Robert Burns

A TRIBUTE TO SCOTLAND’S BARD
N Jan. 25 this year the world will mark the 202nd

anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s renowned na-

tional poet, Robert Burns.

Millions of words have been
written in the past two centur-
ies in tribute to the great Bard

fut none perhaps with such};

eloquence and meaning as

some of those contained in the];
writings of the Chartist move- |;

ment in England over 100
years ago.

The Chartist movement was :
& broad, mass revolutionary :
Working-class movement that];

arose in England in the 1830’s

around the demand for the en-|:

actment of a Charter of Work-
€rs’ Rights, chiefly the right of
universal suffrage.

The Chartists at that time
produced many talented writ-
€rs who wrote many inspiring
Songs, poems, stories and nov-
els, as well as appeals, speech-
€s and critical reviews. Many
of these are now collected for
the first time in the “Antholo-
8y of Chartist Literature’ pub-

? *

lished in the Soviet Union in

the English language.

Below we reprint an abridg-
ed item from this anthology,
penned by some unknown
Chartist writers in tribute to
Robert Burns.

BURNS, THE POOR MAN’S POET

(An Extract)

- .. True, Burns is a nation-
al poet, the national poet of
Scotland; yet it is hardly pos-
Sible for his. memory to be
More honored in his own na-
tive land than it is in England.
His immortal songs are written
in a language which, to an
Englishman, at first sight is
One tissue of barbarous jar-
&0n; but the little he does .un-
derstand at once fires him to
know more; and it may be
Safely asserted that no lover of
boesy ever glanced. at the
Works of Burns, without mak-
ing himself master of all the
boet has written.

Burns was a Scotchman, but
the productions of his genius
are now mankind’s. Wherever
the influence of poetry is felt
-— and there can be no real ad-
Miration of poetry but what
is based on feeling — and wit,
“and humor, admired, there

ever will ‘‘Tam O’Shanter” be
recited. Wherever the social
cup Girculates and friendship
is pledged in flowing bowls,
there will the roof and rafters
ring with “Auld Lang Syne.”
Wherever in the gloaming hour
the lover presses the object of
his passion to his beating heart,
there will be “Highland Mary,”
“Bonnie Jean,’ “My Nannie
O,” and “Corn Rigs” be held in
trembling’ or rapturous recol-
lection.

And lastly, wherever the
sons of freedom are gathered,
there will “A Man’s a Man for
a’ That” electrify them with
the love of equality, while
“Scots Wha’ Ha’e’”’ will inspire
them to do and dare all for
liberty. The writings of Burns
embrace every generous, soul-
enobling passion in the hu-
man heart: hence, despite his
nationality, the universial
homage paid to his name...
Northern Siar, Aug. 24, 1844

A 15-year-long diplomat
government and the Canad

way back to their original
in Krakow.

Long negotiations over

artistic heritage.

POLISH TREASURES RETURNED

ments and the Catholic Church in Quebec for the return
of a collection of Polish art treasures ended over the
New Year weekend. The treasures are now on their

resulted finally in the complete transfer of the .art
treasures which are an important part of Poland’s

ic battle between the Polish

ian and the Quebec govern-

home in the Wawel Castle

the past two years have

a
Review wrong
a
says Neish -

Elgin Neish, Vicioria, writes: |
Just a few lines of belated
criticism of a book review that
appeared in the November 25
issue of the Pacific Tribune
regarding Huberman and
Sweezys Anatomy of A Revo-
lution.”

The Pacific Tribune, in pub-
lishing this reviewer’s critic-
ism (to my way of thinking) is
guilty of a‘serious error, not
only against the author, but
more important against the
Cuban people and their revolu-
tion.

Here, at a time when the
Communist Party, -the trade
union movement and ~ the
columns of the Pacific Tribune
itself are urging support and a
greater understanding of the
Cuban Revolution you print an|
unfounded criticism of the

only book (I have seen) that |
gives any insight into the|

| struggles of the Cuban people, ‘

i and the vicious part being)
played by the United States
Government. |

If through this review, One

sale of this book has been lost,

that is our loss.

P.S. I think this book is the
finest of its class to be printed
in recent years.

