Seirm Gaelic Choir

The 2024 – 2025 Seirm season has begun!

We meet twice a month on the first and third Mondays from September through May (dates listed below) to prepare for performances in the spring and summer.

We also hold quarterly song circle céilidhs in private homes, dates and locations TBD.

We will perform a waulking a waulking of the tweed demonstration at NW Yarns & Mercantile in Bellingham on March 8, 2025.

Both events will have fresh, newly woven cloths for us to waulk, so we welcome everyone to come and experience the wonderful transformation of the cloth during the waulking process.

Participation in the choir isn’t necessary for any of our waulking or song circle events, but please contact seirm.director@slighe.org if you’d like to come or would like more information.

Jim McKnight moved to Canada and we haven’t found a replacement to lead the band yet, so there won’t be a band accompanying the singers this year.

However, Sharman Smith has volunteered to organize tune sessions for those musicians who would like to play tunes together.

Let us know if you would like to participate in those sessions.

Seirm rehearsal dates:

2024 •Nov 4, 18 •Dec 2,16
2025 •Jan 6, 20 •Feb 3,17 •Mar 3,17 •Apr 7, 21 •May 5, 19.

7pm-9pm

Maple Leaf Lutheran Church
10005 32nd Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125

Waulking of the Tweed Dates:

March 8, 2025 @ 2pm
Waulking of the Tweed

NW Yarns & Mercantile
206 West Magnolia St
Bellingham, WA 98225

About Seirm

Seirm is Slighe nan Gàidheal’s Gaelic choir that performs at various community events to promote interest and awareness of the Scottish Gaelic language, music and song tradition.

Originally formed as a 4-part a cappella choir in 1996 to participate in Mòd Vancouver, Seirm transitioned to the céilidh band format of singers and musicians following the conclusion of Mòd Vancouver in 2007.

Seirm participated in the Royal National Mòd in Scotland in October 2017. The group had plan to return in October 2020, but the Covid pandemic put a halt to that.

Seirm at the 2017 Royal National Mòd (The Oban Times)

Seirm continued to meet online throughout the pandemic, participating in Mary Ann Kennedy’s global online massed choir presentation on BBC Alba, performing online video concerts, competing in the virtual Royal Mòd and US Mòd, some live waulking performances starting in the fall of 2022, culminating in a live concert performance in 2023 after a season of hybrid rehearsals.

After a rebuilding season of song circles and several waulking opportunities, we’re delighted to return to in-person choir rehearsals in the 2024-2025 season!

Seirm welcomes people regardless of their musical experience or knowledge of Gaelic. There are no auditions, and no one will be asked to sing by themselves to join the group. No previous experience with Gaelic is necessary since we work on pronunciation as part of learning the songs and have recordings of each song for practicing at home. We learn about a dozen Gaelic songs each season. The only prerequisites to join are a willingness to learn Gaelic songs and have fun!

For more information, contact us.

Please contact Penny McLeod DeGraff if you would like to join or have any questions.

Upcoming Seirm & Music Events

Seirm Rehearsal Dates:

•Nov 4, 18 •Dec 2,16. •Jan 6, 20 •Feb 3,17 •Mar 3,17 •Apr 7, 2 •May 5, 19.

Upcoming Waulkings:

March 8, 2025 @ 2pm
Waulking of the Tweed

NW Yarns & Mercantile
206 West Magnolia St
Bellingham, WA 98225