Scottish Society

Scottish Society of NZ - General Enquiries re activities and membership - P O Box 21 092, Edgeware, Christchurch 8143.  (The Society Hall can be available for Hire.  It has good accoustics and seats about 150.)

Burns Song Contest: c/o Laurie Richards, 12 Kenwyn Avenue, Papanui, Christchurch 8052, Phone (03) 355 8249 or email laurie.richards12@gmail.com

The Burns Song Contest.

An annual contest for singing students to encourage them and to give them performance experience.  There are four age groups - 9-12, 13-16, 17-20, and 21 and over.

Each contestant can enter to sing a song by Robert Burns and/or a Scottish song other than by Burns. There is also an open age section in Scottish Gaelic.

The Burns Song Contest was founded in 1984 with the stated purpose of encouraging young singers.  To reflect this purpose, the 17-20 age group is considered to the the flagship.  The Winner of the Burns song in this age group is proclaimed as the Winner of the Burns Song Contest.  There is an expectation that the said winner will sing at the Society's Burns Supper in the following January.  There is some flexibility in this - if the winner cannot attend a runner-up or previous winner may stand in.

First prize in each of the 17-20 sections, Burns and Scottish, is normally $100.  The other section prizes are scaled down from this according to the funds available each year.  Entry fees are nominal ranging from $1 to $3 according to age.

There is a requirement that entrants be genuine learners.  The 21 plus group recognises that there are "late starters."  But once a person is performing regularly or otherwise using their skill professionally they are not eligible. 

The Burns Song Contest occurs on a Saturday morning, usually in October or thereabouts.  The venue is the Scottish Society Hall in St Albans at the corner of Edgeware and Caledonian Roads.  At present only a small proportion of the singing teachers in Christchurch avail themselves of this opportunity to further their students' experience.  This is a pity as sometimes there are not enough entries in a section to award a first, second and third prize.

There is now a second event run by the contest sub-committee.  It is the Students' Concert which is for the same genre of singers from which come the Contest entrants.  It is "performing for the fun of it" without any competitive pressure.  Performers often offer more than one song.  There is absolutely no pressure that songs for this concert to be of Scottish flavour and some instrumental learners are also welcome to give variety to the programme. 

The Students' Concert is usually in June, on a Sunday afternoon.  There is neither entry fee nor payment for the performers.  Our gift to them is more performance experience.  Their gift to us is a concert from which the door takings enhance the contest prize pool, and fun and pleasure for everyone.  The audience is always very affirming and appreciative.  It is a good place for learners to make their first public appearance. 

Currently the Scottish Society does not have a choir.  The other regular activities of musical nature are dancing - Highland and Scottish Country - and Piping, all of which have their own umbrella organisations to which they will be affiliated.   The Society Secretary would be glad to pass on any enquiries in the direction of these other activities. The Society's monthly ceildhs - usually the second Sunday afternoon - present light and varied entertainment.