Burns Brunch (2023)
The last week of January is Burns Week at the Star-Splitter Academy, in which we celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns.
In January 2023, we learned a wealth of poems and songs, including versions performed by the great contemporary Scottish songwriter Eddi Reader.
We also created our own poems and songs by following Burns's method of composition (after arriving at a theme, he would replay it in his mind as he went out into the world, taking a long walk and discovering the host of natural images that began connecting to the melody that thrummed through him).
After learning from Sanda Moore Coleman the history and etiquette of toast-making, our celebration culminated with our first annual Star-Splitter Burns Brunch, in which we adapted the traditional program of a Burns Night Supper to reflect our school's identity.
Our ceremonial entrance was an all-kazoo version of the rollickingly joyful tune about friendship, "You're Welcome, Willy Stewart."
Our exultant Address to the Haggis was an equally fulsome Address to the Twinkie.
And, in honor of our improv roots, we translated The Toast to the Lassies and The Lassies' Reply to "A Toast to the Yeses" and "The Yeses Reply to the Ands."
The brunch also featured student readings of "My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose," "To a Mouse," "To a Louse," and "Jon Anderson, My Jo," as well as the recitation of new version of Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice" that a student composed: "Frost and Burns."
The brunch ended, in keeping with tradition, with "Auld Lang Syne" sung arm-in-arm until we had to reach for our kazoos!
A Toast to the Yeses (Juan, Tori, Lydia, Abby, Henry, and Evie), delivered by Tori The Ands’ Toast To The Yesses My fellow Splitters, improvisationaners, and wonderers, we raise our glasses to you, the Yeses. First, with Yesss, we can agree. We need Yeses to be social, and thus forgiving (as Robert Frost says!). We would not be able to improvise with one another: it would be a slur of “No, but”s. We could not exist without one another, for what is an “and” without a Yes? Like a yin without a yang, like a camera without a lens, like eyes without light, like a day without night, and like a teacher without an apple. Without you, we cannot. We need you, Yesses. Here’s to you. To the Yesses!
The Yeses Reply to the Ands (Hadley, Oliver, Aaron, and Chessie), delivered by Oliver A Toast to the Ands! (a reply to the Ands’ toast to the yeses) Let us acknowledge the virtues of And on this celebratory occasion, this sentimental supper, this flavorful feast. “And” goes beyond a conjunction. And is addition and innovation and creativity, and is an extension, and inclusion, and increasing, and adjoining. Without And we would be stuck in one state (a boring, stagnant, state.) Because of And, we have improv– but beyond improv, there are groups and families and countries, and communities. Because of And there are ideas, and solutions, and conclusions, and inspirations, and lists, and repetition, and repetition, and repetition, and… you get the point. And– on that note, where would “And” be without “ond” and “unda” and “endi” and “anda?” But– and excuse my betrayal of the one true conjunction, And– some believe they’re too good for And. And I find that quite silly and incorrect and unoriginal, and narrow-minded. The truth is, And is too marvelous, and too great, and too useful, and too quintessential to language and communication for those who believe themselves to be above And. Without And, we wouldn’t have beaches… Only snake sounds. And we wouldn’t have music… only bees. We wouldn’t have fingers… only HUH– which would probably be my reaction to not having my hands. But in all seriousness, who wants a meal with only one course? Who wants a movie without sound? Who wants Surf without Turf? Who wants night without moonlight? Who wants day without sunrays? Who wants a twinkie without cream? Who wants a language without innovation? Who wants a situation without evolution? Who wants to live without And? And on this celebratory occasion, this sentimental supper, this flavorful feast– We appreciate And. To And! [All: To And!]
Address to the Twinkie!
Evie reading her version of Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice": Burns and Frost! Burns and Frost (after Robert Frost) Some say the world begins with Burns Some say with Frost From what I know of verse entire I hold with those who favor Burns But if it could come to life twice I think I know enough of love To say that for construction Frost Is also great And would suffice.
One of the three readings of the Burns Brunch: "My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose," delivered by Abby
Henry delivering the Selkirk Grace
Happy Burns Brunch to all!