BURNS ON THE BEAT

Primary school children from across Dumfries and Galloway have been learning about the Scots language and how Robert Burns intended his songs to be performed. Throughout January Dumfries Museum has been hosting a series of workshops with Dr Fred Freeman, whose background is in Scottish literature and history, but who is also a renowned bagpipe player and the producer of 30 internationally acclaimed cds of traditional Scottish music, including the complete songs of Robert Burns.

Three workshops have been available to school classes, one concentrating on the immense energy of Burns’ compositions, with the children marching to their rhythm and learning about traditional dance forms such as jigs, reels and hornpipes. They have discovered “mouth music” and “diddling” as well as the stories behind the songs. A second workshop has concentrated on the origins of the language Burns used, and how many words we are familiar with today have their origins centuries ago. A third, introduced for 2012, has looked at Robert Tannahill, considered by many to be Robert Burns natural successor, and the way he used the Scots language.

Several schools took the opportunity to visit the Robert Burns Centre in Dumfries to watch the haunting audio visual about the poet’s life in Dumfries and examine the scale model of the town as it was in the poet’s day. Others visited Robert Burns House, the simple sandstone dwelling where the poet spent the last three years of his life.

By the end of the project Dumfries Museum will have welcomed well over 400 children to the workshops, which received financial assistance from Live Literature Scotland.

BURNS AND GRAHAM – A POET AND HIS PATRON

Opening at Robert Burns House on Saturday 21 January, “Burns and Graham – A Poet and His Patron” describes the friendship between Robert Graham, 12th Laird of Fintry and Robert Burns.

The poet first met Robert Graham, an Excise Commissioner, in 1787 and the latter soon became a patron and friend, supporting Burns’ application to become an Excise Officer. In 1793, a two volume edition of “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect” by Robert Burns was published in Edinburgh. Burns presented several copies to his friends, including the Grahams. Theirs has been cherished by the family ever since. The current owner, the 18th Laird of Fintry, has kindly loaned the books to Robert Burns House for this exhibition.

The first volume has a telling dedication to Mrs Graham, written by the Poet – “It is probable, Madam, that this page may be read when the hand that now writes it is mouldering in the dust.”

As well as the books, a group of delicate miniature portraits of the Graham family are also on exhibition. They include a portrait of Robert Graham, along with portraits of several of his children. A couple of keepsakes from the Duchess of Atholl to members of the Graham family complete the display.

Admission to Robert Burns House is free, and it is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 1pm, 2pm – 5pm. The exhibition runs until Sunday 15 April.

ROBERT BURNS HOUSE – DAVID SIBBALD IN RESIDENCE

David Sibbald, leading Burns orator and renowned after dinner speaker, will be “in residence” at Robert Burns House on Saturday 28 January between 2.00pm – 4.00pm.

Many will remember David for his keynote speech in Glasgow’s George Square for the Homecoming in 2009, but he has spoken about Robert Burns on hundreds of occasions over the last 20 years, including on the Royal Yacht Britannia and at the Globe Theatre, London. From the tales behind the songs to life at the time of Burns, this informal drop in event is bound to be fascinating – you may even hear a poem or two!

David says “At the end of the day Burns should be fun. Let’s all enjoy the friendship and camaraderie along the way”.

Admission is free.




        

                

                  

                        
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