17th Annual Burns Supper - Friday 11 February 2011
Chairman: David McDonald
The top table, Walter Sneddon, Fergus McLellan, David McDonald, Jim McNiven
David Kinniburgh and Euan McGaughey
Our now well established Burns Supper was held in the clubhouse on Friday 11th February 2011.
A more or less capacity audience of members and guests (including former the former chief executive of the SFA, Gordon Smith) met in the function room and were treated to a quality evening. Best of order was served and chairman, David McDonald, introduced all performers in his unique and very humorous style. David also kept good order during the proceedings, which with such an appreciative audience was perhaps his easiest duty of the evening.
Jim MacKinnon carried the haggis in with aplomb accompanied by our piper for the evening, Malcolm Gilmour.
Euan McGaughey, a young man who is proving to be very much a rising star of the local Burns' scene, addressed the haggis in his own, ever more confident style. Euan has become a regular at our supper in recent years and we hope we can look forward to his performances many times in future years. Once again his address to the beast was very well presented and well received by the audience. Euan later gave a dramatic and passionate rendition of "A Man's a Man".
Walter Sneddon gave us a thoughtful pair of readings, "The Lazy Mist" and "Man was Made to Mourn". A member of the Alexandria Burns Club committee, Walter is a genuine Burns student and also. He often looks to deliver a bill of fare that is different from the norm.
David Kinniburgh's "Tam o' Shanter" was as always a stirring performance. Word perfect, dramatic and inventive, his delivery is quite original and he never falters during this epic poem. Perhaps this is down to his liberal drowning amang the nappy and uisge beatha lubrication he uses during the performance.
Musically we were treated to Tom McRae's rousing "My Love is but a Lassie Yet" and "McPherson's Rant". In contrast Jim Irwin MBE got his perfect voice round "A' the Airts"," Mary Morrison" and the always popular "My Love is like a Red, Red Rose".
The toast to the lassies was given by the multi-talented Jim McNiven. Jim opened with a humorous reference to the mistake on the programme, which had credited him with Jim Irwin's MBE. He explained that the three letters with which he was normally credited were not MBE but ... well we can't say. This is a family website.
Jim's toast had tongue in cheek humour, belly laughs and a relevant stroll through the Bard's love of women.
The principal Speaker was the redoubtable Fergus McLellan whose Immortal Memory was quality through and through and was appreciated by all attending. This was due to thorough research, subtle wit and a well paced delivery. Fergus was congratulated on his being appointed as the chairman of the Alexandria Burns Club at their supper last month.
The toast to the artists is traditionally one of the hardest but it was delivered humorously as ever by by Bob Wyllie. It was again well received by the audience. Bob said later that this was an easy task because of the the quality of the performers.
This very enjoyable evening finished with the company singing "The Star o' Rabbie Burns" then the traditional finale, "Auld Lang Syne".
Many thanks go to the sponsors - W. Crichton, K. Crichton, C. MacDonald, D. MacDonald, T. McKinnon, R. Mills, I. Mullholland, J. Park, W. Sneddon and R. Wyllie
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