One of the most famous songs in Scots – Auld Lang Syne – is to form the basis of a musical tour of Scotland led by folk singer Mairi Campbell. The show Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne will feature dance, music and storytelling directed by Kath Burlinson, and creative contributions from David Francis, David Gray, Claire Lamond and Tim Vincent Smith. The route of the tour will follow many of the places that poet Robert Burns visited during 1787.

The poem Auld Lang Syne was written by Robert Burns in 1788 but is based on earlier traditions and set to the tune of the ballad ‘Old Long Syne’ published by James Watson in 1711. This Scots language poem and song is now known the world over because it has traditionally been sung on Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) every year. Mairi Campbell commented that when she recorded Auld Lang Syne with David Francis she came to see the piece in a new way and began to get behind the meanings of the language.

The show will go on tour beginning 18 January and will run until 23 March 2019. Dates set for January are as follows: Friday 18 January at Macphail Centre, Ullapool, Saturday 19 January Village Hall, Ardross, Thursday 24 January Boswell Centre, Auchinleck, Friday 15 January Community Centre, Barr, and Saturday 26 January at the Community Centre, Pinwherry. Tickets vary between £10 (£8 concession) and £15 (haggis stovie supper included) and performances begin at 7.30pm each night during January. For more information and further tour dates please visit www.mairicampbell.scot .