A FREE concert promising to bring the life and works of Robert Burns alive on stage is coming to Auchinleck.

The concert, held on April 21, will aim to bring Burns to life through the singing of his songs and recitation of his poems by local schoolchildren and some well-known names from the Burns circuit.

It's being organised by the Auchinleck Community Development Initiative and will take place at the Boswell Centre.

The concert will provide an opportunity for people who wouldn’t normally get the chance to savour the works of the poet - as he himself would have wanted them to be heard.

P7 pupils from Auchinleck Primary and St Patrick's Primary have been practising diligently - and to get them into the atmosphere they had a visit to Burns Cottage and the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, where they had a great time learning about Robert’s life and family and impressed their tour guides with both their knowledge and behaviour.

Dressing up in period costume was the highlight for most of the children and it is anticipated that their enthusiasm will be evident on the night of the show.

Event organiser Bobby McCallum is delighted to be able to help the kids bring these stories to life.

He said: "I attend many Burns suppers every year and it always amazes me that most of them are male-only - which severely limits the opportunities for most of the population to appreciate just how wonderful Burns’ works are.

"He wrote hundreds of songs about women and yet there are very few suppers which encourage women to attend, which I think is a nonsense.

"This concert is an attempt to redress some of the balance and allow everybody in the community to attend what promises to be a very enjoyable concert.”

Bobby added: "I’m amazed and delighted by the commitment to the project from the children and my fellow Burns performers.

"I feel sure that everybody who comes along to the concert will not be disappointed. The performance starts at 6.30pm and I would advise people to come early to avoid disappointment."

The everning is available for anyone to attend.

For more information contact Bobby on bweebob@aol.com.