Index

Wee, honest, sonsie faces……

On the 27th of Feruary 2012 children from our local primary schools were able to show off their dramatic and musical talents last week as East Kilbride Rotary Club organised the annual Primary Schools Burns Competition.

With categories for recitation, singing and musical instrument performance in each of 2 age groups, primary 4-5 and primary 6-7, 68 individual entrants and 5 choirs from 12 local primary schools took part and showed the wealth of young talent we have in the town.

Judging the recitation entrants were Wendy McNab and John Mitchell from Kilbryde Burns Club with the musical performances being judged by Audrey McKirdy, Conductor of Glasgow Youth Choir.

It was very encouraging to see so many children enjoying the work of our national bard of international renown and bearing in mind that TV and radio star Tam Cowan recently attested in a BBC Scotland Burns Night program how entry to a Burns competition when he was a primary pupil had sown the seeds of a lifelong passion for his works, the Burns legacy in our town should be in good hands in years to come.

Prize giving was shared on the evening by guest of the Rotary Club, Linda Fabiani MSP and President of the Rotary Club, Leslie Irvine.

Primary 4-5 recitation was won by Eilidh Smith from Kirktonholme , with second place being taken by Chloe Edgar of Long Calderwood and third going to Caitlin Murphy from Castlefield.

Emily Lawless in first place and Rebecca Monteith in second were to be an early indicator of the considerable musical talents of Heathery Knowe with Abbie Craig from East Milton taking third and entertaining the crowd with the humour of her "Chip Shop Song".Rebekah Smith won Primary 4-5 instrumental performance with her rendition of Highland Cathedral on the recorder which along with other Auldhouse pupils' musical wins showed they also have musical talents in abundance.

In Primary 6-7 recitation, the winner, Emma Stevenson of Long Calderwood and second placed Jack Inglis of Maxwellton both chose to recite the evocative "A parcel of Rogues" with third placed Nikki Aiken of Auldhouse, reciting the Burns Supper hallmark "Address to the Haggis", recording the first of her two prize wins.

Primary 6-7 singing, the first of two winning performances by Aiden Neil of Auldhouse, second place being taken by Adam McLeod of Heathery Knowe and third being another prize for Nikki Aiken of Auldhouse, was a display of the previously mentioned musical abilities of these two schools as well as a reminder of the beauty in the romantic side of Burns poetry with the first and third placed pupils singing "My Love is Like A Red Red Rose".

With Aiden Neil claiming the second of his two first places and Chloe Montagu winning second, primary 6-7 instrumental performance was a clean sweep for the recorders of Auldhouse.

The Choral Trophy being won by Heathery Knowe, last year's winners, St. Louise coming second and East Milton coming third the final prize of the evening, for the best overall school performance went to Heathery Knowe.

Congratulations are due to every boy and girl who took the daunting task of performing on stage to a packed school hall in their stride.

East Kilbride Rotary Club would like to thank Kilbryde Burns Club especially Wendy McNab and John Mitchell, Glasgow Youth Choir's Audrey McKirdy, and South Park School especially their janitor Graham McKenna for their assistance in the running of the event.