Bonhams to sell sponsorship to new yr anthem

Bidders at a Bonhams sale will have an opportunity to sponsor `Auld Lang Syne`.

London: Bidders at a Bonhams sale later this month will have a unique opportunity to `sponsor` one of the world`s most popular songs `Auld Lang Syne` - the anthem to celebrate the start of the new year. The August 18-21 sale in Scotland is aimed at attracting the attention of Scots around the world, with the fragment of the manuscript and lyrics of the country`s favourite son, Robert Burns, expected to reach 50,000 pounds.

This unusual lot has become available as part of an ambitious fundraising scheme by National Trust for Scotland which is hoping to raise one million pounds during 2009 to create a new museum project dedicated to Burns in his native Ayrshire to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth. `Auld Lang Syne` was written by Burns in 1788, his poetic words set to the tune of a traditional folk song. Since then, it has risen to international prominence and is known throughout the English-speaking world. Written in Scottish dialect, the title literally means "Old Long Since" or, more idiomatically, "Days Gone by". In recent years it has come to serve as an anthem to celebrate the start of the new year at the stroke of midnight on New Year`s Day. "The Scottish sale is a marvellous vehicle to find anew patron for `Auld Lang Syne` as it has a strong appeal to anyone with a particular affection for Scotland and the arts," said Bonhams Scotland MD Miranda Grant. Bureau Report