he goes to repair it forces him to confront whether his three years of solitude have affected him mentally.

Sam Rockwell plays this character beautifully and all the way throughout the film your heart reaches out to him. So go see 'Moon' and be prepared to face the reality of isolation and explore the many possibilities the future could hold.

Any Reviews?

2009-09-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

If youve been to a recent gig, or have a gig lined up and would like to share your enthusiam or disappointment, let us know. Bluegrass to Bangora, tell us about the best of times....the worst of times.

St Ninians Got Talent!

2009-09-17T01:09:00.000-07:00

This year St Ninians is going to be holding its very first talent competition! Auditions are being held for the first round on the 30th of September, after school in the street. All variety of acts are welcome to audition, from jugglers to singers! All proceeds from the shows will be going to charity. Hosted by Caitlin O'Neil and Mark Carr, its rumored that the winner will be performing at the 6th year prom. Dates for the live night shows will be confirmed later this month, by the head team and here,the school website and on the school buzz. Watch this space..