Burns - a Poet for the 21st Century

Monday is Burns night.  Singers will be out "warbling their wood-notes wild"*, and half of Scotland will be eating haggis and neaps. But Burns and his poems are also the stuff of serious scholarship:- 

Editing Robert Burns for the 21st Century - a project at the University of Glasgow

• Professor Kirsteen McCue talks about Burns, my Dad and me on BBC Two on Burns Night. Her father, Bill McCue, was an actor and singer in the 1970s and 80s, and Kirsteen herself is now a lead scholar in Glasgow Uni's Burns project.

Did you need some Burns songs to sing?  

• Check our catalogue here.  Registered staff and students, if you need to borrow anything, then remember we're open until 20:30 on Burns Night (Monday). 
• Try our music streaming services if you're looking for recordings to accompany that haggis dinner!  
• Whittaker Library Electronic Resources for staff and students - click here.

When YouTube comes into its own!

• The Ayoub Sisters play Scottish Melodies. We found this YouTube video which you might enjoy - click here. 
• Robyn Stapleton and Claire Hastings sing 'Logie o' Buchan' at the Star Folk Club 2014. Another YouTube clip for you! Here. 

Warbling their wood-notes wild: when talking about traditional songs, 

Burns's generation frequently used this phrase, referencing the poet Milton! 

Alumna Robyn Stapleton to sing on Dundee's Frigate Unicorn

Since Robyn is an alumna of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, we thought we'd help promote her forthcoming performance in Dundee:-

Frigate Unicorn, Victoria Dock, Dundee - Robyn Stapleton

Scotland’s finest young traditional singer, BBC Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician 2014, Scots Singer of the Year nominee, will be singing on board the Unicorn on Friday 10th July.

Robyn, who hails from Stranraer, is touring Scotland to celebrate her debut album “Fickle Fortune” which was released in May to critical acclaim.

Recent career highlights include being commissioned to record “Coming Thro The Rye” for Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, and performances at the Trad Music Awards and, with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, at Proms in the Park!

Robyn is no stranger to Dundee having given two recitals at the Wighton Heritage Centre. Sheena Wellington, who tutored Robyn during her honours year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said of her former student:-

‘Robyn was gifted with a beautiful voice, warm, rich, flexible and distinctive. Couple this with a true love and respect for her material and the ability to engage an audience anywhere from a care home to a Prom concert hall and you have a very special singer indeed.’

Robyn will be accompanied by band members Kristan Harvey of Blazin Fiddles (Young Traditional Musician 2011), David McNee in guitar and bouzouki and Alistair Iain Paterson on piano and harmonium (Young Traditional Musician Finalist 2014).

• Doors open at 6:15 for performance at 7:00pm
• Tickets £9 (£7 concession) 
• Online booking: https://www.gammabookings.com/FrigateUnicorn/
• Or available at the door.

Friends of Wighton, Wighton Heritage Centre
Central Library, Wellgate
Dundee DD1 1DB

www.friendsofwighton.com

Friends of Wighton gratefully acknowledge the support of Leisure & Communities Dundee, MMG Archbold, Chartered Accountants and The Weavers Café, Dundee Central Library

Robyn Stapleton CD is in Whittaker Library! Fickle Fortune ...

Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Robyn Stapleton

The day has come!  Robyn's first CD, Fickle Fortune, has reached the Whittaker Library, and we're so excited.  Who will be first to borrow it?  It'll hit the new book display shelves later today ...

Karen listened to her own copy three times last night - it's that good!

• http://www.robynstapleton.com/