The majority of singers come from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with many of its members also drawn from all over the world. Their repertoire is written or arranged for the group by McGlynn, and includes reconstructions of Early and Medieval music from Ireland and beyond presented in a candle-lit, costumed ambiance that allows the group to connect with a very wide variety of audience despite the eclectic nature of the music they sing.
Anúna perform between twelve and fourteen singers, unconducted, in any performance. They are equally at home in an amplified theatrical setting or an unamplified concert hall.
Anúna created the vocal ambiance of Riverdance (1994-1996), achieved a Top 10 placing on the U.K. Singles Charts while remaining at Number 1 on the Irish singles charts for eighteen weeks. In 2012 they appeared as the "Voices of Hell" on the video game Diablo 3 [Blizzard] gaining a Game Audio Network Guild nomination for the Best Original Choral Performance in February 2013. In February 2018 the group won the Outstanding Ensemble category of the Annual Game Music Awards for their contributions to the soundtrack of the hugely successful video game Xenoblade Chronicles II. In February 2017 the group participated in an extraordinary collaboration with Noh Theatre entitled "Takahime", a Japanese adaptation of W.B. Yeats' play "At the Hawk's Well". The performance was directed by Gensho Umewaka (Japanese National Treasure) and Michael McGlynn, who also composed an original score.
While curating the Meltdown Festival at London's South Bank, Elvis Costello invited Anúna to perform as featured guests and in 2011 they featured on DVD and CD with the pioneering Australian children's entertainers The Wiggles. A number of Anúna singers have gone on to carve very successful careers as solo artists including singer-songwriter Hozier [2007 - 2012] and six of the lead soloists in the phenomenally successful Celtic Woman including Lynn Hilary and Éabha McMahon.
In complete contrast, as a classical choral ensemble Anúna have appeared at the World Sacred Music Festival in Morocco and at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, London. They have sung at many major classical venues including the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, De Doelen Rotterdam, Hyogo Performing Arts Center and Orchard Hall in Tokyo, New York Town Hall and Minneapolis Symphony Hall.
They have collaborated with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland on two major concerts of McGlynn's compositions at Dublin's National Concert Hall (2009 & 2010).
Anúna have an active and highly successful Education & Outreach programme that has been responsible for workshops across China, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Israel, Sweden, Canada, Poland, the UK and The Netherlands. In 2012 they presented at the Shanghai Conservatory. In 2015 the group presented an interest Session as part of the American Choral Directors Association National Conference at Salt Lake, Utah, USA. In 2019 their sixth highly successful annual ANÚNA International Summer School in Dublin, which attracts professional and amateur choral musicians from all over the world, will take place in Dublin preceded by the first ANÚNA Winter School in February in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Anúna have released eighteen albums since 1991 and have been featured artists on three Grammy Award-winning albums. Invocation (1994) won a National Entertainment Award for Classical music, while Deep Dead Blue (1996) was nominated for a Classical Brit Award. Celtic Origins (2007), also an award-winning PBS show and DVD, became the number one selling CD on the US World Music Charts that August while September 2011 saw their album Christmas Memories reaching the Hot 100 of the Billboard Album Chart. In 2008 the choir released Invocations of Ireland, McGlynn's self-made film, an evocative depiction of the Irish landscape and its relationship to his music. This has been broadcast extensively in Australia/New Zealand, with the DVD being released on Australia's DV1 and Columbia Music Entertainment in Japan.
They have been signed to some of the world's major record labels including Decca, Universal Classics, Polygram, E1 and Philips. Michael McGlynn's sheet music is available from www.michaelmcglynn.com.
Agnus Dei
Anúna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Miserere nobis
Agnus Dei
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Dona nobis pacem
The song "Agnus Dei" by Anuna is a Latin hymn that translates to "Lamb of God," often used in Christian worship. The first two lines of the song, "Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi," can be translated to "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." In this context, the song is a plea for mercy and forgiveness, asking the Lamb of God to have compassion on us and grant us peace.
The repetition of the phrase "Miserere nobis" (have mercy on us) emphasizes the desperate and humble tone of the lyrics. The final line, "Dona nobis pacem" (grant us peace), serves as a hopeful plea for a resolution to the pain and suffering caused by sin. Overall, the song expresses a deep desire for redemption and reconciliation, and a trust in the transformative power of faith and grace.
Line by Line Meaning
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Who takes away the sins of the world
Miserere nobis
Have mercy on us
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Who takes away the sins of the world
Dona nobis pacem
Grant us peace
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL MCGLYNN, MICHAEL PHILIP MCGLYNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GrillerMaster
My Lord. A human being wrote this? This is emotion in it's purest form. Brava!!!
ANÚNA-SYSTIR-M'ANAM
He passes as one most of the time.
matchboxmatt
Michael McGlynn’s work is so honest and divine. My number one favorite composer, hands down.
RebeccaETripp
I can't even describe the longing in this. It's like staring into a fire- but the flame is bright silver and infinitely purifying.
Brian Baumgarn
the mental picture you paint for the Agnus Dei, of staring into the fire while seeing silver is totally mesmerising and so on point. Anuna's music always holds me rapt with attention.
Stephanie Cullum
One of my favorite songs! Use it as a lullaby for my 3 month old, I swear she falls asleep with a smile on her face.
Vicki Sands
Nine minutes never went by so quickly, nor so pleasantly. Thank you, as always, for the gift of peace that Anuna sends into our worlds.
Eliza
I've listened to a lot of Anuna's music, but somehow never came across this piece until I watched the interview with Voces8. I am certainly pleased to have found it. Lovely and ethereal, as always.
David Patrick Cox
Thanks for publishing this Michael of ANÚNA - I love this song and it's great seeing the words in Irish, as I'm learning the language.
Miter Kids
Beautiful version of Agnus Dei in Irish! I love Irish