THE VILLAGE

KILBRYDE BURNS CLUB

The Kilbryde Burns Club kicked off the New Year with their traditional Members’ Participation Night. President John Haining got the evening going by leading the audience in singing ‘Duncan Gray’.

John then invited Harvey Littlejohn to give a short talk on the Man in Black about the Reverend William Auld, the minister of Mauchline Parish Church at the time of Burns. Colin Macdonald then sang ‘The Dark Island’ and was followed by Alex Baird who delivered the famous Stanley Holloway monologue ‘Albert and the Lion’, complete with props!

Michael Dailly enthralled the audience with a selection of Burns’ tunes on the bagpipes and Bill Anderson recited the Burns poem ‘The Soldier’s Return’.

The evening continued with Denys Docherty and his guitar leading the company in singing ‘Ye Banks and Braes’ and May Lobban recited an amusing poem entitled ‘Rab the Miller’.

Jim Leslie then sang ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ before Isabel Brodie brought the first half to a close with a poem called ‘A Mither’s Blether’.

The second half commenced with Andy Montgomery singing that world famous Burns’ song ‘A Man’s A Man’. Bob Dalziel then recited a very poignant poem called ‘The Papisher and the Prod’ by John McKearney about a young couple’s love and marriage over the religious divide in Northern Ireland.

Brian Keenan thoughtfully delivered ‘Tam Samson’s Elegy’, before Jim Leslie returned to sing the Burns’ song ‘Killiecrankie’.

Allan Nicol then recited a short poem by Glasgow poet Tam Craven, entitled ‘Affluenza.’ The penultimate contribution of the night came from Jim Donoghue who recited ‘Willie Wastle’ and the evening entertainment was brought to a rousing close with Michael Dailly playing a Scottish selection of tunes on the bagpipes.

The evening was compered as seamlessly as ever by President Haining, and concluded with the company singing the traditional ‘Auld Lang Syne.’

The next meeting of the club is the 23rd Annual Burns Supper, which will be held on Monday February 3, and promises to be an excellent evening with well known Burnsian entertainers and of course the traditional Burns Supper meal.

Doors at the Village Bowling Club, 10 Maxwell Drive will open at 6.30pm to ensure a prompt start.

Unfortunately however for anyone looking for tickets, as has been the case for a number of years, the event is completely sold out.