Burns Supper 24 January @19.00

BURNS CLEBRATION

Thursday night marked the eve of the 260th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.  So, following tradition and being the Club night nearest to 25th January, members and their many guests, were entertained  at a Burns Supper, where the Bard was duly remembered and celebrated. Chairman for the evening was Alasdair Mackie, who presided with his usual wit and flair.

Piper Ben Adam from Queen Victoria School piped in the haggis, followed by a dramatic rendering by Lawrie Orr of the Address to a Haggis.  Lawrie didn’t stint in his attack of the “Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race” raising laughter with his energetic stabbing “wi’ ready sleight”. Following the traditional Burns-night meal, Craig Mair proposed the toast to The Immortal Memory.  He emphasized the extent of the worldwide recognition of Burns, and the remarkable spread of the celebrations of his birth across continents.  Chronicling the range of the Bard’s achievements, he reflected on Burns’s journey from ploughman to celebrated poet.   He emphasized the many aspects dealt with in the Bard’s poetry, including his interest in the natural world, and his revolutionary promotion of the brotherhood of man; and he noted the relevance of many of his themes to the present day.  Giving a welcome musical twist to the evening, Sarah Aldred sang settings of two Burns poems. Harry Morton proposed the Toast to the Lassies with some carefully chosen amusing stories. The response, given by Dorothy Anderson, drew laughter with some telling comments about the foibles of men, drawn with illustrations from the Garden of Eden. 

The highlight of the evening, however, was undoubtedly the performance of Tam O' Shanter given by Charlie Methven. His energetic rendering brought both admiration and laughter as he gave full vent to the dramatic elements of the poem.

David Chisholm, the organiser of the Supper, thanked the performers for a wonderful evening’s entertainment.  This was fully endorsed by applause from those present.  President John Kilby in turn thanked David for his work in organising so successful an evening, and also expressed his thanks to members and guests for making the evening so enjoyable.  The evening closed with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.