SEEIN as we’re in the season o usquebeatha an haggis ah thocht ah wid bide wi the Burns theme this week. Oan Setterday ah attended this year’s Centre fir Robert Burns Studies Annual Confeir, held at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum at Alloway, Ayr. These confeirs hae bin rinnin fir a wheen o years an fir a lang time it wis aye haudden at the Mitchell Library an Theatre in Glesga. Muivin the confeir tae the RBBM seems an aefauld guid fit tae me, an the faceelities at the RBBM are weel suitit tae hostin the event.

Thair aye a jam-packt programme at the confeir an this year wis nae different. Speikers an entertainers includit kenspeckle academics, faur-i-the-buik in thair subjeck, the likes o Jerry Brannigan talkin anent curious Masonic connections in some o the famous pentins o Burns; Moira Hansen examinin Burns’ mental health athin a modren clinical framework; John Ritchie luikin at verra early cinematic depictions o Burns; the byordnar eftir-denner speiker Len Murray giein a personal take oan ‘Why the fuss about Burns’ that kythed tae us aa the universal raisons that gang tae keep Robert Burns firmly at the forefront o warld leeterature an culture; Linda Fairlie an Bruce Morgan (senior curators at Ayrshire museum collections) giein an illustrated talk anent aa the treasuirs held athin the Ayrshire collections that pertain tae Burns; Gerard McKeever exploring the connections atween Burns an ane o his maist weel kent Ayrshire epistle recipients, the Muirkirk rhymer John Lapraik; an last but bi nae means least, Chris Whatley conseiderin the legacy o Burns amang Presbyterians in mid-Victorian Scotland. The hale thing wis a feast fir the hairt an the mind.

Thair nae dout that Glesga University’s Centre for Robert Burns Studies is aiblins the foremaist sic body in the warld currently warkin oan Robert Burns’s warks an legacy. Unner its co-directors Prof Gerard Carruthers an Prof Kirsteen McCue, ably assistit bi the likes o Dr Rhona Brown an Dr Pauline Mackay, the CRBS hus projects ongaun that are o national an international import; the likes o editing the feck o Burns’s warks fir new edeetions that wull be appearin in the neist hauntle o years. In some cases these new studies o Burns’s warks wull gae a lang wey tae replacin an restorin the Bard’s reputation follaein the historical bowdlerisation o some o the less honest or scrupulous early biographers an chroniclers o Burns. The sairchlicht beam o modren academe shinin oan Burns wull anely heize his nem an reputation e’en mair siccarly in the global leeterary firmament. The CRBS haes a verra comprehensive website wi mony interestin links tae thair strands o wark that can be viewed here; http://bit.ly/2joi2Ly It’s weel warth a luik!

Likesay, the faceelities at the RBBM wir first rate fir hauden the confeir; staff in the café seen til’t that aabody wis weel fed an wattert an o coorse the confeir goers hud access the the main museum itsel whaur they cuid see first haund some o thae glorious objects frae the Burns collections. Museum staff wir alsae in attendance, education officer Chris Waddell an archivist/curator Sean McGlashan wir available tae discuss aspects o the wark duin bi the museum an dael wi the general hoose keepin at the confeir. Thair wis a braw ‘buzz’ aboot the room an it wis guid tae see aabody netwarkin an jist haein the chaunce tae buttonhole leadin experts in the field an pit questions tae thaim an get answers straicht frae the horse’s mooth. Eftir waxin lyrically anent Burns in his spiel Len Murray wis then owerheard at the coffee brek waxin equally lyrically anent the quality o the RBBM’s shortbread – the best he’d e’er tastit!

Jerry Brannigan’s talk, anent the hidden Masonic symbols in the Burns pentins, hud a souch o the Da Vinci Codes aboot it. Thair nae dout Jerry wis oan tae somethin but whit the somethin wis is still open tae debate. Ah’m no in the Masons (afore the Twitter eedjits stairt!) sae it wis an e’en greater mystery tae me! But, it went tae show the fascinatin minutiae that concentrates the academic mind whan a figure o historical fame an interest is concernt. Ma ain backgrund in mental health nursin wis piqued bi Moira Hansen’s exploration o Burns’ much discussed mental health. Did the man suffer frae bi-polar disorder or no? The consensus wis that Burns aiblins did hae bouts o depression – personally ah’d airgue fir some kind o “seasonal affective disorder” as his depressive spells aye seemt tae occur in the daurk an dowie winter months.

John Ritchie’s luik at the early films o Burns’ life wis alsae intriguin. He traced the production an history o the film ‘The Loves of Robert Burns’, a rael obscure curiosity! The lang loast actor wha played Burns, a Joseph Hislop, ackwally did ‘luik the pairt’. Hislop wis a weel kent opera singer in his time – tho due tae this film no bein verra weel receivit bi the southron critics puir Hislop ne’r made anither film. Airt aiblins imitatin life whaur Burns/Hislop wir concernt!? Nanetheless, this wis yet anither fascinatin innins intil anither relatit aspect o Burn’s faur reachin influence.

Linda Fairlie an Bruce Morgan are unsung heroes o Ayrshire history an culture. Ah cuid listen tae thae twa speik aa day, an whit they hae tae say is aye aefauld interestin. Eftir lunch we hud a braw musical interlude, providit bi singer/guitarist Bill Adair, whaes rich baritone wis perfeck fir singin Burns’ affectin romantic airs. Ah’m telt Bill wis aince a verra heich-rankin polis oafficer – he’s fir certes nou an asset tae the Burnsian community! His contribution wis fir me the equal o ony o the academic contributions tae the day’s ongauns.

Due tae ither commitments ah didnae get tae hear the last speiker, Chris Whatley, but wis telt later that this wis verra much ma loss! Thair cuid be nae mair fittin speeritual hame fir the Centre for Robert Burns Studies Confeir than the Burns museum. Ah howp the CRBS gangs frae strength til strength an ah’ll luik forrit tae attendin agane neist year in Alloway.