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.
O Maria
Anúna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Est consummatum
Et sic transit gladius
O Maria virgo pia plena dei gracia
The lyrics of Anúna's song "O Maria" are written in Latin, and the song speaks about the death of Jesus Christ, specifically his final words "it is finished" (est consummatum) and the symbolism of the sword piercing Mary's heart. The first line, "Ecce mater filius" means "Behold the mother and her son," and refers to Mary witnessing her son's crucifixion. The following line, "Est consummatum" translates to "it is finished," which were Christ's last words before he died.
The next line, "Et sic transit gladius," means "and thus the sword passes," which refers to Simeon's prophecy in the Gospel of Luke that a sword would pierce Mary's heart. The final line, "O Maria virgo pia plena dei gracia," translates to "Oh Mary, pious virgin full of God's grace," and acknowledges Mary's devotion and closeness to God.
Through these lyrics, the song honors both Jesus and Mary, recognizing Mary's role as the mother of Jesus and her own suffering as she watched her son's death. It also emphasizes the themes of death and sacrifice, with Jesus willingly choosing to give his life for humanity and Mary enduring great emotional pain in witnessing her son's crucifixion.
Line by Line Meaning
Ecce mater, filius
Behold the mother, son
Est consummatum
It is finished
Et sic transit gladius
And so the sword passes
O Maria virgo pia plena dei gracia
Oh Mary, pious virgin full of God's grace
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL PHILIP MCGLYNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@--SHEPHERD-OF-MOTHER-EARTH--
The God's, Goddesses & Mother Earth continue to watch with great interest... Worthy Witnessed Seen Awaited...
@victorhugomunizamayo6669
¡Qué mágica dulzura! ¡Qué sublime maravilla! Nunca antes había escuchado algo tan celestial. Gracias. Michael McGlynn, por regalarnos semejante belleza.
@sorenkorvberg8736
Michael McGlynn, sir, you are a living genius. May God bless you for your magical music!
@VictoriaBlogger
It's like an early spring wind - soft, washing over me in waves, but with a bite of cold still within it. I can smell the icy sea and the hope of new life on its way. Thank you for bringing hope to this bitter winter night.
@bjornreinhardt7846
This is such an almost discribeable masterpiece ... i feel a deep warmth, happyness and sadness the same time. Like angels that carry you or you become one with nature, god, the air itselv. How can a man create such a beautiful music, Michael ?! I fell in love with
ANUNA. Long time ago ...
@anunachoir
Thank you Björn - The text is very special on this one, lots of hidden layers. Will pass on your comments to Michael.
@annettecarlin4800
Love it.
@LeilaGentile
Da tempo li seguo....musica celestiale...
@sargolan
Best Anuna's video and song, ever. It's an ecstasy.
@lennieblue
As I sit here, listening to and watching the video, I can feel my tense muscles melt, my mind drifts peacefully. The rest of my day will go very nicely. Thank you all, Anuna, for sharing your gifts.