SCOTLAND’S LYRIC GENIUS

Evening Star, Issue 21631, 29 January 1934, Page 5

SCOTLAND’S LYRIC GENIUS

AHNiVERSARYOF BURNS CELEBRATED ; :^ ‘ I LARGE GATHERING IN HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE The quality of Robert Burns’s songs, combining artlessness and genius, is bound in the very fibre of i his vetse, from which it is inseparable. The happiness that Burns’s language speaks has probably never been equalled, this being due to his brilliant poetic penetration, and his swift habit of, intuition, rather than to a mastery of his medium. But withal, he observes the rules of rhythm, diction, and metre. His position in the Scottish poetic galaxy is unchallenged. It is therefore fitting that the anniversary of Scotland’s greatest lyric poet should be celebrated locally each year by the club that bears his nhme—the Dunedin. Burns Club. His Majesty’s Theatre was crowded on Saturday night, when the anniversary gathering was held, and a lengthy programme ivas attentively listened to and fully appreciated by the 1 audience. Encores were frequent, and it was nearing 11 o’clock before the gathering jomed in the singing of ‘ Atild Lang Syne,’ bringing to a close a function that stirred memories in the heart of every Scotsman present. In the absence through illness ot the president (Mr A. M. Love),, the chair was occupied by Mr R. M’Kinlay, who briefly explained the object of the gathering, and gave .a resume of the life of Robert Burns, who died at the early age of 37$ years. In the course of his remarks ne said Burns, who had been d'ead for about 150 years on January 25 last,, bad left behind a name that was known the world over. Dunedin honoured that name, and the activities of the club helped to keep the name alive. In his inimitable Scottish style, Mr J. B. Thomson, of Wellington, carried the audience with him in the mind’s eye to Scotland, and particularly Ayr. Punctuating his remarks ■ freely with words of Scottish origin, Mr Thomson described the interior of a humble cottage at Ayr. the birthplace of Burns. Ho graphically reconstructed the scene early on that stormy morning of January 25, 1759, when the child was born, to become in later years Scotland’s bard. About 150 years ago he died in the same village, and it was wonderful to think that after all those years the anniversary of Burns was still celebrated. Not until Scotland lost its nationality, its beauty, its honour, and its independence, he said, would the name of Burris be unheeded by human ears. The programme items were, of course, of a Scottish nature, appropriate to the occasion. The Dunedin Highland Pipe Band, under 'Pipe-major W. Budge, opened the programme with a selection, and during tbfe evening the Burns Glub Choir was heard in several items, amongst these being ‘ There Was a Lad,’ ‘ To Mary In Heaven,’ and ‘ The Star o’ Robbie Burns.’ The rest of the programme was made up as follows: Song, 1 For the Sake o’ Somebody,’ Miss Nom Davidson; song, ‘ Scots Wha Hae,’ Mr Arthur Macdonald; dance, national reel, Miss D.. Wheeler’s party (Misses Margaret M’Millan, Daphne Allen, Rita Warren, and Doreen Wheeler); recitation, ‘ The Haggis,’ Mr J. B. Thomson: song, ‘Ye Banks and Braes,’ Miss Alva Myers; instrumental trio, ‘ Scottish Memories,’ Miss Eva Judd, Mrs T. J. Kirk-Burnnand, and Mr Lloyd Hunter; song, ‘ Bonnie Wee Thing,’ Mr Alfred Walmsley; dance, reel o’ Tulloch ’ the reel party; song, ‘ Braw, Braw Lads,’ Miss Mary Pratt; recitation, ‘The Twa Dogs)’ Mr J. B. Thomson; song. ‘My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose, Mr Arthur Macdonald. The musical director was Mr F. C. Cooper, and the accompaniste Mrs T. J. Kirk-Burnnand.