The American Scottish Gaelic Society

Registration Open for 20th Annual Gaelic Song and Language Week

| | Advanced, Beginner, Events, Gaelic Song, Gaelic Week @ GFM, Intermediate

They say time flies, but it’s still hard to believe we will be gathering in North Carolina this July for the 20th Grandfather Mountain Gaelic Song and Language Week, held from July 9 to 13 in Banner Elk, just before the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games July 12-15.

Every year since 1998, An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach has held a week of classes taught by some of the ...

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The American Scottish Gaelic Society

First ‘Oidhche nam Bàrd’ Celebrates Scottish Gaelic Poetry

| | Events, Gaelic Learning Communities, Gaelic Song

Everyone, practically everywhere, has heard of Robert Burns and Burns’ Night, but what about Scotland’s Gaelic poets?

They got their due and their own night Jan. 27, when 20 people gathered to celebrate centuries of poets and Gaelic poetry and share poems and songs at Oidhche nam Bàrd in Alexandria, Virginia.

Gàidhlig Photomac, the Scottish Gaelic Learning Community in the Washington, D.C., area, organized the special event, ...

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The American Scottish Gaelic Society

Christine Primrose to hold Scottish Gaelic Song Workshop in NYC Dec. 13

| | Events, Gaelic Learning Communities, Gaelic Week @ GFM

Scottish Gaelic learners and fans of Gaelic song in the New York area will have a unique opportunity to meet and study with one of the leading exponents of Gaelic song in Scotland this December, Christine Primrose. The New York Caledonian Club will present a workshop with Primrose on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 7-9 pm, at Studios 353 (353 West 48th Street, Manhattan, 2nd floor) ...

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The American Scottish Gaelic Society

Briathrachas nan Cèilidhean: Cèilidh Talk!

| | ACGA Fèis, Events, Gaelic Learning Communities, National Mòd

Going to a cèilidh? You may want to learn or brush up on these phrases, selected and recorded by Fèisean nan Gàidheal.

This vocabulary list teaches you to say where you or someone else is from in Gaelic, how to welcome people, and how to talk about the music that’s being played or songs being sung. And there are some very important incidental phrases thrown in ...Read More

The American Scottish Gaelic Society

Great Lakes Mòd Celebrates Gaelic Song

| | Events, Gaelic Song

Mòd nan Lochan Mòra/The Great Lakes Mod kicked off this year’s North American mòd season at Akron, Ohio, in the middle of June.

Participants gathered Friday night for a pot-luck supper followed by sight-reading, storytelling, and poetry competitions adjudicated by Angus MacLeod, winner of the men’s Bonn Òr a’ Chomuinn at the 2014 Royal National Mòd in Scotland. Saturday saw the singing competitions, which included ...Read More

Harper James Ruff to teach at ACGA Fèis

| | ACGA Fèis, Events, National Mòd

Last year, James Ruff won the men’s gold medal for Gaelic song at the U.S. National Mòd. This year, he will return to Ligonier, Pennsylvania, to lead a special harp workshop at the inaugural ACGA Fèis, a one-day program of workshops in Scottish Gaelic culture.

Ruff will lead a workshop Sept. 22 on the role of the clàrsach, the wire-strung harp, in Scottish Gaelic and Irish ...

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Margaret Stewart, Murdo ‘Wasp’ MacDonald to Adjudicate 30th Annual US Gaelic Mòd

| | Events, National Mòd, Organization

Famed Scottish singers Maighread Stiùbhart (Margaret Stewart) and Murchadh Dòmhnallach (Murdo “Wasp” MacDonald) will be adjudicators at the 30th annual U.S. National Mòd, a three-day festival of Scottish Gaelic song, poetry, storytelling and music this Sept. 22-24 in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

This is the first time in several years that the Mòd will feature two adjudicators, and An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach is delighted to welcome Margaret and ...Read More

The American Scottish Gaelic Society

US Mòd Prescribed Songs for Men and Women

| | Events, National Mòd

Two classic Scottish Gaelic songs — Gillean Ghleann Dail for men and A Fhleasgaich Òig as Ceanalta for women — were chosen as prescribed songs for the Gold Medal competition at the U.S. National Mòd this September. These are both highly popular songs that have been recorded by several artists, including Arthur Cormack, Flora MacNeill and Maggie MacInnes.

The men’s prescribed song, Gillean Ghleann Dàil (“Lads ...

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The American Scottish Gaelic Society

Baltimore-DC area Gaelic Learning Groups plan June 5 Picnic

| | Advanced, Beginner, Events, Gaelic Learning Communities, Intermediate

Two East Coast Gaelic Learning Communities plan to meet up on Sunday, June 4, from 1-5 pm, for a picnic and Gaelic hike at Carderock Recreation Area just outside Washington, D.C.

Gàidhlig Photomac, a group of Gaelic learners in the DC-Northern Virginia-Southern Maryland area, will join with Sgoil Ghàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhòir, the Baltimore Gaelic School, for càirdeas, ceòl, cluichean agus coiseachd (fun, music, games ...Read More

The American Scottish Gaelic Society

30th US Mòd to Feature First ACGA Fèis

| | Events, National Mòd

This year will be the 30th Anniversary of the U.S. National Mòd or Mòd Naiseanta Aimeireagaidh, an event born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1988, when An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach launched what was then called Mòd Virginia at the Virginia Scottish Games.

The event will take place over four days this year, from the evening of Thursday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 24, at Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

We’ve grown ...

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