A celebration of Robert Burns at Fife library

To mark the Tae a Bard exhibition running at the Dunfermline Carnegie Libraries and Galleries, the Queen Anne Singers and Ivor Klayman, accompanied by Nancy Crook, will be recreating an evening of Burns songs and recitations on Wednesday, January 22, at 7pm.

The set of songs and poems was assembled by the famous Burns actor John Cairney under the title Burnsang, which the Queen Anne Singers were keen to reprise in the beautiful setting of the venue’s Canmore Room.

The evening will include access to the exhibition, which brings together treasures of the Burns collection gifted to Dunfermline by Sir Alexander Gibb at the beginning of the 20th century after the extensive collection amassed by Burns enthusiast John Murison came up for sale.

Special items include a mutilated copy of the Kilmarnock edition, a minute book from a very early Burns club in Dunfermline called the Haggis Club and a set of books which have been beautifully painted.

Fife Cultural Trust (ONFife) is also grateful to artist Robert Mach for lending his interpretation of Burns’ portrait executed in Tunnock’s teacake wrappers, a work which needs to be seen to be fully appreciated and brings the exhibition right up to date.

The Burnsang evening is the first in a series of Burns-themed events which will take place between now and April, running alongside the exhibition.

Other events include a family ceilidh, vellum workshops and a twilight talk from Professor Gerry Carruthers on Burns, Sex and Religion.

The Tae a Bard exhibition runs at Dunfermline Carnegie Libraries and Galleries until April 19.

For more details on all the events planned visit Fife Cultural Trust’s website at www.onfife.com or pop into the library and galleries to pick up a leaflet.