Almost 25 years ago, Sean Williams came to The Evergreen State College to teach ethnomusicology, and soon after launched an Irish Studies program that’s drawn students and alumni to campus ever since. Taught once every three years, the year-long program was started in 1994 by Williams and the late Patrick Hill. Over the years, Williams taught the program with Hill, Charles Teske, Rebecca Chamberlain and Tom Rainey. Over the past decade or so, Williams has taught the program by herself. “There are 25 spots available in the class, and four times as many typically write admittance essays,” Williams says of the process to enroll. With the popularity and uniqueness of the program, eight years ago Williams started the annual Sean-nós Northwest Festival, and this President’s day weekend it returns to Evergreen. Close to 100 Evergreen Irish Studies alumni and devotees are expected to attend the three-day festival from across North America.

Sean-nós dance teacher Ronan Regan demonstrates one of the dance moves in a workshop

The festival will take place on campus in the newly renovated COMM building, as well as locations in the community for evening programs. The festival has three tracks: language, dance and singing, all following the “old style.” In contrast to the “rigid” dance style commonly practiced now, the old style features “swinging and flexibility,” and is one of the reasons why the festival is the only one of its kind in North America. Two of the teachers are coming from Ireland, where the festival has been featured in the media. For alumni of the program, Williams describes the annual experience of coming back to Evergreen as “a shot in the arm” and “a reconnection to Ireland and to each other.” The group keeps in touch on Facebook and in person the rest of the year, and for the first time, the Féile Portland Irish Weekend was hosted this past November as well.

Quinn Reilly receives a bodhrán lesson from Donegal musician Paddy Donaghue

Williams, an ethnomusicology and language Faculty Member, is starting to teach children of alumni, including Quinn Reilly, whom Williams first met as a three-year-old son of former student Ann Blackledge ’97, and Eva Combs ‘05, daughter of Linda Vail ‘96. There will be significant alumni involvement at the festival, as attendees, volunteers, participants and organizers. The festival organizer is Kimberly Goetz, a graduate of Evergreen’s MPA program. In addition to her day job with the Department of Ecology, Goetz shares responsibilities with Williams for day to day operations of The Irish Cultural Society of the Pacific Northwest, which now runs the Festival. Dale Russ, another former student, is one of two fiddle players for the festival. Maldon Meehan ’98 is also a significant supporter of the organization and festival. A 2008 Regional Arts and Cultures grant recipient, Meehan lives in Portland where she teaches classes, performs and tours nationally as a sean-nós dancer.

Traolach Ó Riordáin teaching the Irish language

Williams strives for the festival, and the conversation on their Facebook page, to serve as continuing education for alumni. For those that can take the program, next available in ‘16-’17, living in Ireland for almost all of spring quarter is a life changing capstone for an academic and cultural experience that extends annually to the February event. For Williams’ own continuing education, she’s written two books on Irish music, including the award winning biography of Ireland’s Joe Heaney. She’s currently finishing the publication of an article on the impact of Evergreen’s interdisciplinary education model on the teaching of ethnomusicology, featuring contributions of current students. For those students interested in the ’16-’17 program (“Ireland in History and Memory”), Sean-nós Northwest will give them a taste of what is to come.

All members of the 2013-14 “Ireland in History and Memory” celebrating their climb to the Napoleonic tower in Gleann Cholm Cille, County Donegal

For more information about the festival, which runs from February 13-15, visit the Sean-nós NW Festival website.