Episode 3

A Kist o Wurds

As the annual celebrations of Robert Burns draw near, Wilson Burgess opens a kist full of music and crack all to do with Scotia’s bard.

Fellow Ayrshire poet, Rab Wilson explains how a plaster cast of Burns’ skull has helped a team from Dundee University rebuild the closest-ever likeness of the famous bard.

World renowned fiddler, Alasdair Fraser tells Mark Wilson how much he enjoys the tunes of Burns, his ‘brother catgut’, and how he played in Hollywood at Charlton Heston’s Burns’ Night.

John Erskine is set to deliver a talk at the Linen Hall Library on the way Belfast took to Burns during his lifetime.

The Ulster Orchestra and Karen Matheson play Burns-themed concerts in the Ulster Hall and the Millennium Forum.

'Not So Serious Burns’ workshops are happening in and around the City of Culture, and Burns Suppers are on the go from Lough Eske to the Linen Hall, and aw airts atween.

This week's A Kist o Wurds was produced by Blackthorn Productions for BBC Radio Ulster. The production team were Chris Spurr and Karl Walker. For any queries about the programme, please email kist@bbc.co.uk or telephone 028 9033 8435.