Burns : Super

I can summarise my memories of childhood contact with the life and works of Robert Burns in the following way - Kenneth McKellar and Moira Anderson singing the most unbearable dirges in quasi-operatic style, sufficient to inoculate you against Burns for more than one lifetime; school-teachers making a superficial attempt to interest uninterested pupils in an ancient poetry which wasn't written in English or in any other discernible language, and in any event was apparently written about mouses, louses, haggises, holy wullies and other totally irrelevant subjects; dire warnings from mother and others to never have anything to do with Burns suppers or those who frequented them - 'Drunken Pigs' as she called them; John Cairney strutting and preening as the Bard; the White Heather Club being even more unbearable than usual on Burns night. It was only some years into adulthood that I became properly acquainted with the work of the Ayrshire Bard. Suddenly the language was not difficult - much of it was my own native tongue - the rest could be easily understood with minimal effort. The subject matter of the poems became not just relevant, but simultaneously universal to the world and personal to me. I saw an aging John Cairney still treading the boards as a 36 year old Burns (and was transfixed): I began to frequent Burns Suppers - I became a drunken pig - I toasted the haggis, commiserated with the mouse, philosophised with the louse, and excoriated the Holy Willies. But, and this is the point here - it's the music which is the real revelation. If your only experience of Burns songs is via the aforementioned 'proper' singing of McKellar, Anderson et al, then an unexploded bomb awaits in the form of the Linn Records collection of the complete songs of Robert Burns. This is a 12 CD set which is utterly definitive and comprehensive and LIFE-CHANGING. The songs are performed by contemporary folk singers in a way which brings them absolutely into the 21st century - the only difference between these records and genuine contemporary folk is that the Burns songs are infinitely superior. The highest praise which I can give these records is to say that the only possible comparison is between the work of Robert Burns and the work of Robert Zimmerman (I'm already contemplating an article called "The Twa Bobbies"!! - it should be noted that Dylan's most recent undoubted tour de force was a song called 'Highlands', which begins with a direct quote from Burns, "My heart is in the Highlands" - Dylan is very obviously familiar with Burns - see Michael Gray's 'Song and Dance Man 3' for further details) Linn Records Burns collection can be found here- http://www.linnrecords.com/cd_information/full_album_listing_artist.asp?ArtistID=56 A couple of years ago I noticed an advert in the local paper to the effect that some Doctor who I'd never heard of was giving a talk about Burns songs in the local hall as part of the folk festival. I went along with no real expectation than that it would be anything other than a well-meaning amateur playing his favourite versions of 'Killiecrankie'. The speaker turned out to be Dr Fred Freeman who produced and compiled the Linn collection. He is probably the foremost world authority on Burns songs. He is an expert on folk music generally, and his presentational style is perfect for the subject matter. He spoke for a couple of hours, punctuating it with extracts from the discs to illustrate what he was saying. It was nowhere near long enough. I could've listened to this man endlessly. Dr Freeman, with this collection of recordings, has ensured that for succeeding centuries his name will be linked with the Bard's. He deserves a knighthood. You deserve to hear these records. For information about Fred Freeman go here http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/quick/directory/r_61096/s_255/ss_/f_78.html