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.
Ceann Dubh Dílis
Anúna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuir do lámh mhín gheal tharam anall
A bhéinlín meala, 'bhfuil boladh na tíme air
Is duine gan chroí nach dtabharfadh duit grá
Tá cailín' ar an mbaile seo'ar buile 's ar buaireamh
Ag tarraingt a ngruaige 'sá ligean le gaoith
Ar mo shonsa, an scafaire is fearr ins na tuatha
Is cuir do cheann dílis dílis dílis
Cuir do cheann dílis tharam anall
A bhéinlín meala, 'bhfuil boladh na tíme air
Is duine gan chroí nach dtabharfadh duit grá
The lyrics of Anúna's song Ceann Dubh Dílis speak of a loyal and faithful sweetheart. The first verse asks this sweetheart to extend their hand towards the singer, who describes them as a honeyed bean or a sweet girl. The singer rejoices in the scent of their sweetheart and notes that any person without a heart would not offer them love.
The second verse speaks of the turmoil of a girl in the town who pulls her hair in frustration and allows the wind to carry it away. The singer, who describes themselves as the best or "an scafaire is fearr ins na tuatha," states that they would forsake everything for their heart's true desire.
Line by Line Meaning
A chinn duibh dhílis dhílis dhílis
Oh loyal, loyal, loyal head of yours
Cuir do lámh mhín gheal tharam anall
Extend your gentle, bright hand over here
A bhéinlín meala, 'bhfuil boladh na tíme air
Oh sweet little honey bee, is there a scent of the weather on him
Is duine gan chroí nach dtabharfadh duit grá
And a person without a heart wouldn't give you love
Tá cailín' ar an mbaile seo'ar buile 's ar buaireamh
There's a girl in this town, in a frenzy and in distress
Ag tarraingt a ngruaige 'sá ligean le gaoith
Pulling her hair and letting it be taken by the wind
Ar mo shonsa, an scafaire is fearr ins na tuatha
For my pleasure, the best storyteller in the land
Ach do thréigfinn an méid sin ar rún dil mo chroí
But I would give up that for the sake of my heart's true desire
Is cuir do cheann dílis dílis dílis
And put your loyal, loyal, loyal head
Cuir do cheann dílis tharam anall
Put your loyal head over here
A bhéinlín meala, 'bhfuil boladh na tíme air
Oh sweet little honey bee, is there a scent of the weather on him
Is duine gan chroí nach dtabharfadh duit grá
And a person without a heart wouldn't give you love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL MCGLYNN, MICHAEL PHILIP MCGLYNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnmurphy2690
A chinn duibh dhílis dhílis dhílis
Cuir do lámh mhín gheal tharam anall
A bhéinlín meala, 'bhfuil boladh na tíme air
Is duine gan chroí nach dtabharfadh duit grá
Tá cailín' ar an mbaile seo’ar buile 's ar buaireamh
Ag tarraingt a ngruaige 'sá ligean le gaoith
Ar mo shonsa, an scafaire is fearr ins na tuatha
Ach do thréigfinn an méid sin ar rún dil mo chroí
Is cuir do cheann dílis dílis dílis
Cuir do cheann dílis tharam anall
A bhéinlín meala, 'bhfuil boladh na tíme air
Is duine gan chroí nach dtabharfadh duit grá
@Lucraetio
Por favor, avísenme cuando vengan a la Argentina!!!! Please let me know when you come to Argentina !!!!
Please let me know when they come to Argentina !!!!
Please let me know when you come to Argentina !!!!
@taritorrez3506
I love all of Anúna's music, but I'm especially fond of the songs that feature just the men. Something about those strong voices that just does it for me!!
@hannahlane8716
Me too
@zzaacchh1000
I'm singing this in choir and it's absolutely entrancing. The voices blend so well and oh my god I love it.
@grottomatic
Wow. Ireland is such a beautiful country. The hills are so green, and there are countless old ruins. Dang, you all have it made. Here in America, there is not much of that.
@ReikoKyata
America's ruins were ploughed back into the dirt by her colonisers
@esmeraldagreen1992
Go visit a national park or even a few state parks before you spout nonsense about America .
@samuelcaasi2177
If you can't find green hills in America you should try venturing further than the suburbs. As for old ruins- let's just say there wasn't much in terms of great stone architecture before we got here.
@Genus_Germus_Jr
Everytime I listen to this, I'm just in awe of how amazing it is, and as im trying to learn it myself my one thought is "HOW?!"
@anunachoir
It is not hard at all. High schoolers sing it and I've heard kids do it - anyone with a voice can do it ;-)
@taritorrez3506
I can't believe it's been a year since I commented on this song. I watch this almost every day. Just love it!!