Seirm as four-part choir awaits judgement at Mòd Vancouver 2005.

A Short History of Seirm

Seirm was formed in November, 1996 in order to participate in Mòd Vancouver 1997. After only a few months of preparation, the fledgling choir brought home the Sons of Scotland shield for mixed choir.

Seirm went on to compete in Mòd Vancouver 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and many of its members went on to win further acclaim.

Closer to home, Seirm produces performances each year, promoting interest in an awareness of the Scottish Gaelic language, music and song tradition.

Seirm Today

After the Vancouver Mod Musical Association announced its intention to stop producing events in 2007, the Board of Directors of Slighe nan Gaidheal accepted the recommendation of Seirm's steering committee to reinvent the group as something akin to a Big Gaelic Band.

Seirm members now include instrumentalists, singers, and those brave souls who both sing and play! Four-part choir arrangements are a thing of the past, and our instrumentalists work on sets of tunes for dances as well as accompany our singers.

Performing at the 2011 Northwest Folklife Festival.

Mission

Seirm's mission is to provide opportunities for participants to create fun, traditional, and innovative Gaelic music together for their own enjoyment and education.

Seirm is also charged with sharing their love of Gaelic music with the general public, since some of them might not yet know how much they love it.

Underlying all is the mission to show the importance of preserving and strengthening the spoken language as a core responsibility of all Gaelic musicians; singers and players alike.