Gourock Burns Night party in aid of raising War funds (1900)

Last night Gourock Harmonic Society celebrated the national day of our Scottish Bard with a concert in the Volunteer Drill Hall, Binnie Lane.

The proceeds were for the benefit of the war fund; and that the efforts of the society were fully appreciated was shown by the large audience which filled the hall.

The concert, which was decidedly Burnsiana, was carried through with marked approval. The choir, under Mr A. Macpherson, numbered fifty voices, which blended harmoniously in the old favourites, "There was a Lad," "O' a' the Airts," "Duncan Gray", "Scots Wha Hae, and "Auld Lang Syne".

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Two of the best items were a duet, "O wert thou in the Cauld Blast," by Mrs Johnstone and Miss Selanders, and a trio, "O Willie Brewed a Peck o' Maut" by Messrs M'Neill, Mill, and M'Phee.

The soloists were in good voice, and sang with much acceptance. They were Miss Coates, Miss Wynne, Miss Hunter, and Mesars Macpherson, M'Caa, Burns, and Wilson. Miss Holmes was accompanist. Mr John Forsyth (London) was elocutionist.

His contributions included " Tam o' Shanter" and " The Relief of Lucknow".

The band of the 1st R.R.V. (under Bandmaster Connor) was present, and played some stirring selections during the evening.

Colonel Lamont, who presided, commended the Gourock people for giving such hearty support to the War Fund.

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The concert, he understood, was under the auspices of the Gourock " Jolly Beggars," and it was quite proper that they should do their best to help "the absent-minded ones."

Burns had shown himself a patriot-and more than that, he had been a Volunteer.

He was glad to think that the country had wakened up, and were now showing the patriotic spirit of which Burns sang so well. The company broke up with the singing of the National Anthem.

This story first appeared in the Greenock Telegraph on January 25, 1900.