Burns night 2013

Those of you who have been following our houseful of boys for a while now may remember that every year my husband's sister hosts a Burns Supper. (Last year's one can be found here and I explain a little more about the tradition there too if you haven't heard of it!)

This year it took place on Saturday evening, a week after the official date for the celebration.

There were around 30 people crammed into my sister in law's house, and everyone enjoyed an evening of great food (starting with haggis, of course), good music and good company. It is so nice to catch up with old friends and these sorts of things.

The pudding table is always a highlight too!

My contributions to the pudding table were:

a wheat & dairy free chocolate saltire cake,

...and an old fashioned dumpling.

My grannies both made great dumplings, or duffs as they are known on the islands, so my ambition is to get as good as them!

Each year, once the food is finished, we all sing a selection of old Scottish songs. This year Calum had been practising hard, learning a few of the songs from the song-sheet so he could accompany us on his accordion.

Before that though, it was solo time. A couple of the other boys who were there recited Scottish poems they had learned, James played his trombone and Calum played his accordion. David was too shy!

Here is a wee clip of Calum and James doing their solos.

Then it was time for the sing-song.

A couple of the guys usually bring their guitars along to accompany the songs. Calum had never played his pieces accompanied before, so he was kind of thrown in at the deep end, but he did amazingly well. He kept the time perfectly and if he did miss a note or two he knew exactly where to come back in. I can see him entertaining at ceilidhs in the future!

I shan't bore you all with all the clips I took of our singing, just the one. And a rather fitting one too - Flower of Scotland.

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