Burns Night returns January 18, 2025!
Our annual Burns Night will be returning again in 2025 on January 18th! Come celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns and all things Scottish with a traditional Burns Supper, whisky toasts, and a night full of music, song, and dance to celebrate the Scottish arts.
Schedule
Cocktail Hour : 5 – 6 PM
Call to dinner: 6:05 PM
Ceilidh: 8 PM
Purchase tickets
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Featured Entertainment
Kirsten Z. Cairns
Singer Kirsten Cairns has performed at Burns Night events on both sides of the Atlantic, from America to Britain, with Bermuda in between! A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the New England Conservatory, Kirsten has given recitals, appeared in operas, and even toured with children’s shows. She and her regular pianist Matthew Brown appear in the Edinburgh Fringe together every year, and have also worked for more than twenty years with Scottish charity ‘Music in Hospitals and Care’, specializing in using music in therapy for dementia sufferers. The ‘auld scotch sangs’ are an important part of that repertoire, reawakening memories and connecting with traditions.
Though based in Glasgow, Kirsten spends a lot of her time working here in New England, performing, teaching and directing. She was Director of Opera Studies at the Boston Conservatory, and has staged operas and plays in New England for Opera North, Dartmouth University, Longy School of Music, Intermezzo: The New England Chamber Opera Series, The Henry Purcell Society of Boston, and Colby College. She established her own opera company, Enigma Chamber Opera, at the end of 2019. They are about to present their fifth production: Benjamin Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace, at the cathedral church of St. Paul in Boston, February 16 and 17; and available to watch online February 23rd through March 1st.
You can find out more at enigmachamberopera.org
Celtic Beats
Celtic Beats is a New England-based ceilidh band originally formed in 2013 by the bagpipe and fiddle duo of Campbell and Marielle Webster. Growing up playing music together, they decided to put a band together of like-minded musician friends. The core of the band is the bagpipe/fiddle duo, often led by Campbell and/or Marielle, with Ken MacLeod on drum kit. With a wide range of friends and connections in the New England area, the band often rotates accompanists and additional musicians including guitar, piano, bass, flute, singers, and more while maintaining its distinct sound through the direction of either (and often both) Campbell/Marielle.
The band combines both traditional tunes and modern compositions to create an energetic instrumental performance that is rooted in the style of Scottish music. They have performed across New England at festivals, ceilidhs, private events, and more. Always bringing something new and interesting to the table, no two performances are quite the same.
This year will feature the original foursome of Campbell and Marielle Webster on bagpipes and fiddle, with Ken MacLeod on drums and Terry Traub on piano.
BYOQ (Bring Your Own Quaich)!
A quaich is a special type of Scottish bowl used for drinking. Its name comes from the gaelic word “cuach,” meaning “cup.” It is used primarily for special drinks, such as whisky. Quaichs are often given in remembrance of special events or occasions, and at Burns Nights around the world they are used in toasts throughout the night.
We have teamed up with The Quaich Company to offer quaichs to guests at a discounted rate. If you don’t already own a quaich to bring, consider looking through the brochure below to purchase your own quaich to bring to the event! They also make a great Christmas present.
We are planning some future whisky tastings and similar events where you will be able to make good use of your traditional quaich. Read more about the Quaich on their website: https://www.thequaichcompany.com/.
Slainte!
What is a Burns night?
A Burns Supper, or Burns Night, is hosted to celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns and his influence on Scottish culture. These celebrations take place around the world, usually near the date of January 25th, Burns’ birthday, and date back to 1802, just a few years after his death. The celebration includes traditions such as the performance of Burns’ famous Address to the Haggis, Toasts to the Lads and Lassies, the Selkirk Grace, the immortal memory, in which a speech is given about Burns, and often features traditional Scottish music and dance to celebrate the arts.
Known as the National Bard of Scotland, most of Burns’ poems were written in the Scots dialect. They document and celebrate traditional Scottish culture, expressions of farm life, and class and religious distinctions. One of his most famous poems, “A Man’s a Man for a’ That,” expresses some of his core ideals of social equality and universal human rights. If you sing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Years Eve, as millions of people do around the world every year, you already know of his work!
Over the course of his life, Burns was responsible for over 300 works, many of which are songs. He is responsible for keeping various traditional Scottish melodies alive by writing lyrics to them. He is best known as a pioneer of the Romantic movement for his lyrical poetry and his rewriting of Scottish folk songs, many of which are still well known across the world today thanks to his influence.
Read more about Burns and his work here.
Photos from our previous Burns Nights
Scottish Arts and New Hampshire Pipes and Drums are nonprofit organizations committed to education and advancement of the traditional Scottish arts. Your attendance at our events and fundraisers helps to provide immeasurable support for local students, going towards expenses such as hall rental, tuition, and travel expenses to give musicians and dancers the opportunity to compete at greater levels and broaden their knowledge and expertise.
If you are unable to attend the event but still wish to contribute, we always welcome donations – see the bottom of the page for that option.
We thank you for your continuing support!