Burns Suppers

Keara will be hosting the Burns Supper event at The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh on 22 January 2010 as well as giving her favorite speech - The Response on Behalf of The Lasses.     

Robert Burns loved the lasses:

         "The sweetest hours that e'er I spend
           are spent amang the lasses, O"

Indeed without the lasses he would not have written a single word:

“I never had the least thought not inclination of
turning poet until I got heartily in love and then
rhyme and song were the spontaneous
language of my heart.”

That is how important the lasses were to Robert Burns. He believed in the civil liberties of women and held them socially and intellectually his equals.  And the lasses loved Robert Burns. 

At an early age Keara was taken to Burns country in Alloway and Dumfries.  She was captivated by the warmth, romance and genius of Scotland’s greatest literary figure as she explored the unique atmosphere of Burns Cottage and played with her siblings in the grounds of Kirk Alloway – where 'Satan played and witches and warlocks danced' – and where William Burnes, the poet’s father, is buried.      

She stood on the Brig O’Doon, where Meg Mare lost her tail, and poured over the many manuscripts, books, paintings and artefacts at The Burns Museum.  Keara bought a book of poems, songs and ballads and a studied the poets work, reciting many of his poems and re-enacting Tam O’ Shanter - for family and friends:

“The wind blew as ‘twad blaw its last;
The rattling showers rose on the blast;
The speedy gleams the darkness swallow’d;
Loud, deep, and lang the thunder bellow’d;
That night, a child might understand,
The deil had business on his hand.”

Keara has hosted Burns Suppers for several years and is now often in demand to give the Response on Behalf of The Lasses and The Address to the Haggis at Burns Suppers up and down the country.  And for the past two years she has been invited to give the Response On Behalf of The Lasses at The Scottish Society of Budapest. 

Keara has also given recitals of a number of other poems by Burns, her favourites being To A Mouse, To A Louse and To A Mountain Daisy: 

“Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow’r.
Thou’s met me in an evil hour;
For I maun crush amang the stour
Thy slender stem:
To spare thee now is past my pow’r
Thou bonie gem.”

She also loves his songs, in particular Ae Fond Kiss, where the story of Burns parting with Clarinda is etched out in heart-rending words and rhyme:       

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!

Although captivated and fascinated with Burns life and work, Keara likes to explore the mischievous side of the Bard in her Response and, in a playful manner, she addresses the issues of his womanizing and the contradictions between his actions and words whilst also exploring the wicked nature of Scotland’s unfairer sex in general. 

Kate O'Shanter's reply to Tam O'Shanter: 
 
       "Whit In the nemme o the wee man
       Duid ye dae tae the horse
       Ma best brawest cuddie, puir Meg
       That wis the tocher aff ma ain faither
       Ye'v went an broke it
       Yer an eejit Shanter!"

Keara's speech is informal, funny, entertaining and, above all, loyal. 

Keara is a member of the Robert Burns World Federation.

 

 

 

Robert Burns

 

 

Burns' Cottage

 

 

Alloway Kirk

 

 

Auld Brig o' Doon