Robert Service

Myrtle Bergren, Cowichan
writes informing us. that the
Native Sons of Duncan have
erected a stone and monument
to the memory of Robert Ser-
vice at Cowichan Bay where he
is reputed to have written his
first poems. While space does
not permit the printing of the
whole letter we reprint ex-
cerps from it below.

Born into the British middle
class Service was educated at
Hillhead public school in Glas-
gow. He recalls in his auto-
biography the class distinction
about him — the upper crust,

SOVIET

“BRILLIANT”

Regarded in his native land
as one of the most brilliant of
the younger. generation of So-
viet artists, the pianist Dimitri
Bashkirov is making his first
tour of North America _ this
spring.

Born in Tbilisi, the capital
of Georgia, in November, 1931,
Bashkirov attended the con-
servatory in that city for ten
years, and on graduating, went
to the Moscow State Conserva-
tory where he won-his diplo-
ma with highest honors, study-
ing under the renowned teach-
er Alexander Goldenwieser. In
1954 he began post-graduate |
work at the Conservatory, |
completing it in 1957, when}
he was named Assistant Pro-
fessor.

Bashkirov’s career began
while he was still studying.
He gave solo recitals in the
Soviet Union and, in 1955, he
journeyed to Paris to compete
in the famous Marguerite
Long-Jacques Thibaud Interna-
tional Competition. His win-
ning of the Prix d’ Or in that
important contest called him
to the attention of the musical
world. He was widely hailed
by the French press.

He has since played through
out the Soviet Union, appear-
ing often as soloist with the
Moscow State Symphony, and
has also performed in Belgi-
um, Iceland, Yugoslavia, Gre-
ece, Poland and other coun-
tries. His repertory is a huge}
one, but appearing most often |
on his programs are the!
works of Mozart, Bethoven, '

PIANIST

Schubert, Schumann, Chopin,
Brahms, Scriabin and Proko-}
fieff. |

This young Russian artist is}
a must for all music lovers in|
Vancouver. So many people!
wish they had heard the last}
Russian artists the famed Cel-|
list, Rostropovich, that  early|
reservations are suggested to}
avoid disappointment.

FAMOUS ARTISTS LTD.
Queen Elizabeth
Theatre
Mons Jan. 25 at Seo

THE PRODIGIOUS
SOVIET PIANIST

TSE

DIMITRI
BASHKIROV
in Person!

4.50, 4.00, 3.25, 2.50
1.75 ine. tax.

Tickets at Kelly’s Music Store, [|
Seymour & Georgia Sts.,
Vancouver. Phone MU 1-3351 §
daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

S| ism
| the common people’s revulsion
|for war, and.wrote gq number
| of
| them “Song of the Pacifist”—
| which
| words.
| Triumph! Yes, when out of the

January 20, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2

Ss

Soom 5 Ss
MYRTLE BERGREN _.
... writes on Robert Service:

the middle class, tradesmen,
and the colliers who were con-
sidered beyond the social pale.

Service recalls that his great:
grandfather had been a crony
of Robert Burns, and claimed
him as a second cousin. “One
of our parlour chairs had
often been warmed by the
rump of the Bard, for besides
being a rhymster, my ansces-
tor had been a toper,” he goes:
on. “To my folks Robbie Burns
was their idol.

Service set out for Canada
in 1894 to find his fortune and
after roughing it as a farm
hand in B.C. and California,
he found employment with the
Canadian Bank of Commerce
in Victoria and was transferred

to Whitehorse, Y.T. Here still”

working as a bank clerk, he
wrote his famous “Songs o®?
the Sourdough” and “Ballads
of qa Cheechako.”

Service was involved in the
Balkan war of 1912-13 and act
ed as an ambulance driver dur-
ing the First World War. Al-
though an opponent of social=
Service nonetheless felt

anti war poems, among

concludes with these

dust in the
their release

The spirits of those who fell
go forth and hallow our
hearts to peace,

And, brothers in pain, with
world wide voice, we clam-
Our that War shall cease.

Glory! Ay, when from blackest
loss shall be born médst
radiant gain;

When over the gory fields
shall rise a star that never
shall wane;

Then, and then only, our Dead
shall know that they have
not fall’n in vain.

When our children’s childres
shall talk of War as a mad
ness that may not be;

When we thank our God for
our grief today, and blazem
from sea to sea

In the name of the dead fhe
banner of peace ... tha®
will be victory.

splendour of