ATLANTIC MINE - Bad plaid ties, a haggis and a fair amount of knobby-kneed lads and lassies in kilts. These are the makings of a good Scottish gathering, and those in attendance at the Second Annual Robbie Burns dinner held Saturday in Atlantic Mine were not disappointed.
A fundraiser for the Celtic Quarter of the Copper Country, the event drew 130 people to celebrate the birthday of Scotland's most beloved poet.
"Robbie Burns was (very) earthy, more like the common folk, and he wrote about common things: eating, drinking and things common people get up to," said historian Wil Shapton, who provided some of Burns' background. A farmer, Burns failed at school but was a prolific patriarch, fathering 17 children from at least four women other than his wife. "He died, at 39, of a heart attack," Shapton concluded, with the timing of a seasoned comedian.
Piper Terry Reynolds, fresh from a stint on the lecturing circuit at Michigan Technological University, also proved to be an entertaining storyteller, regaling the audience with tales of how certain tunes got their names. The folk song, "Coulter's Candy," for instance, was a nod to Robert Coultart, a ca. 1870s confectioner.
"Sometimes a piper would just sit down and make up a song about any silly thing at all," Reynolds explained.
Provided by Celtic Quarter members and friends, the traditional Scottish fare ranged from cock-a-leekie soup (chicken and leeks), to neeps and tatties (turnips and potatoes), shortbread and scones. Of course, the haggis was the star of the show, and was piped in with much ceremony and toasted with a wee dram.
For most, however, the evening centered on music and dancing. Setting the scene for the Celtic evening were guitarist Oren Tikkanen and fiddler Libby Meyer. Following dinner, Superior Pipes and Drums provided the bulk of the evening's entertainment. From Piper Barry Tippett, who has been piping the better part of 50 years, to young Peter Jaczak, making his first public piping appearance, the musicians did not disappoint. Providing the harmony were drummers Paul Racine and Bryce Tuttle flanking Wayne Oien on the snare drum, the latter of which recently placed third in the world at the Drum Corps Associates competition in Rochester, N.Y. Oien provided a snippet of his expertise with a 20-second set using four sticks concurrently.
Not to be outdone were the Highland Dancers, led by Lisa McKenzie, whose kilts were flying as they demonstrated the exuberant Highland Fling as well as the traditional sword dance, a set of steps requiring concentration and increasingly accelerated footwork. A fundraiser for the Celtic Quarter's renovation project of the Pewabic House in Hancock, tickets were $20. Ginny and Nels Lyke said not only did they feel they got their money's worth, it was also worth the drive from Champion in a driving snowstorm.
"If I had to pick a favorite thing, it would be the dancers," said Ginny, who said she came to support a friend in the group. "It's good to see so many young people getting exercise while keeping these cultural traditions alive."
For more information on the Celtic Quarter, go to thecelticquarter.com.
