Bard inspires a new song for Scotland

Seventeen amateur songwriters including a twelve-year-old schoolgirl, an ambulance driver and a relative of Robert Burns are set to have their music performed for the first time on St Andrew’s Day, following a competition to find national songwriting talent.

The hopefuls were cherry-picked from 800 entrants to join some of Scotland’s best songwriters at top Scots music festival Burnsong.  The songs will be performed professionally and broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland.

Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson, who launched the competition on Burns’ Day this year, said:

“In the lead up to the 250th anniversary of Burns’ birth in 2009, Burnsong offered anyone living anywhere in Scotland, the chance to celebrate Burns’ lasting legacy.  The quality and depth of the songwriting that has emerged is testament to the wealth of cultural talent that exists in Scotland.

“Burns’ work has touched people throughout the world, and the winning songs show that Scotland is still producing talent with the potential to reach across continents.

“The search for national songwriting talent will continue in 2007 and 2009, during the Year of Homecoming Festival to celebrate Burns’ birth – when thousands of overseas visitors will be able to learn more about Scotland’s rich cultural heritage both past and present.”

Alison Burns, a community worker from Dumfries and Galloway, and a relative of Robert Burns, said:   "Winning Burnsong is great as there are few opportunities for songwriters to showcase their work nationally."

Pauline Meikleham’s song Ignited Nation is her response to Scottish national identity in the wake of devolution.  Pauline, a Creative Links Officer from Monifeith said:  "It’s a tongue in cheek vision of “my Scotland”, a place of tangled cultural roots, humour and poetry, where anything is possible if we all just stopped moaning about our history and embraced our present”

The Big Gig – which can be heard on Radio Scotland’s Ian Anderson show on St Andrew’s Day evening - follows a week of musical events in Robert Burns’ home-town of Dumfries, organised by Burnsong creators Dumfries and Galloway Art Organisation, to celebrate the poet and songwriter’s life and work, featuring stars such as Aberfeldy, Sophie Bancroft and Nikki King.

Notes to editors

1. The winning entrants are: Alex Hodgson from Prestonpans, East Lothian, with Isobelle; Alisdair Fleming from Glasgow with Maria’s Clean; Alison Burns from Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, with A Pebble on My Tongue; Daisy Chute from Musselburgh, East Lothian with Promises to Keep; Gavin Bolus from Edinburgh with Rose Street Rose; Ian Petrie and Ron Lindsay from Dundee with The Leaf O’ Bonnie Doken; John Fyfe from Haddington, East Lothian with Last O’ the Pearl Fishers; Kirstin Fairnie from Kirkwall, Orkney with Drifting Isle; Pauline Meikleham from Monifeith, Angus, with Ignited Nation; Sally Thomas from Tranent, East Lothian, with The Scarecrow; Scott Keenan from Glasgow with 16 Again; Simon Frazer from Edinburgh with What Are You Thinking; Siobhan Fraser from Elgin with Open Your Eyes; Stewart Hinshelwood from Glasgow with Queen Margaret Bridge and Kim Edgar from Edinburgh with Thaw.
2. The Burnsong project is supported by the Scottish Arts Council who have invested over £185k and are committed to seeing the project develop into the next phase.
   

Contact email(s)

media.office@scottisharts.org.uk

Issued by: Scottish Arts Council