Auctioneer to 'sell' Robert Burns' Auld Lang Syne

Published on Wednesday 27 May 2009 09:37

IT is one of the world's best known songs – and now one lucky person will have the chance to "own" it.

The original Robert Burns manuscript of Auld Lang Syne is going under the hammer at a Capital auction house in August.

But whoever buys the unique piece – expected to fetch about 50,000 – will not be able to give it pride of place in their home.

Instead the artefact will be restored and placed in the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire, beside a plaque bearing the name of its new patron.

The original manuscript of the song – sang the world over as Hogmanay turns into New Year's Day – was discovered by the now defunct Burns Memorial Trust in the early 20th century.

It had been displayed in a museum in Alloway until it was moved to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh for safekeeping a few years ago while the project to build a new museum got under way.

Nat Edwards, director of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, expects there will be many bidders hoping to secure the patronage of the song.

He said: "This manuscript is hugely important. It's one of Burns' best-known songs and it's an international song.

"This is a unique opportunity for one person to sponsor the preservation of this one item.

"Lots of people sponsor rugby tournaments or other sporting events, but those are fleeting. What we are talking about here is Auld Lang Syne – the song everyone knows around the world.

"This will be popular with people who have a love of Burns and people who understand how relevant Burns is, both in Scotland and internationally. I imagine people will be offering a bit more than 50,000."

Auld Lang Syne was written by Burns in 1788, with his words set to the tune of a traditional folk song. Mr Edwards says Burns changed the meaning of the song, which dates back to medieval times.

He said: "What this particular manuscript does is it shows the evolution of the song, which dates back to medieval manuscripts.

"It was quite a grim song lamenting the fickle nature of human friendship. Burns completely flipped the sentiment and rather than becoming a lament of defeat, it became a celebration of the human nature of friendship."

The money raised through the sponsorship of Auld Lang Syne – one of 250 Burns items being "sold" off – will go towards the National Trust for Scotland's Burns project, which will see the opening of a 21 million museum at the end of next summer.

All will go under the hammer at Bonhams auction house's Made in Scotland Sale in Queen Street between 18 and 21 August.

Miranda Grant, managing director for Bonhams Scotland, said: "Bonhams are very excited about this new relationship with the National Trust for Scotland.

"The Scottish sale is a marvellous vehicle to find a new patron for Auld Lang Syne as it has a strong appeal to anyone with a particular affection for Scotland and the arts."