MSPs voice dismay as Robert Burns is Bard from Festival

Published on Thursday 22 January 2009 09:17

FESTIVAL bosses have been accused of snubbing Robert Burns by refusing to stage anything by or about the Bard despite the Year of Homecoming.

The Edinburgh International Festival will not officially launch its 2009 programme until March, but MSPs say director Jonathan Mills has told them it will not include anything Burns-related.

Lothians Labour MSP George Foulkes said he was astonished at the decision, which Mr Mills revealed at a meeting of the parliament's cross-party group on culture and media, made up of politicians and others with an interest in the subject.

Mr Foulkes said: "It's incredible that a programme has been devised by the Festival director without at least some recognition that this is the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns.

"Unless this is changed, it is a missed opportunity."

Lothians SNP MSP Ian McKee, vice-chairman of the cross-party group, said Mr Mills had been invited to talk about the future of the Festival, but was also asked about this year's Festival, particularly in view of the Homecoming.

Dr McKee said: "In the course of that discussion, Jonathan Mills said there was not going to be anything to do with Burns in the official Festival at all. That caused a bit of dismay, but he stuck to his guns.

"They are not calling for anything twee – you could explore Burns and his relationship with revolution and the rights of man at a time when the American Revolution was going on and the French monarchy were getting their heads chopped off."

Adrienne Chalmers, another member of the cross-party group, said Mr Mills had been "fairly dismissive of Scottish performers and pieces in the International Festival".

She said his attitude had been "it's an international festival, not a festival about Scottish stuff".

"He did say at that point there was to be no Burns. Frankly, if you can think of any artist of any description with a bigger international reputation than Burns, I'd like to hear about it."

And Eric Swanepoel, who represents the Society of Authors and is also an amateur fiddler, said it was "ludicrous" the Festival was ignoring Burns.

"Robert Burns is known as a great writer, but people should bear in mind he was also a fiddler and a lot of his work involved lyrics. The musical element is as important in commemorating Burns.

"They will say it's too late to change the programme now, but I don't think it would be."

A Festival spokeswoman said she could not comment on this year's programme until the launch on March 25.

But she said: "We have said we will be celebrating the Scottish Enlightenment, which is one of the Homecoming themes.

"Everyone has their own idea about what should be in the Festival programme, but the Festival's independence is crucial to its success."