Friday 24 January 2020

21 Jan 2020. Workshop. Rabbie Burns (Alternative Lyrics)– Miller Frondigoun,




Miller is a lifelong admirer of Burns not only for the poetry, but equally for his music. He felt that Robbie Burns could have been famous for his music even if he hadn’t written poetry.

After reading “To A Mouse” he explained the rhyming structure of the poem and the significant number of Scots words used. We had a couple of exercises with each of us attempting to produce a verse using the same structure (with differing success).

Miller sang to us a number of Burns poems including the following based on the 1720’s tune of “Whistle o’er the lave o’t” written by John Bruce of Dumfries.

First when Maggie was my care,
Heaven, I thought, was in her air;
Now we're marríed—speir nae mair;
But whistle o'er the lave o't.

Meg was meek and Meg was mild,
Sweet and harmless as a child;
Wíser men than me's beguíled;
Sae, whistle o'er the lave o’t.

How we live, my Meg and me,
How we love, and how we gree,
I carena by how few may see;
Sae, whistle o'er the lave o't.

Wha I wish were maggots' meat,
Dished up in her winding-sheet,
I could write—but Meg maun seet;
Sae, whistle o'er the lave o’t.


We discussed Burn’s ambivalent attitude to women as evidenced in his poem “Willie Wastie” and his views on history and politics as in “There'll Never Be Peace Till Jamie Comes Hame” and his version of “Ye Jacobites by Name”.

 

Burns is popular worldwide for “Auld Land Syne” and in particular among Russians.

 

We discussed the Glaswegian dialect poems of the late Tom Leonard, discussed the amount Scots that is used in informal situations. Should it be taught in schools?”

 

Miller regaled us with a wide variety of Burns poems/songs.

 

Thanks to Miller, this was Burns night!

 (except that it was afternoon, mainly ladies present and

  the catering had failed on the tatties, neeps, haggis

  an’ a wee drop o’ the hard stuff.

  Still, ye cannae wenem aw.)


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