Tumbling Lassie Ball in aid of trafficking and slavery victims sells out!

The purpose of the ball is to raise funds for charities fighting against modern slavery and people trafficking. It will be preceded in the morning by an expert seminar in the Faculty’s Mackenzie Building on the theme of disrupting trafficking networks. The seminar is also fully booked, reflecting the high level of interest in the issues raised.

This year’s third annual ball will feature the word premiere of a new operetta, The Tumbling Lassie, by the Edinburgh composer, Tom Cunningham, to a libretto by Alexander McCall Smith. The operetta is a 30-minute dramatic retelling in music and song of the true story of the Tumbling Lassie case of 1687, from which the ball takes its inspiration.

In the 17th century case, the Court of Session in Edinburgh rejected the notion of slavery in Scotland. A young girl, known to history only as the “tumbling lassie”, had been “bought” from her mother and forced by a travelling showman to perform as a gymnast, until she managed to flee and was given refuge.

The showman went to court to demand damages on the basis of a written contract which he said proved the girl was his property. The judges dismissed his claim, with the only surviving report of the case declaring: “But we have no slaves in Scotland and mothers cannot sell their bairns.”

Today, slavery is illegal across the world and yet millions of people are still held in actual or effective slavery, even in Scotland. The story of the tumbling lassie continues to resonate.

The Tumbling Lassie Committee is a group of Scottish advocates which exists to raise awareness and funds for charities fighting against modern slavery and people trafficking, and to help survivors in Scotland and beyond as they recover from their ordeals.

Previewing this Saturday’s ball, Alan McLean QC said: “We are delighted with the level of interest in the Tumbling Lassie Ball, now in its third year. With all the tables and tickets sold, it’s going to be our biggest yet.

“We have already received wonderful generosity from our supporters – not least Alexander McCall Smith and Tom Cunningham for composing a special operetta to be premiered at the ball.

“Every penny we raise helps to tackle the evils of slavery and human trafficking at home and abroad, and we look forward to a productive as well as an enjoyable night on Saturday.”

Mr McCall Smith said: “The story of the Tumbling Lassie is a very moving one. The first time I heard it, I knew that I wanted to write about it and now I have had the opportunity to write the libretto of an operetta on the theme. It is impossible not to be profoundly moved by this extraordinary tale.

“Slavery might have been rejected by Scottish judges in the late 17th century, but unfortunately the modern evils of trafficking still persist. The story of the Tumbling Lassie still has resonance today.”