Conference - 'Robert Burns 1759 to 2009'
15 - 17 January 2009
Marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the newly established Centre for Robert Burns Studies hosted a three-day conference celebrating all aspects of Burns's life and works. 
The conference took place in the prestigious surroundings of Glasgow University from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 January 2009.
It was opened by Fiona Hyslop, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and the University's Principal Sir Muir Russell.
The programme featured seven plenary papers delivered by distinguished academics over the three days:
Leith Davis, (Simon Fraser University) Transatlantic Burns
Jon Mee (University of Warwick) Why the English had to invent Robert Burns
G Ross Roy (University of Columbia, South Carolina) This presentation will be on film and screened.
Susan Manning (University of Edinburgh) ‘Ae spark o’ Nature’s Fire’: Was Robert Burns a Transcendental Philosopher?’
Fiona Stafford (University of Oxford) Robert Burns Addresses
Chris Whatley (University of Dundee) "Pale Scotia's way": Memorialising Burns in Victorian Scotland
Robert Crawford (University of St Andrews) Burns and the Mind of Europe
A full programme of events, and conference information is available in PDF format: Full Conference Programme and Information
Over the three days in January, 200 Robert Burns academics and enthusiasts gathered for this event, many of whom presented papers covering a diverse range of topics associated with Robert Burns and discussing these issues across coffee breaks, lunch and dinner. A team of postgraduate student helpers from the Department of Scottish Literature helped direct people to the suite of rooms used for sessions and modelled the Centre's newly-designed t-shirt. The conference was a real team effort across the University, involving Conference and Visitor Services, Corporate Communications, Development and Alumni and Archives. Feedback was really positive, and some of the delegates' comments are given here.
Picture gallery of the opening and of coffee breaks.
Special partnership – CRBS and Itchy Coo Education - Picture Gallery 
The Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow was delighted to be working with Itchy Coo Education, the award winning promoters and publishers in Scots. A series of national schools and colleges competitions for students aged from reception class to highers (4 to 18), was in the Autumn term of 2008 and winners were announced at a specially organised event during the Conference, with competitions judged and prizes presented by Andrew Wolffe, illustrator, designer and publisher, Janice Forsyth, BBC Scotland broadcaster and Liz Lochhead, writer and formerly Writer in Residence at the Department of Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow. Just short of 100 children, parents, friends and teachers gathered in the Kelvin Gallery to celebrate Scotland's young writers inspired by the words of Robert Burns. The event was hosted by Matthew Fitt of Itchy Coo and Dr Kirsteen McCue of CRBS and, in the words of Janice Forsyth, presented 'more talent than the X Factor' and was 'more colourful than Strictly Come Dancing'!
Evening Events
Complementing the full academic programme, there were several special events continuing the theme of celebration and these were also open to the general public.
Thursday 15 January - Songs and Supper - Picture Gallery
This event, sponsored by the Royal Mail, was held in the main hall of Oran Mor and provided an alternative hot supper for over 100 people. The Centre was thrilled to be able to invite one of Scotland's foremost traditional singers, Sheena Wellington, to perform a selection of Burns's less often heard bawdy songs from 'The Merry Muses', which she regaled with characteristic humour and skill. Before this, the traditional band of 'gangrel bodies', Stramash, gave a spirited rendition of Burns's cantata Love and Liberty, also known as 'The Jolly Beggars'. The Royal Mail was happy to publicise its newly created Robert Burns stamps celebrating the 250th anniversary of Burns's birth.
Friday 16 January - World Premiere Performance - Picture Gallery
On the evening of Friday 16th January, in the splendid surroundings of the Bute Hall, the Centre hosted the world premiere of 'Lament of Mary, Queen of Scots', written by Scotland's leading composer, James MacMillan. This piece was commissioned by the Centre for Robert Burns Studies for the 'Robert Burns 1759 to 2009' conference at the University of Glasgow, and was made possible by funding from the Chancellor’s Fund, University of Glasgow. The world premiere performance was given by the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt, and singers Lorna Anderson and Jamie MacDougall, and included an additional programme of Burns songs with arrangements by Haydn.
More information on 'The Lament of Mary, Queen of Scots', including an extract from an interview with James MacMillan.
In the afternoon of Friday 16th January, the Conference marked the completion of the Trio's recording of the complete Haydn folk songs with Lorna and Jamie on the Brilliant Classics label. This project, involving Professor Marjorie Rycroft of the Department of Music at the University of Glasgow and both Dr Kirsteen McCue (Scottish Literature) and Dr Warwick Edwards (Music), has been connected to a larger editing project relating to Haydn's songs for the Scottish publisher, George Thomson. The complete set of recordings runs to 19 CDs with a CD-ROM full of information about these wonderful settings. The event to mark the culmination of this project was hosted by the University's Chancellor, Sir Kenneth Calman. The Trio and singers are continuing to celebrate this project by giving a series of concerts at the new arts centre, King's Place, near London's King's Cross, in September of this year. Lectures will be given by both Professor Rycroft and Dr McCue.
Saturday 17 January - An Alternative Burns Supper with Karen Dunbar - Picture Gallery
The conference rounded off on Saturday evening with an Alternative Burns Supper, organised by the University of Glasgow's Development and Alumni department, again in the distinguished setting of the Bute Hall. Hosted by Dr Kirsteen McCue, this event featured an unforgettable Immortal Memory given by one of Scotland's funniest women, Karen Dunbar, who gave an action packed recitation of Burns's masterpiece, 'Tam o' Shanter'. Scottish Literature graduate, Nicole Irvine, impressed the 140 guests with a fabulous rendition of Burns's 'Address to the Haggis' and ceilidh band Kilter rounded off the evening, and the Conference, by leading everyone in some spirited Scottish dancing.
Press Pack
The Centre for Robert Burns Studies Conference was the first major event to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, and it generated a great deal of interest covered by all media from BBC Scotland's Newsnight Scotland and STV's 5.30 Show to local and national radio and national press, both print and online. You will be able to view a sample of the coverage here soon.