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Burns Nicht
Bits, Tidbits, and Fragments
This article is dedicated to
those fine people at Mount Airy, NC who are members of The Scottish
Heritage Society of the Blue Ridge and The Mount Airy Museum
of Regional History for sponsoring Burns Nicht, especially to Linda
Blue Stanfield, museum director, and Scotia Script editor, Tom
Scott, who puts out a great newsletter for the society’s members. I
particularly want to thank the many others who made possible the wonderful
time those of us attending had in celebrating Burns Nicht at the Cross Creek
Country Club on January 26, 2008. The theme for the evening was “A
Celebration of the Life and Times of Robert Burns.”
I look back on that occasion
with great memories. A tip of the hat to the Reverend Dale Cline, our emcee,
for his humor, particularly about pipers and their bagpipes. Dale delivered
an outstanding rendition of “Address to the Haggis”. Special thanks
are also in order to the Triad Scottish Fiddlers & Friends who entertained
during dinner with songs from Robert Burns, a very nice touch indeed! (Other
Burns Clubs should take note!) I was notably thankful for the wonderful
haggis. The chef was kind enough to serve me a second helping, as well as a
wee bit to bring back to Atlanta. I must confess, though, it never made it
any farther than my motel room!
Susan and I enjoyed the warm
welcome of these gracious men and women who proudly spoke of their Scottish
heritage and wore their tartans with an air of dignity! These Scottish
Southerners did justice to the acclaimed hospitality that Scots and
Southerners alike are known for around the world. It was an honor to be
asked to deliver The Immortal Memory in the home town of famed
television star, Andy Griffith. I only hope your Burns Nicht was as good as
ours in Mount Airy – it ranked right up there with the best I have
participated in over the years!
With that said, I was curious
to know how Burns Nicht was celebrated here in the United States and in
Scotland this year, so I fired off an email to several of my friends to
inquire. What follows are illustrations on how hundreds honored the birthday
of Robert Burns with their celebrations around the world. Maybe this
article will tempt you to look up more on the Internet.
Let me start with a Scottish
cottage - though not in Scotland - that means a lot to Susan and me. I have
it on good report that the Atlanta Burns Club, of which I am a member, had
its usual full house. I missed celebrating with my fellow members due to the
commitment to speak at Mount Airy. One thing is for sure, however, you can
always count on an excellent program and wonderful food at the Burns
Cottage. If you are ever planning a visit to Atlanta and want to see the
Burns Cottage, plan ahead, and let me know of your arrival. I will do my
best to arrange to have it opened for you. There is much Scottish history in
this Burns Club, and their hospitality is just superb!
My own St. Andrew’s Society
in Atlanta observed their Burns Nicht Dinner at the Druid Hills Golf Club
two weeks later than originally planned. Mother Nature’s blanket of snow and
ice intervened, and a make-up event was necessary. It was the first time in
the club’s history that a dinner of any kind had been cancelled, but the
streets were impassable and the chef thought it wise not to risk anyone
being out in the elements. However, the cancellation did not dampen the
spirits of those attending the later date as the club’s beautiful ballroom
was packed with over 140 people. Some of those who could not attend the
make-up date were replaced by some who could not attend on the original
date. It was a great evening enjoyed by one and all. An outstanding Immortal
Memory was delivered by friend Jim Montgomery. One suggestion: I hope next
year the Chef does a better job with the haggis – it’s not to be served like
a slice of meatloaf. Perhaps a call to Chef Chris Wishart at the Cross Creek
Country Club in Mount Airy for a few tips would be in order, or take a hint
and try Caledonian haggis next time!
I heard from the Burns Club
of London that they had 230 in attendance for their dinner. Jim Henderson,
the club’s honorary secretary, and I correspond from time to time. I can say
from personal experience that these people know how to welcome guests from
around the world. In 2005 they hosted a luncheon for Susan and me at the
Caledonian Club in London, and the time with them will always be remembered
as a very special one. If pressed, I would testify under oath that the best
haggis I have ever eaten came from their club, in the heart of London, but
then they have a fulltime Scottish chef who knows how to pamper the Scottish
membership. Their hospitality ranks among the best in my Burns world!
From way up in Wester Ross,
Scotland came this message from Ian McMillan, a very interesting and
talented Burnsian: “Our Burns night was once more a great success. We
squeezed well over 60 into our hotel and were again oversubscribed. Our
club, The Wester Ross Burns Club, up to 20 strong, will now join the (Burns
World) Federation.” Ian was a busy man this Burns season. He gave the
Immortal Memory at the Avoch Burns Club on the Black Isle and also spoke at
the Rotary Burns night in Ullapool and the Strathpeffer Burns Club in
Dingwall. Congratulations, Ian! You are truly a Burns ambassador.
