10am Wreath Laying Ceremony Burns Statue Square Dumfries.
25th January 2012
1 Welcome
Good Morning. As President of the Dumfries Burns Club, I welcome you all this morning to our Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony here at Burns Statue Square. It is always a pleasure to see two distinguished Dumfries primary schools represented. Welcome to our short service.
Behind me is one of many statues of our Bard which can be found throughout the world, from New York to Nebraska; Winnipeg to Dunedin, Accra to Moscow, like us they will celebrate Burns life today as they remember his birthday. It is therefore important and appropriate for us here in the Poet’s town of rest, to begin this special day for all Scots, by meeting for a sincere act of gratitude.
Yet, while we are here to lay wreaths, this is not a SAD occasion. We are commemorating the life and work of Scotland’s National Bard, on his birthday.
And for a cold winter thought, in his poem, Up in The Morning, Burns had just the verse!
Cauld blaws the wind frae east to west
The drift is driving sairly
Sae loud and shrill I hear the blast
I’m sure its winter fairly.
The birds sit chatterin in the thorn
A day they fare but sparely
And lang’s the night frae e’en to morn
I’m sure its winter fairly
Laurieknowe – The first verse of Ye Banks and Braes will be sung by Rebecca Crawford of Laurieknowe Primary School.
And now the entire Primary 7 class will recite two verses of ‘To a Mouse.’
Invite Provost Jack Broom to say a few words.
This time we turn to Loreburne Primary -
Dumfries President lays the first wreath
Others lay their wreaths.
Piper’s Lament.
Ceremony ends. Thank everyone for coming. There will, be a service at St Michael’s Church this afternoon at 1.30pm. You are very welcome to attend. Thank you all.
Dumfries is where Robert Burns is buried. Each year we hold a short outdoor service at his Statue in Burns Square.