Burns Night observed

[shewhomust]

We observed Burns Night in the traditional manner, but on Sunday; that is, we were invited to dinner by a Scottish friend, who served us haggis and neeps and whisky, and provided such texts as we might need to steer us through the evening's rituals (the Collected Poems and The Broons Burns Night). So if our Address to the Haggis didn't go beyond "Greetings, haggis!" it was our own fault.

The Broons informed us that we were also required to toast The Lasses, and we paused to consider the recommended ording, Green Grow the Rashes:

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears
Her noblest work she classes, O:
Her prentice han' she try'd on man,
An' then she made the lasses, O.

- presumably not the origin, but certainly the sentiment, of the old feminist line When God made man, she was only testing...

It was our fault, too, that the dinner couldn't be held on the proper night: F originally invited us for Tuesday, but durham_rambler and I had tickets (bought with the theatre vouchers which she had given us for Christmas) to see Call Mr Robeson in Darlington. This was a one man (strictly, one man plus accompanist, but that wasn't the story they were telling) show about Paul Robeson, talking a slightly indirect route through his life. I found the not-quite-chronological treatment of the earlier part of the story a bit disconcerting: I probably wouldn't have noticed if it had all been new to me, but because I half-remembered quite a lot of it, I kept stumbling over what came before or after what. It's a great story, though, and even more, a tremendous portrait of the man, making him both heroic and human, teasing him gently about his pleasure in his own achievements and the stream of 'very close (woman) friends'.

It made effective use of the songs, too, and Tayo Aluko sang them extremely well: but I still came away wanting to hear Robeson himself. And also wondering whether he'd ever recorded, ever sung any Burns? It didn't seem unlikely: he'd travelled, and made a point of learning songs in the languages of his hosts. And surely the words would have fitted comfortably into his repertoire?

Then let us pray that come it may, as come it will for a' that,
That sense o' worth o'er a' the earth shall bear the fight for a' that.
For a' that and a' that, it's comin' yet for a' that,
That man to man the world o'er shall brothers be for a' that.

But apparently not. He sang the Eriskay Love Lilt (linked from this page), but I can't find any evidence of an encounter between Paul Robeson and Robert Burns - pity.

here he is singing in St Paul's cathedral, though.

Comments

[sovay]

but I can't find any evidence of an encounter between Paul Robeson and Robert Burns - pity.

He seems to have written about him, in a way which makes me even more surprised he didn't sing him.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

That link doesn't seem to be giving me what it gave you, which is frustrating; could you quote, please?

[sovay]

That link doesn't seem to be giving me what it gave you, which is frustrating; could you quote, please?

Gah. Does this link work?

It's from an article he wrote about the importance of not assimilating: "What would have become of the genius of Marie Lloyd if she had been ashamed of being a Cockney? Would Robert Burns have been as great a poet if he had denied his ploughman speech and aped the gentlemen of his day?"

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Ah, now I get a link to Paul Robeson Speaks, which makes sense: I don't see the text you are quoting. Should I? Perhaps I need to be signed in...

And it's a fine quotation, and completely makes your point, and mine.

(He may, of course, have sung Burns, at some Scottish performance which wasn't recorded. I like to think so...)

[sovay]

Should I? Perhaps I need to be signed in...

I don't think so: I'm certainly not.

(He may, of course, have sung Burns, at some Scottish performance which wasn't recorded. I like to think so...)

Agreed.

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

We learned the Eriskay Love Lilt at school. I don't think I've heard it or thought about it in 40 years, but listening to that linked file I could smell my junior school with its polished wooden floors and ancient wooden desks.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Very Proustian. Linden Lea has that effect for me; we sang it with Singing Together...

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

Was that the BBC radio programme? If so, that's how I learned the Eriskay Love Lilt. Now I'm remembering the huge wooden radios as well :)

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was - and I thought it might be. I don't remember singing the Eriskay Love Lilt, but it's their kind of song.

Now I'm remembering the huge wooden radios as well :)

Wireless, surely?