Benny Gillies, friend and one
of Scotland’s top antiquarian book dealers, told me he went to an “Evening
with Burns” at the Coach and Horses Pub in Dumfries “just around the corner
where Burns stayed in Banks St.” Benny’s niece from Ireland was visiting
him, along with seven of her friends, for the weekend and “they fancied a
bit of haggis and neeps”. He goes on to say that this was a fairly informal
event and the “haggis was addressed in good fashion”. I have learned that
many pubs in Scotland have a Burns Nicht and draw big crowds. If ever there
was a Burns “honest man”, Benny is that man! Check out his web site at
www.bennygillies.co.uk for his Secondhand and Antiquarian Scottish
Books, Maps, and Prints located in Kirkpatrick Durham, Castle Douglas,
not too far out of Dumfries. He’ll do you right!
Shirley Bell, Chief Executive
of the Robert Burns World Federation in Kilmarnock, wrote that she attended
several Burns Nicht functions “and perhaps two most memorable were the West
Sound Burns Supper held in Glasgow and St. Michael’s Burns Club Supper held
in Dumfries”. The West Sound Supper had 600 in attendance with the highlight
of the evening being the School Children winners of the Federation Schools
Festivals. Standing ovations were given to the flautist, singer, and choir.
Karen Dunbar, a well known comedienne, recited Tam O’Shanter and this was
certainly the best interpretation of the poem I have heard. She was
wonderful.”
Shirley went on to say that a
new club, St. Michael’s Burns Club formed by members of the church, had 77
attending. “Robert Burns is of course buried in the Church yard and the
minister rightly claims that the club is nearest the Bard! David Shankland,
MBE, delivered the Immortal Memory to a hushed audience and had everyone
spellbound with his honest and thought provoking message.” Much has been
written about Burns and religion over the years. When Susan and I visited
St. Michael’s Church on our last visit to Scotland, I made sure to take a
couple of pictures of the designated “Burns Pew”. Yes, Burns attended
church throughout his life!
A “SOLD OUT” Burns Nicht was
held at the First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York. Good friend
Thomas Keith, one of the organizers, writes that 115 celebrated Burns Night
to honor the poet and hear successful crime novelist Val McDermid speak and
sing. Tom said she spoke about what Burns meant to her while growing up in
Scotland. Her theme: “The universal qualities of Burns writing that anyone
and everyone can relate to in regards to love, friendship, humor,
responsibility and respect for our fellow humans,” and she would sing a
Burns song when appropriate during the Immortal Memory. Entertainment was by
“The Highland Shatners” and about two hours of Scottish dancing was led by
Ann Hawkins and Jack Cole. Chief of this fine club is Ian R. Betts.
Clark McGinn, known and
heralded as the “Burns Supper Specialist” and one of many outstanding
members of the London Burns Club, writes that he was active during the Burns
Nicht season. He literally traveled over 36,000 miles, speaking to over two
thousand people around the world. He called it “360 degrees of Rabbie” with
18 Immortal Memories this year with the Sydney Opera House being the
exciting one! That’s a lot of haggis, my friend!” For those of you wanting
to put a wee bit of zing into your Burns Dinner/Supper, check out his
current book, The Ultimate Burns Supper Book: A Practical (But
Irreverent) Guide to Scotland’s Greatest Celebration. Clark goes on
to say, “I am just finishing the draft of my new book which is a look at all
the festivals of Scotland today…”
Ron Murray, Associate
Director at the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Office of
Continuing Medical Education, emailed that “the Kilmarnock and District Pipe
Band’s Burns Nicht was a grand mix of music, dance and readings” on February
2nd. An extra touch this year to begin the program was a darkened
hall with a spotlight on the Rampant Lion with Ron, out of sight of the
audience, reading the poem, “A Man’s A Man For A’ That”. The lights came up
on the rolls and the band made a stunning entrance. Located near Weems,
Virginia, the pipe band observes Burns Night to raise money for their band.
Other groups should take note of this great idea.
David Smith, my friend and
contact at The Globe Inn’s Burns Howff Club in Dumfries, writes that their
club observed its 119th anniversary dinner on January 25, 2008.
