On Thursday 23 January, all pupils from our Junior School, along with our Prep 5s, headed over to the Gibson auditorium for the annual Junior Burns Competition. Sixteen Junior School pupils performed Burns poetry, danced and sang in front of their peers, teachers and the judges. Everyone did a fantastic job and there was a great array of talent on the stage.
After the performances, our judges, Mr Graham Pearson and Mr David Nelson from the Dollar Burns Club, along with Mr Neil McFadyean, Head of History and Modern Studies and Mrs Kate Murray, Head of English had the difficult task of selecting six participants to go on to the final. After some deliberation, they selected Caoimhe and Sophie (both J1) along with Ollie, Ross, Cara and Ava (all J2). These pupils now had the opportunity to perform again the following day, at the Junior School Burns Supper.
Judge Kate Murray commended all the pupils who took part, and noted that celebrating Burns’ poetry is a unique form of literary study, only found within a Scottish education as there is no equivalent south of the border.
The next day, our Junior School excitedly gathered together in the school Dining Hall for their Burns Supper. Thank you to Mr O’Donnell and his fantastic catering team, who served a delicious meal of haggis, neeps and tatties, accompanied, of course, by Irn-bru.
The Address to the Haggis was performed by Chloe (Form VI), a former winner of the Junior School Burns Competition.
Our six finalists then performed again to the judges, this time in the hope to be crowned the overall winner. Congratulations to Ava who amazed the judges once again with her song Ye Jacobites by Name and won the R L Stevenson Memorial Quaich for Recitation.
Well done to all the pupils who took part in this year’s competition.
