Singing
On the Wild Side
August 2025
Singing Holiday on Ireland’s Beautiful Wild Atlantic Way
With Una McCann
The experience of Singing on the Wild Side is far more than just a singing holiday. We sing every morning in the gorgeous large sunny singing room, with its beautiful acoustic, that looks out onto Muckish mountain. By the end of the week you will find yourself rested, rejuvenated and restored to your centred & grounded self, with a repertoire of up to 12 harmony songs – and that’s just the beginning…
Our repertoire will be wide and varied. We normally have one or two songs that challenge us, then a mixture of Irish songs, world music, rounds, and improvisation.
We also do our best to introduce singers to the rich local Gaelic culture. You may find yourself moved to tears singing in the ruins of Ray church, or listening to a local singer singing in the ancient sean-nós style. You will have the afternoons to explore the beaches, mountains, rivers and historic sites that abound in the area.
We also offer guided walks, kayaking, poetry and music evenings. Perhaps we will even have deepened our appreciation of the land, our place in it, our communities and ourselves.
A wide range of singers come on our holidays: from beginners to experienced and confident singers. Over the week our little community grows and develops, as we cook and eat together each evening, share experiences and sing together.
Costs
Evening meals
This course is semi-catered. That means that the food for breakfasts and lunches is provided, and the evening meals are planned, purchased and prepared as a communal activity. Cooking in groups has always turned out to be a highlight of the experience, a great way to bond with fellow singers, and it keeps overall costs down.
Putting around €20 into the pot at the start of the week will cover all evening meals, and you will organise into groups of three to cook. Don’t worry if you are not a confident chef! There are always plenty of good cooks to help. There is also a great local fish n’ chip shop, and we can treat ourselves to a meal out in the pub too.
Please let us know any special dietary needs.
Arrival and Departure Times
Arrive from 4-6pm on the first evening
Depart after breakfast on the final day
Course Dates
22nd August 2025
to
29th August 2025
What is included?
All the singing, accommodation, food for breakfast and lunch, and the evening meal when you arrive on the first night.
Pattern of the Day
We sing for 3 hours every morning. The middle of each day will be free time to explore, do your own thing.
Most evenings we’ll eat together, then after a communal clear up (with more singing of course), we either have a visiting speaker or singer, or we sing, and create our own entertainment by sharing songs and making space for those who wish to share their talents, be they musical, storytelling or games.
Traditional culture in this area of Donegal is wonderfully vibrant, and we often invite local singers, poets, history or archeology experts to give us a session. There are several videos of Diane Cannon and Noeleen ní Cholla, both wonderful ‘seán-nós’ singers, singing at the Song House on our Facebook page.
There are local music sessions on Tuesday evening and Sunday afternoon.
For travel to the Song House,
please see our Getting Here page.
Please take some time to familiarise yourself
with our Cancellation Policy.
About the Teacher…
‘Every day is a good day to sing together’
I’ve worked in music for all of my adult life as a singer, song-writer, musician and choir leader. I’ve been leading choirs in and around Belfast for over 20 years. I love what group singing does; the fun and friendship that appears when we invite our natural voices out to play. Harmony is like magic to me. It instantly creates joy and connection in the room. Having worked with some of my choirs for many years, I see the community that has built up and am in awe of the connections that have been made.
The songs that I share are songs that inspire, uplift, and are fun to sing. I have both classical training and a natural aural ability and can adapt each song to find something to suit each voice whether you are an experienced singer or an absolute beginner. The main ethos will always be to find our way into beautiful music in a fun and relaxing way. I look forward to singing with you!
Una McCann
Una is a member of the Natural Voice Network.
Testimonials