THREE STUDENTS of St Andrews University have a double cause to celebrate after collecting major awards for their contributions to music and drama—as well as graduating with honours degrees.

The prizes were handed over during a ceremony and reception in the university’s School of English.

The McEuen Rosebowl for drama was awarded to 21-year-old Sophia Rybin, who graduated yesterday with an MA Hons in English and mediaeval history.

She became heavily reinvolved in student drama during her final year and is now planning to go on to drama school.

The rosebowl was a wedding present from the people of St Andrews to a Miss Dolly Partington who was extensively involved in drama and music locally.

She and her husband emigrated to Canada and later endowed a scholarship for a Canadian student to study in St Andrews.

On Mrs McEuen’s death, her daughter brought the bowl back to St Andrews to start its new “life” as a student drama award.

The Malcolm Edwards Award for Drama was presented to Philippa Dunn (22), who also graduated yesterday with an MA Hons in English.

The prize honours Malcolm Edwards, an alumnus who became a distinguished London theatre director. After his death in 1990, some of his friends established the prize to further encourage the professional quality he brought to student productions.

The award is a large pottery plate commissioned by David Lloyd Jones, a leading potter admired by Edwards, and a cash prize.

Philippa has been involved with the student Mermaids Theatre Company since her first year at St Andrews.

She set up her own production company, Daysleeper Productions, and directed and produced three plays when she was part of the committee behind Showcase, the student arts festival at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews.

Sarah Burrell (22), who graduates today with an MA (Hons) in Italian with linguistics, received the Cedric Thorpe Davie Award for her exceptional contribution to music at the university.

Cedric Thorpe Davie, who died in 1983, was a distinguished Scottish musician who devoted himself to the teaching and support of music at the university for more than 30 years.

The trophy is a small Inuit statuette given to Cedric by distinguished theatre director Sir Tyrone Guthrie, after their highly successful collaboration at the Edinburgh Festival.

Cedric’s son, the late Tony Davie, who was a lecturer in the School of Computer Science, donated the statuette to the university.

As a member of the Just So Society, Sarah played violin and piano in its productions and in shows by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the St Andrews Amateur Operatic Society. She is a member of the university’s Mussoc Symphony Orchestra, the Heisenberg Ensemble and Tayside Opera and leader of Dundee Symphony Orchestra.