What’s This All About?
The Mighty Bards are group of about ten to 16 singers located in Bellingham, WA who meet every other Thursday at Menace Brewery from 6pm till about 9 or 10pm. We sing Irish, Scottish, English, and American traditional songs or contemporary songs written in the tradition.
We’ve sung on the famous local Zodiac Schooner, the Mt. Vernon Celtic Arts Foundation, Bellingham Dockside Market, private parties, Bellingham Seafeast and more! We have even had some honorable mentions in the local newspaper Casacadia Daily News – see here (fifth paragraph) and here (at the bottom) .
Upcoming Sessions:
2024:
Nov 14 @ Menace Brewery
Nov 23 @ the Celtic Arts Foundation Mt. Vernon
Dec 12 @ Menace Brewery
2025:
Jan. 9 @ Menace Brewery
Jan. 23 @ Menace Brewery (as part of Bellingham Folk Fest)
Feb. 6 @ Menace Brewery
Feb. 20 @ Menace Brewery
How Does it work?
It’s a “Pub Sing”, at Pub or “Public House”, as such it is “Public Sing”, so please feel free to join us. We are a village choir. The format is to have one person sing who has memorized the song or reads from book/sheet and sings the verses with the group joining in for the choruses. We encourage “chorus rich” songs, but others are welcome too. If they are leading a song you know, please only sing for the chorus unless the leader wants help with the verses. Note! This is a folk tradition, so some people sing the songs different. Pay attention to the leader if they are teaching/leading it in a new manner. Lastly, it is a vocal tradition, so it is voices only. No instruments, please. Sorry!
How did this all start?
Noting the ample traditional Irish tune sessions around Bellingham and the dearth of traditional singing sessions, Sky decided to take things into his own hands and start something. Beginning in the spring of 2023, he started with a monthly gathering at his house, which eventually led to meeting at the pub across the street and then to a few places around town till the bards landed, with the help of Steven Rystrom and the Devillies, at Menace Brewery in the Fountain District.
Inspired from the large 60+ people singing sessions at Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle and the Princeton Folk Festival, Sky wanted to bring that rich and enlivening experience to the regular life.
Sky now co-leads the regular pub sing with Steven Rystrom, front man for the local Irish American band The Devillies.
Pub Singing examples:
Rocky Road to Dublin
Bully in the Alley
