Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Milngavie Primary School’s Burns Competition.  It is the first time I have ever attended and I was a bit apprehensive as I’d been asked to help judge.

It was amazing – it was introduced by an incredible piper – Craig Munro- who has played with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and who played bagpipes on the Disney film, Brave.  He played us in and then told us a bit about the bagpipes and how Scottish he feels when he plays.  He encouraged us all to take up playing the pipes and the show of hands, when he asked who might be interested, was almost unanimous.

The standard of the Burns performers from every class was exceptional – the children had obviously spent a lot of time and energy rehearsing their poems and practising their performing skills.  Everyone was so good, it was really hard to choose a winner from each class.  If I had been able to really choose, they would all have been winners.  The upper school Burns poems were very long and it took an amazing memory to recite them, never mind perform them effectively to an audience.  I was genuinely amazed at the standard of performance.

It also struck me that the ethos of the school was shining through, in the confidence of the children.  To perform in front of the whole school and lots of adults with such aplomb is an incredibly difficult thing to do.  The children had been encouraged by their teachers and families and showed no nerves.  The school audience was very receptive – even the wee ones listened intently to every performance and clapped enthusiastically.  Each class was rooting for their class mates as they performed.  It was lovely to watch.  When the winners were announced the runners up dealt with the disappointment of not being first, admirably.  Even the wee tiny P1’s were resilient. Watching all the children who have been through our nursery and are now so self-assured and grown up made me feel quite emotional.

The music on the day, provided by our very own school musicians was also lovely and the P7’s sang a lovely version of “Walking on the Waves”, which would have brought tears to a glass eye.

I had a really lovely morning and thoroughly enjoyed it all- it made me very proud of my Scottish heritage and of our wonderful school. Thank you so much to everyone who made it a really special competition and experience.