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St Andrew's Day touched by Burns
29/11/2008
First Minister Alex Salmond hosted a St Andrews Day reception in Edinburgh Castle tonight to mark the launch of a new book celebrating the influence of Robert Burns.
The book of images and insights, Touched by Robert Burns, has been produced by Andy Hall and includes contributions from celebrities including Alexander McCall Smith, Phil Cunningham, Midge Ure and Sir Alex Ferguson.
The reception and the book itself also aim to highlight the work of UNICEF, with all royalties from the publication going to the charity and echoing Burn's own sense of fairness, justice and human rights.
This celebration of Scotland's national Bard comes at the conclusion of a weekend of St Andrew's Day celebrations, marking the launch of the Winter Festival period which runs through Hogmanay to Burns Night.
The FM said:
"St Andrews Day is a fitting occasion to pay tribute to Scotland's favourite son and the continuing inspiration he provides for modern Scots. Burns restored to Scots a pride in their country and culture, battered as it had been in the years following the Union, and our national day is the best time to share that pride with the world.
"St Andrews Day is the time to celebrate our talents and Touched By Robert Burns is a testament not only to the work of our national Bard, but also to the breadth of achievements of modern Scots. Across a range of sectors Scots are continuing to influence the world around us.
"Next year we will mark the 250th anniversary of the Bard's birth with Homecoming Scotland 2009. This will be a fantastic celebration of Scotland's contribution to the world and an opportunity for Scots through the world to reconnect and engage with their heritage.
"This weekend is the first for our new Homecoming television advert, inviting our friends and family to come home in 2009. With a stellar line-up of Scottish stars all singing Dougie Maclean's rousing anthem Caledonia, it is yet another reminder of what modern Scotland has to offer. It is a song about the lure and tug of Scotland, and Burns is the founder of that feeling.
"Tonight is a celebration not only of his life, but of all those touched by his work. I hope they'll come and join us in 2009 for the biggest celebration of Burns yet!"
In his foreword to Touched By Robert Burns Sir Alex Ferguson said:
"All Scots are rightly proud of the Ayrshire Bard. His works are world renowned and he is recognised everywhere. A good question to consider is how many Burns Nights are held in the entire world? I myself know of some friends who go to the annual Burns Supper in Moscow! I look forward to this latest publication by Andy Hall. I know how meticulous he is in his work and I wish him well."
Midge Ure said:
"The musical and lyrical imagery of Burns' work stays with you forever once you have been exposed to it. There is no doubt in my mind that the music and poetry taught to me as a child has lived on, and has infiltrated and manifested itself in the work I do."
Phil Cunningham said:
"Having been involved with a previous project of Andy Hall's, I had no hesitation when he asked me to be involved in his latest. The subject matter, Robert Burns, has been close to my heart for a long time now and the chance to join with others to voice my appreciation of our national bard was a welcome opportunity.
"We live in a country with a vast and diverse wealth of creativity at its heart and to me Burns is the epitome of the thread that ties that diversity and this country together..."Passion".
"With 2009 being the 250th anniversary of Burns' birth and Scotland's Year of Homecoming, Andy's book gives us the perfect opportunity to let our homecomers see just what they've been missing - leading the way with one of the earliest ambassadors of Scotland's creative excellence."