The Immortal Memory speaker was Alex Fergusson, MSP and Presiding Officer of
the Scottish Parliament, who delivered a passionate speech. “The speaker
believed that Burns did not enjoy farming but found great ability as a poet
while at the plough and was able to paint pictures with words, the only
tools at his fingertips.” As is their custom and tradition, the club
presented Mr. Fergusson with an honorary membership. The Consul General of
the Ukraine, Mr. Bohfdan Yaremenko, was a special guest of the club. The
Consul General noted that “Robert Burns was very famous in the Ukraine and
school children were taught of his life and work”. A spirited version of
“Auld Lang Syne” concluded the evening’s program. A 119-year-old-celebration
deserves our heartiest congratulations. That, my friends, is a lot of Burns
and haggis over the years!
Word on the street is that
the Heather and Thistle Club in Houston had over 700 in attendance this
year. That is in part a large tribute to Jack Hume, one of the finest
Burnsians I have ever known. He and his friends have built that club into
one of the biggest in the world. I can’t imagine that much haggis in one
place! Congratulations, Jack!
A few more programs were
brought to my attention that you may find of interest. On the evening of our
St. Andrew’s Burns Nicht in Atlanta, I was given a page downloaded from the
Internet describing a Burns Supper held at the Rabbie Burns Scottish Club.
This club/pub, owned by two ex-pats, opens daily at 6 p.m. and closes at 3
a.m.-ish! They proudly report they held their own Burns supper and “educated
the unacquainted to Robert Burns.” The pub is located in Calangute, Goa,
India. Good for them!
Scotsman.com reports that
Edinburgh’s Ukrainian community observed a Burns Supper during the latter
part of February. They celebrated both the Ukranian poet Taras Shevchenko
and Robert Burns with their traditional dish of red beetroot soup along with
haggis, neeps and tatties. Over 80 Scots and Ukranians attended. Red
beetroot soup? I would hope I would not shy away from it the way some do
haggis, but I confess it might be hard not to!
You’ll be interested in
knowing that 110 people gathered at the Hotel Melia to observe Burns Night
in Hanoi, Vietnam. This Burns Dinner was organized by the Indo-China
Usegebeathe Club and was replete with piper, haggis, toasts, dancing and The
Immortal Memory. Can you imagine Robert Burns in Hanoi?!
For a little more
international flavor, I wish to thank Thomas Keith for the following
information. The Scotsman published their “Best International
Burns Suppers” list and those making it were:
-
The Highland Heritage
Society of Buenos Aires, Argentina
-
The Granite Club/Scottish
Studies Foundation of Toronto, Ontario
-
The Caledonian Bar in
Budapest, Hungary
-
The St. Andrew’s Society
of Moscow
-
The Jeddah Caledonian
Society of Saudi Arabia
Such lists remind me of a wee
story I heard years ago about a drunk and the thermos bottle. This fellow
was trying to figure out how a thermos functions. You put in a hot item, and
it remains hot for a while. You fill it with a cold item, and it remains
cold for a while. He gave up trying to understand how the thermos works by
simply asking in his inebriated condition, “How do it know?”
I like to poke fun at such
lists because, like restaurant lists and movie reviews, they are highly
subjective. I checked out the story and could not find that anyone from
The Scotsman attended any of these Five Best International Burns
Dinners. More importantly, the article was written on January 23, two days
before any of these dinners were observed. So, I have just one question for
the writer: “How do you know?”!
This has been just what it
started out to be – bits, pieces, fragments, and tidbits about a few of the
Burns celebrations around the globe that have come across my desk. Burns
Nicht, let me assure you, was celebrated from Russia to the United Kingdom
and from America to the Middle East. Wherever Scots go, from the Alamo to
the Artic, they take their Burns poetry and songs with them and celebrate
both with gusto! No other poet in the history of mankind, including Willie
Shakespeare, is celebrated year in and year out like Burns. Remember, Robert
Burns told his wife Jean just prior to his death that he would be more
famous in a hundred years than while living. My, my, my...little did he
know! This is why, years ago, I named my Burns web site
Robert Burns Lives!
(FRS: 2.29.2008, or Leap Year
Day!)
Pillar in St. Michael's Church, Dumfries. The
Burns pew adjoins the pillar.
Scots still celebrate Burns as evidenced by this
poster in the
entryway to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Luncheon honoring Susan and Frank Shaw at the
Caledonian Club
in London by members of the London Burns Club
Burns mausoleum at St. Michael's Church where
the poet is buried
Globe Inn in Dumfries where Burns overnighted
and had many a dram over the years |
