The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns

 

The highlight of any Burns Supper is the Toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns. It can be delivered by anyone – male, female, old, young, a famous public figure or someone who on most years would be happy to be sitting in the audience. They don’t even have to be Scottish, but it helps a lot if they have a genuine love of Burns and his works and they’ve done a bit of basic research.

Jokes, funny stories, reminiscences, can all be a part of it, but they don’t have to be. Some of the most outstanding Immortal Memories I’ve heard have been serious appreciations of the bard, but for the most part a bit of levity followed by an appreciation of Burns peppered with a few quotes is what people are looking for.

Ideally, it should last for between 20 and 30 minutes. Much longer and people might start to get restless.

However it's done, the main thing for both speaker and audience is just have a good night! If there was one thing that Robert Burns enjoyed it was an evening of convivial company accompanied by good music and a dram.

If you're delivering the Toast do your prep and go for it. If you're in the audience, top up your glass and sit back and enjoy, but don't forget to keep a bit back for when the speaker

invites you to be upstanding and to drink a Toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns

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