BURNS CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 19386, 21 October 1926, Page 6

BURNS CLUB

There was a good attendance of members at tho monthly social gaUrcrincr of the Dunedin Burns Club, held in the Burns Hall last night. Mr M M'Donald occupied the chair, and in a brief opening speech stressed the fact that Halllowc’cu would bo celebrated on October 28. ~ In the musical programme that Billowed, Piper W. Budge idayed a selection, the choir sang tho part songs ‘Bonnie Dundee’ and Jessies Dream,’ Mr Lcs Dailey sang ‘Alton Water,’ Miss A. Homer ‘The Border Maiden,’ Mrs Jackson recited the ‘Quarrel Between Dougins and Marmion,’ Mr C. C. Scott sang ‘ 0 a the Airts,’ Mr R. B. M'Donalcl ‘ Border, Border,’ and Mists Lesley Dickinson ‘ Will Ye No Come Back Again.’ Mr George Christie played a cornet solo (‘() Nannie, Wilt Thou Gang We’ Me?’), and the Idlers’ Quartet gave a couple of items. Nearly every one of those was redomamled, including a Highland dance by Miss Bahs Saul; and at the end of an address given by Mr W. R. Rrugh a very enjoyable dance was held. Air Brugh’s subject was “The Land of Burns,” and in introducing it bo expressed tho view that the land of Burns was not bounded by the confines of Ayrshire and Dumfries, nor yet by Scotland itself, but extended wherever man’s was capable of appreciating bis beautiful songs and poems. Mr Brugh went on to _ refer to the early days of tho poet, pointing out how this,' the eldest son of a family of seven children of n struggling working gardner, with one stroke of his pen of genius had lifted himself into the grandest of aristocracies —the aristocracy of the geniuses of tho world. Continuing, be said to properly appreciate Burns wo must appreciate Scotland, the land to which Burns belonged and to which ns assuredly ns Wallace and Bruce had crivcn a sword so had lie given a voice. He pointed nut many of the pleasures met with in travelling through Scotland, both from the beauty of tho land and tho characteristics of_ tho people—many of those characteristics having been transmitted to us hero in New Zealand.' Comparing the two countries'in passing, be stated that for scenery New Zealand stands alone, bat for quiet‘rural beauty Scotland, and likewise England, stand unrivalled. He then proceeded to deal in more detail with tho various parts most intimately associated with the life of tho poet and with his songs and poems, stressing particularly the beauty of Alloway, his birthplace, and ‘Ye Banks and Braes o’ Bonnie Doom’ Incidentally, he exhibited a cast of tho head of Tam o‘Shanter, which he had obtained in Ayr. Air Brough was accorded a liearty vote of thanks for his address.