Paul Butler joins the St Andrews Society to celebrate Scotland’s great bard
One of the benefits of being on the BritsinLA newsletter distribution list is we get to hear of events coming up in our backyard. On last month’s newsletter we heard about and registered for a televised showing of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ with Gordon Ramsey, and we got to hear of the St. Andrews Society of Los Angeles (saintandrewsla.org).
My wife and I are not Scottish, (having both being born in central England) but we were delighted to have come across the St. Andrews Society and to learn it was first founded during colonial times, with the fundamental purpose to advance charitable and cultural causes within the ambiance of Scottish heritage. The first chapter was founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 1729. Right here in the City of Angels, our chapter was founded in 1930. Membership is open to anyone who is Scottish by birth, by heritage, or by inclination.
As an Englishman I must admit I knew little of Robert Burns when we decided to attend last week’s supper to celebrate his life and works at the beautiful Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows in Santa Monica. At school in middle-England we studied the works of St. John Betjeman, Billy Shakes (of course) and a little Laurie Lee – but our minds weren’t stretched across the border to Scotland.
But here are 10 facts that popped up during what was indeed a braw, (which I came to understand means “nice, brilliant or fantastic) evening, that was had by all:
Did you know that Robbie was only 37 when he left this mortal coil? He crammed a lot of life into his 37 years as you’ll see below.
He was widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland.
The only time he wrote in English was when he was making blunt political or civil commentary – his discourse would make a Facebook rant today look tame.
‘Rabbie’, as he was more familiarly known was regarded as the pioneer of the Romantic movement and after his death, became a great inspiration to the founders of liberalism and socialism.
He was the author of “Auld Lang Syne”. This was a shocker to me.
Ignorantly, I never knew he wrote a poem titled, ‘Tam O’Shanter” which is obviously where that wonderful restaurant and bar in Los Feliz got its name.
He got much of his early education from his father who also wrote for him and his siblings, A Manual of Christian Belief which based on many of Robert’s later shenanigans, I’m not convinced he referred back to that manual very often.
Burns was also a writer of songs and enthusiastically contributed “about 200 songs“ to The Scots Musical Museum. Interestingly, the Beatles also wrote “about 200 songs”. I wonder if Robert would have been the fifth Beatle if the timing was right?
He died on July 21, 1796 and was buried on the day his son Maxwell was born – one can only imagine the mixed emotions on that sad and wonderful day.
Bringing this full circle to the United States, did you know that the title of John Steinbeck’s classic novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’ was inspired by the second-to-last stanza in Burns poem, ‘To a Mouse’?
It’s often said, that “travel broadens the mind” and I can assuredly say, we now have a greater appreciation of Robert Burns than our English schoolteachers had within their curricula and for that I say, Slàinte Mhath! (Cheers).
Next month the St. Andrews Society is hosting a “curling and whisky tasting” which are four words not often heard together.
Join us!
