Blogs and News - St George's School, Edinburgh

This week in Enrichment we were lucky enough to hold a virtual Upper 6 Burns Supper.

Eilidh started by introducing the order of events and speeches to be made and highlighted the course of events which would usually happen without the unfortunate presence of COVID-19 this year. Robyn then read the short but important ‘Selkirk Grace’ prayer – usually read to usher in the meal and begin the night of celebration.

Next, Harriet terrifically recited the famous ‘Address to the Haggis’ poem by Robert Burns – with an amazing Scottish accent – written to celebrate his appreciation of the Haggis and as a result, the two have become forever linked. We were also told that traditionally at the Burns Supper we would all come together after this recital and eat haggis, neeps and tatties.

Sophie sang a soft, beautiful rendition of ‘My Love is Like a Red Red Rose’ – a song, often published as a poem, written by Robert Burns to describe a love that is both fresh and long lasting.

Next came the ‘Toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns’ given by Ruby, detailing Burns' personal life and upbringing, including the important relationship with his wife Jean and how this influenced his writing. We learnt that Burns' amazing work should be celebrated and how it has real significance in the modern day as he was often known for his controversial opinions and he conveyed these passions in his writing, with his work continuing to inspire people today to stand up for what they believe in.

Teddy, the Head Boy of Merchiston, made a great ‘Toast to the Lassies’ speech, traditionally made to say ‘thank you’ to the women for cooking the meal at a Burns Supper as well as (affectionately) poking fun at some of the foibles of ‘the fairer sex’. Charlotte then delivered a very humorous and robust response with the ‘Reply to the Toast to the Lassies’, rendering some nostalgic memories of our time with the Merchiston boys over the years.

Finally, Gabi gave the vote of thanks, acknowledging the time and effort taken by everyone involved in presenting as well as thanking the St George’s Sixth Form team for enabling this year's Burns Supper to go ahead, albeit with differences due to COVID-19.

We all really appreciate the efforts taken by everyone to ensure our Upper 6 year still contains the memorable traditions held at St George’s and we look forward to the other fun events planned for the rest of this academic year.

Molly (PR Prefect)