Faculty's "Tumbling Lassie" charity ball sells out

The Faculty of Advocates' Tumbling Lassie Ball, to be held this Saurday at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House, has proved a sell-out, Faculty announced today.

Some 340 guests will attend the event, which will 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.

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 case, the Court of Session in Edinburgh dismissed the case of a showman who claimed he had “bought” a young girl from her mother to perform as a gymnast. She had managed to flee and had been given refuge. The judges declared: "But we have no slaves in Scotland and mothers cannot sell their bairns.”

Between its two previous balls, the Tumbling Lassie committee has raised more than £30,000 for two charities – Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) and International Justice Mission (IJM). It aims to add significantly to the total at this year’s ball, which will include a charity auction.

Previewing this Saturday’s ball, Alan McLean QC commented: “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.”