BURNS NIGHT

Southland Times, Issue 22490, 26 January 1935, Page 6

BURNS NIGHT

PAGEANTRY AND COLOUR. All the colour and pageantry of a true Scottish night were to be found m Smith’s Hall last evening when the Scots of Invercargill did honour to Scotland’s national bard—the immortal Robert Burns. There was nothing of a formal concert programme about the proceedings, it was from first to last a rendition of all that the true Scotsman holds dear—Scottish songs, the skirl of the pipes and that, spirit of genial goodfellowship that is always engendered when Scot meets Scot. The chief of the society, Mr J. L. McG. Watson, opened the proceedings by stating that they had gathered that evening to honour the 175th anniversary of the illustrious and immortal poet Rabbie Bums. Ail over the world this anniversary would be celebrated by brother Scots in similar fashion to that in which Burns’s memory would be honoured in Invercargill. “The older the world grows, continued the chief, “the more enthusiastic grows the celebrations, and the more people take part in them.” Times had changed, however, from the old days when a Bums night was the signal for rejoicing of a more boisterous nature. There had been over-much conviviality in those days. Modem times saw the same enthusiasm without the same stimulants. The chief went on to say that as the Rev. Mr Graham, who had been chosen as the speaker for the evening, was now unavoidably prevented from attending Chieftain Miller had kindly consented to give the address. ' The Programme.

The programme, bright and varied in nature as only a true Scottish programme could be was as follows: — Selection by the Caledonian Pipe Band of Southland; song, Mrs Aitchison, “The Old Scottish Sangs”; song, Miss Rene Brown, “John Anderson Ma Jo”; Highland Hing, Miss J. Tinker; songs, Mr Aitchison’s quartette party, “There was a lad born in Kyle,” and “Ye Banks

and Braes”; song, Miss Margaret Henderson, “Doon the Bum.” Mr W. Aitchison also sang a song as a special introductory number to the bringing in of the haggis, “Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes.” The “Address to the Haggis” was made by Mr P. Bain. The evening was brought to a close by Mr W. McCaw proposing a vote of thanks to Chieftain Miller. The chieftain briefly replied and in turn passed a vote of thanks to the performers for the evening.