Take a one-of-a-kind museum tour with Chicago Scots President Gus Noble
Learn more about Robert Burns in this interview with Chicago Scots President Gus Noble.
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Transcript
SPEAKER 1: Welcome to Caledonia Senior Living in Chicago, home to the Chicago Scotts. Today Gus Noble tells us why Robert Burns is such a prominent figure in Scotland, and how he celebrated around the world.
GUS NOBLE: Here's the Scottish American Museum. It's the only one of its kind in the world and it really tells the stories of Scottish journeys to America and the experience of families when they came here. No collection of Scottish stuff is complete with a bust of Robert Burns. Give a Scotsman an opportunity and before too long you'll be reciting Robert Burns poetry.
SPEAKER 1: Robert Burns composed hundreds of songs and poems in both Scots and English. You may be familiar with what is probably his most famous work, Auld Lang Sine. Burns and his works are celebrated by the Scottish every year on January 25th, the anniversary of his birth. Burns Night celebrations often include toasts, recitations, and of course haggis.
GUS NOBLE: This is the program from Saturday, August the 25th, 1906, which was the unveiling of the Burns monument. And here is the statue itself.
SPEAKER 1: I know there is one more piece that you wanted to show me in the museum.
GUS NOBLE: I do, yes, it's this wonderful carriage clock that tells the story of Robert Burns, the Scottish poet. And there's scenes of Burns at the plow, where he wrote the wonderful poem To A Mouse, Burns finding his muse. And wouldn't you know that that clock and I come from the same small town in Scotland, 1,500 people called Duns.
This is a garden that we created in the last couple of years called the Red, Red Rose Garden. And each of the four places from the benches there is a verse of the great love poem by Robert Burns. "My love is like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June. Oh my love is like a melody that's sweetly played in tune." And I think it's the most beautiful poem that's ever been written.
SPEAKER 1: Well, Gus, I just want to thank you again for welcoming us here. Just the tradition and the history, you can feel it.
GUS NOBLE: Thank you very much. You know this is a place where friends become family, so as we say in Scotland "hasty back."
GUS NOBLE: Here's the Scottish American Museum. It's the only one of its kind in the world and it really tells the stories of Scottish journeys to America and the experience of families when they came here. No collection of Scottish stuff is complete with a bust of Robert Burns. Give a Scotsman an opportunity and before too long you'll be reciting Robert Burns poetry.
SPEAKER 1: Robert Burns composed hundreds of songs and poems in both Scots and English. You may be familiar with what is probably his most famous work, Auld Lang Sine. Burns and his works are celebrated by the Scottish every year on January 25th, the anniversary of his birth. Burns Night celebrations often include toasts, recitations, and of course haggis.
GUS NOBLE: This is the program from Saturday, August the 25th, 1906, which was the unveiling of the Burns monument. And here is the statue itself.
SPEAKER 1: I know there is one more piece that you wanted to show me in the museum.
GUS NOBLE: I do, yes, it's this wonderful carriage clock that tells the story of Robert Burns, the Scottish poet. And there's scenes of Burns at the plow, where he wrote the wonderful poem To A Mouse, Burns finding his muse. And wouldn't you know that that clock and I come from the same small town in Scotland, 1,500 people called Duns.
This is a garden that we created in the last couple of years called the Red, Red Rose Garden. And each of the four places from the benches there is a verse of the great love poem by Robert Burns. "My love is like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June. Oh my love is like a melody that's sweetly played in tune." And I think it's the most beautiful poem that's ever been written.
SPEAKER 1: Well, Gus, I just want to thank you again for welcoming us here. Just the tradition and the history, you can feel it.
GUS NOBLE: Thank you very much. You know this is a place where friends become family, so as we say in Scotland "hasty back."