Kilbryde Burns Club toasts the bard at annual supper
Members and friends of Kilbryde Burns Club joined to celebrate the works of our national bard at their 24th annual Burns Supper.
President Ian Ross hosted the event and was joined at the top table by an array of Burnsians fae a’the airts.
Ian welcomed members of Kilbryde and friends who had gathered to enjoy what promised to be another memorable Burns Supper.
Following the Selkirk Grace from Jim Donoghue, the haggis was delivered to the table by Allan Nicol, accompanied by piper Gordon Campbell.
May Lobban addressed the haggis in her inimitable style before inviting everyone to toast‘the chieftain o’the puddin’race’.
After a superb meal provided by Country Bake from Strathaven, the company settled back to enjoy the night’s entertainment.
The Toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns was proposed by Alan D Beck, current President of the Robert Burns World Federation, Past-President of the Greenock Burns Club (the Mother Club) and a composer, tenor and vocal coach of some renown , who delivered a very interesting, informative and well-researched talk on the bard, which he interspersed with humorous stories and gentle jokes at the expense of members of the audience.
Kilbryde were fortunate indeed to have the Toast to the Lasses proposed by Archie Gilbert. With his comprehensive knowledge of the works of Robert Burns, Archie has attended countless Burns Suppers and, with his superb delivery of Toasts, he is always in great demand.
Archie and his wife are busy folk as they have a long standing involvement with the charity Riding for the Disabled as well as Archie’s life-long interest in point to point racing. It goes without saying that Archie’s hilarious Toast had the audience‘laughing in the aisles’, but he was also generous in his praise of the ‘Lasses’.
Local lass and MSP Colette Stevenson responded to the Toast to the Lasses with great gusto. She ably championed the reputation of women in a forthright and funny way.
Alan Beck’s lovely wife Polly, a leading soprano and voice coach, provided the musical entertainment with performances of‘John Anderson, my Jo’and‘Leezie Lindsay’.
Sandy Reddy, another Past-President of Greenock Burns Club, delivered a theatrical rendition of Burns’ iconic narrative poem‘Tam O’Shanter’as well as‘Holy Willie’s Prayer’.
The assembled company also got in on the act by singing ‘Banks O’Doon’, led by the beautiful voice of Polly Beck.
Jim Leslie, current Kilbryde Vice-President, proposed the vote of thanks to the special guests who had participated in this year’s event. He was sure everyone had enjoyed the evening and gave fulsome thanks to all the artistes.
The evening ended with the company joining to sing the Star O’Rabbie Burns and Auld Lang Syne.
The club’s next meeting will be on Monday, March 6, at the Bowling Club Pavilion in the Village where the speaker will be Dr Pauline McKay, a Lecturer in Robert Burns Studies, and Associate Director of the
Centre for Robert Burns Studies at Glasgow University who will discuss her recently published book Burns for Every Day of the Year.
As usual visitors will be made most welcome. All interested in coming along to any of the meetings and learning more about our National Bard should contact Patricia or Jim Leslie on 01355 235189.