Burns lost on a generation

Published on Tuesday 25 January 2005 00:18

PERHAPS it’s the poetry that puts them off, or maybe it’s the haggis. It can’t be the wee dram, but there remains something about Burns Night which lacks strong appeal to young Scots.

January the 25th heralds national and international celebrations for one of our most renowned writers - Robert Burns. But ask Scots in their twenties about their plans to mark the occasion and there’s a good chance they will dismiss the event as something reserved for older generations - and Rotary Club members.

Such apathy in itself shouldn’t come as a surprise. Youth has become synonymous with nonchalance, so much so that many twenty-somethings cannot even be bothered to challenge the allegation. But, if anything, they’re known for their love of a good party. Forget football, drinking is our nation’s past-time, and the possibility of 24-hour licensing has been met with the raising of pint glasses.

The Scots’ enthusiasm for St Patrick’s night - an event which has for all intents and purposes been re-appropriated by a brewery to increase product sales - is unmatched by any other national celebration. The night has less cultural significance to us, yet the Scots will readily celebrate it. Apparently, there is just something off-putting about Burns.

Of course, this is not a new problem. The young finding a tradition boring is a tradition in itself and, without the pull of clever marketing, their view on Burns Night is perhaps not surprising. Len Murray, a retired lawyer and esteemed after-dinner speaker, has provided the Immortal Memory for The World Burns Club and agrees. "I think that Burns Suppers don’t appeal to people in their twenties. But then Burns Suppers didn’t appeal to me when I was in my twenties. After all the Burns Supper is unique. There’s no other figure in literature who is feted in the way that Robert Burns is, both at home and abroad.

"The Irish have Joyce, the Americans have Longfellow, the Italians have Dante and the Germans have Goethe but none of those people is feted in the way that Robert Burns is, whether in his own country or internationally. So the Burns Supper as an institution is unique; it’s been running since 1801 and there isn’t any other to match it. It may be because of its very uniqueness that it appeals to the older generation, rather than the younger."

The sentiments commanded by Burns Suppers are linked to national pride.

Burns wrote during a time of intense Anglicisation in Scotland, and failure to comply was often met with criminal charges. Professions which had functioned in Auld Scots converted to the English tongue and new English-teaching schools emerged rapidly. The Scottish culture was deeply and irreparably damaged and Burns was far from happy.

By choosing to write in his native tongue instead of English, he was openly challenging those who sought to erase Scottish culture.

The need to express art through the native voice is a sentiment found throughout much Scottish literature, finding particular resonance with writers like Tom Leonard and James Kelman.

The idea of fighting for a cause found particular depth with past president of the Glasgow and District Burns Association, David Sibbald, who has been so inspired by the Bard that he now campaigns on his website to save Burns’ dilapidated birth cottage in Alloa. He believes the message is not only relevant to the Scots but also to those further afield.

"Although he did save the heritage of Scotland through the songs and through the poems, it was his human rights message that went across the world," he says.

"He risked extradition and transportation by being outspoken in his day and we should never lose sight of that. Look at Ukraine and Iraq fighting for their democracy. The world still needs this message."

It’s a belief that David Scott, a 29-year-old Aberdonian, shares. David initially started his own Burns Supper in 1997 with a group of close friends. Holding an impromptu event in David’s parents house, the evening was such a success that they continued the practice, until the house was full with approximately 18 guests.

Over the years, it grew in size and now it regularly draws over 100 guests at the local church hall. Attendees participate in whatever manner they can, bringing poetry, food or musical instruments for the ceilidh. So, perhaps all the young need is the right opportunity. David Reid, managing director of 1576 advertising agency in Edinburgh, believes the success of David Scott’s original party lies in its organised-at-the-last-minute spontaneity, noting that what dissuades many of the twentysomething generation is the fear of getting it wrong.

"I think it’s largely because at the moment, although it’s a very worthy event, it’s often about the formality and the speeches and it’s not the most inclusive thing," he says.

Reid insists that by removing the formality of the evening, and celebrating Burns’ ideas, the night could become relevant to the younger generations.

"There are events like T in the Park or Edinburgh Hogmanay, where you have bands playing," he says. "Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol or Primal Scream could be up there, and they could in turn be sponsored by drinks brands keen to ramp up the whole Scottish theme."

Certainly, we have no shortage of celebrities in this country worthy of celebrating Burns’ legacy. Why not, then, invite Ewan McGregor, Billy Connolly, Brian Cox and Dougray Scott to read the Bard’s work? The attempted revamping of St Andrew’s Night has yet to prove fruitful, but it could be much easier to repackage and market Burns Night.

Reid is certain such an event would succeed because it would allow Scottish businesses the opportunity to participate on a variety of levels.

"What better opportunity to get people to try a Scottish product when they are in the mindset of celebrating Scotland?" he asks.

"Now I think the downside is that it might offend some Burns purists who want to keep it as a traditional thing.

"I’m not saying that we need to do away with that but I do think if it was made more inclusive, you could actually bring more people into hearing Burns’ message."

And, after all, isn’t that the whole point of Burns Night? It’s certainly the aspect that most people wish to adhere to.

David Scott believes it’s far better to have an understanding of the Bard’s message than to get bogged down in the formality of it all.

"A lot of what he was writing about was reflected in the idea of young people going out and having a good time," Scott says.

"I think it’s very appropriate nowadays, the idea of people getting together and enjoying themselves and not taking life too seriously."

Maybe the young could still hold a flame for Burns after all.

A MODERN TWIST ON THE BURNS SUPPER

THE PARTY: Tell people in advance that it’s a Burns Supper, not just an average dinner party they’re attending. Dress codes make some uncomfortable, particularly when kilts are involved, so ditch the outfits but tell guests that if they wish to wear something with a touch of tartan, it would be most appreciated.

• THE FOOD: Try serving the haggis as a starter, or experiment to update haggis by making it into fritters, using it as a stuffing for chicken or beef, or even serving haggis pakora. That way you can serve something more mainstream as the main event. And don’t forget a bowl of cranachan for afters, a delicious dessert made from cream, whisky, raspberries, honey and oatmeal.

• THE DRINK: Have at least one decent bottle of single malt on hand - so you can toast the Bard in style.

• THE SPEECHES: It’s best to decide in advance what speeches you want to use at your supper. Try and match the right person to the right speech, and don’t make it a necessity if someone doesn’t want to do it.

If nothing else, at least indulge in the Address to the Haggis, just as you’re sitting down to eat.

• THE MUSIC: Unless you’ve got a ceilidh band in your living room or a vast collection of Scottish songs, chances are you’re not going to be listening to traditional music all night. Instead, go for modern Scottish bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Mull Historical Society and Snow Patrol.