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 Viridissima
Anúna Lyrics
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Hail greenest branch come forth into the gentle breezes
The time has come when your fruit shall flourish in the warmth of the sun
O viridissima virga
O viridissima virga
The sky shall place the gentle dew upon the field
O viridissima virga
O viridissima virga
The song "O Viridissima" by Anuna is a medieval hymn that celebrates the coming of spring and the growth of nature after a long and dark winter. The lyrics refer to the "greenest branch" that has come forth into the gentle breezes, which symbolizes the growth and vitality of the natural world. The "fruit" that is mentioned is likely a metaphor for the abundance of new life that is about to sprout forth from the earth, as well as the potential for growth and renewal in all aspects of life.
The hymn continues with a reference to the sky placing gentle dew upon the field, which suggests the idea of nurturing and taking care of the natural world. The imagery of the rose filling the air with sweet perfume further emphasizes the beauty and wonder of nature, and the power that it has to uplift and inspire us.
Overall, "O Viridissima" is a beautiful and uplifting hymn that celebrates the beauty, power, and renewal of nature. It reminds us to appreciate and honor the natural world, and to take care of it with gentleness and reverence.
Line by Line Meaning
Hail greenest branch come forth into the gentle breezes
Greetings to the most verdant branch, bloom in the soft winds
The time has come when your fruit shall flourish in the warmth of the sun
The moment has arrived for your fruits to thrive under the sun's heat
O viridissima virga
Oh, greenest branch
The sky shall place the gentle dew upon the field
The sky will place tender dew on the fields
The rose, that wondrous flower, shall fill the air with sweet perfume
The marvelous rose will spread a delightful fragrance in the air
O viridissima virga
Oh, greenest branch
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL MCGLYNN, MICHAEL PHILIP MCGLYNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ladomi7962
amazing, blessed interpretation of Holy Hildegarde!!!