In 1987, Dublin composer Michael McGlynn founded ANÚNA. The ensemble's name… Read Full Bio ↴In 1987, Dublin composer Michael McGlynn founded ANÚNA. The ensemble's name, originally An Uaithne, derives from the collective term for the three ancient types of Irish music Suantraí (lullaby), Geantraí (happy song) and Goltraí (lament).

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.

Shining Water
Anúna Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Shining water, silent daughter, face turn from the sun
Guiding light through silver night, your songs blend into one
Crystal morning dew is forming, falling through the trees
Deep inside your simple guidance whispers on the breeze

Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé
Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé

Radiant fire on distant mountains, guide your voice to me
Patterns of eternal light that set my spirit free
Dreams of ancient silent forests, visions of the past
Fill my thoughts, caress my mind and call for me at last

Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé
Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé

Silent daughter, shining waters, turn against the sun
Golden flight from silver night, the songs blend into one
As the evening mists are forming, falling through the trees
Fill my thoughts, caress my mind, I hear you call to me

Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Anúna's song "Shining Water" speak to the interconnectivity of nature and the spiritual world. The first stanza describes a natural scene of water and trees, with the "silent daughter" possibly referring to a river or stream. The imagery of the "guiding light" and "songs blending into one" suggests a spiritual element to this scene. The second stanza expands upon this spiritual connection with references to "eternal light" and "visions of the past." The refrain, "Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé," is a reference to the goddess Danu of Irish mythology.

The third stanza again focuses on the natural world, with the mist and trees creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The use of repetition and the refrain reinforce the idea of nature and spirituality as interconnected, with the repetition of "danú" possibly acting as a prayer or invocation to this goddess. The final line, "I hear you call to me," suggests a personal connection to this spiritual realm.

Line by Line Meaning

Shining water, silent daughter, face turn from the sun
The daughter of water reflects the sun's light, but does not face it directly.

Guiding light through silver night, your songs blend into one
The water's light reflects at night, and its sounds blend together.

Crystal morning dew is forming, falling through the trees
The reflections and sounds of the water blend with the nature around it.

Deep inside your simple guidance whispers on the breeze
The water's gentle presence provides a sense of calm and guidance.

Danú, danú, danú, danú Dé
Repetition of ancient Celtic goddess Danú's name, who was associated with water.

Radiant fire on distant mountains, guide your voice to me
The distant mountains reflect a bright light and lead to the water's voice.

Patterns of eternal light that set my spirit free
The patterns of light reflect an eternal energy that fills the spirit.

Dreams of ancient silent forests, visions of the past
Images of ancient forests and history cross the mind while observing the water.

Fill my thoughts, caress my mind and call for me at last
The water's presence fills the mind and brings forth a sense of comfort and desire.

Golden flight from silver night, the songs blend into one
The water's light reflects and blends with the night, creating a unified sound.

As the evening mists are forming, falling through the trees
At night, the water's reflection takes on the form of mist as it falls to the forest floor.

I hear you call to me
The water's presence reaches out and calls to those who view it, causing a sense of longing.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL PHILIP MCGLYNN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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