A new BBC Robert Burns website has just been put up and it includes videos of actors reciting the poems.
Although it’s a long time since I went out to a real Burns Supper we always have the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties on the 25th of January, the anniversary of Robert Burns‘s birth. We’re having vegetarian haggis this year as it’s my favourite. It really tastes very similar to the traditional kind because the same spices are used but instead of being made with a lot of unappetising bits of a sheep’s inside it’s made with pulses, oatmeal and kidney beans and such so there’s no danger of feeling squeamish.
Apart from writing poetry Robert Burns also collected a lot of traditional tunes and wrote words for them, saving lots of music which would otherwise have been lost in the mists of time. This is one of the tunes which he saved and wrote words for.
It’s sung here by Kenneth McKellar who died recently. There doesn’t seem to be a video of him singing it, it was his wife’s favourite song and after she died he didn’t sing it again. He had a lovely voice but he always looked like he came straight off a shortbread tin – kilt, velvet jacket, lacy stock (cravat) and all. He was a one man Scottish cliche and that wasn’t always too popular with fellow Scots. Anyway, it’s a lovely song, have a listen to it if you have time and you’re not averse to a bit of romance now and again!
A Red, Red Rose written in 1794
O, My luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June.
O, my luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly played in tune.
As fair thou art, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my Dear
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun!
O, I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare the weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!
When my late father was going to school in the early 1900’s, memorizing poetry was part of the education. He liked poetry and remembered much of it throughout his life. He used to amaze me by reciting poems, some of them quite long. Burns was a favorite of his and I have a nice leather-bound, gilt-edged volume of Burns that my mother’s aunt gave him. I seem to remember a poem about plowing up a little mouse in a field?
By the way, as a vegan, I recoiled at the mention of haggis, but that vegetarian haggis sounds lovely! Happy Robert Burns Day!
Joan,
We still had to memorise poetry, particularly Burns. The local Burns Society held a competition in the schools every year for singing and recitation, the prize being the complete works of Burns, which he still has but it isn’t as nice as yours sounds
J. won it in his year reciting Tae a Mouse, probably Burns’s most famous poem. It’s amazing how many people say that they’ve been influenced by Burns, including Bob Dylan!
I listen to podcasts on my Ipod while I’m getting dressed in the morning (so, I often miss bits while I’m brushing my teeth, washing my face, etc.). This morning The Guardian Books poscast was about Burns and the new Burns museum. Lots of reading of his poems. It complemented your blog very nicely.
Joan,
A new BBC Robert Burns website has just been put up so I added it to the beginning of my blogpost, it might be of interest to you. Is that the British Guardian that you are listening to or is it American?
I believe it’s the British version. I’m an Anglophile and love all things British. I also listen to a podcast from Australia called The First Tuesday Book Club.
Veggie haggis may be my salvation…but what are (is?) pulses?
Two nations seperated by a common tongue indeed!
Pearl,
Pulses are just lentils, peas and beans of any variety. You can get veggie haggis from any supermarket here and probably even on-line nowadays. I’ve never tried to make it but I think it would be easy enough to boil up a mixture of dried pulses which have been pre-soaked and add oatmeal and flavouring, which seems to be mainly pepper but you could add anything you like really.
Maybe you don’t have dried pulses in Hawaii probably you have fresh veggies only, but I’ve never heard of fresh lentils.
I expect that you’ll be very busy with your daughter when you get to Edinburgh but if you are at a loose end you can contact me and we could meet up for a coffee or something in the city!