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.
Away In a Manger
Anúna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky look down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there
The lyrics of Anúna's song "Away in a Manger" portray the scene of Christmas when Jesus was born. The first stanza sets the scene for the birth of Jesus in a manger, where there is no bed for him to lay. He is depicted as a little Lord who sleeps peacefully in the hay while the stars above bear witness to his arrival. The second stanza describes the cattle near the manger and how they awaken the baby, but he remains silent as he sleeps. The singer expresses their love for Lord Jesus and asks him to stay by their side until morning comes.
The third stanza is a plea for Jesus to stay with the singer forever and love them. The singer seeks a blessing for all the children under God's care and to prepare them for heaven to live with Jesus. This song is a beautiful reminder of the essence of Christmas and what it means for Christians worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The Lord Jesus was born in a simple stable, with no fancy crib to lay in.
The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head
The infant Jesus lay His head down to sleep, with a gentle and peaceful look on His face.
The stars in the bright sky look down where He lay
The bright stars in the sky gazed down upon the humble stable where Jesus was born.
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus slept soundly on a bed of hay, with a peaceful and content expression on His face.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
As the cattle bellowed and mooed, the infant Jesus woke up from His slumber.
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes
Despite being startled from His sleep, Jesus did not cry or fuss, but remained calm and serene.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
The singer expresses their undying love for Jesus, and asks Him to look down upon them from Heaven.
And stay by my side until morning is nigh
The singer asks Jesus to remain by their side throughout the night, until the morning sun rises.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
The singer implores Jesus to remain close to them, and to never leave their side.
Close by me forever and love me, I pray
The singer prays for the eternal love and companionship of Jesus, for all of their days.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
The singer asks Jesus to bless all of the children under His watchful and loving guidance.
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there
The singer prays for Jesus to prepare them for eternal life in Heaven, where they can live with Him forever.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: William J. Kirkpatrick, Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind