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.
The Lass of Glenshee
Anúna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bright Phoebus had risen from over the lea
I spied a fair maiden as homeward she wandered
While herding her flocks on the hills of Glenshee
I stood in amazement, says I, Pretty fair maid
If you will come down to St. John's Town with me
There's ne'er been the ladies set foot in my castle
Oh what do I care for your castle and coaches?
Oh what do I care for your gay grandeury?
I'd rather be home at my cot, at my spin
Or herding my flocks on the hills of Glenshee
Away with such nonsense and get up beside me
As summer comes on my sweet bride you will be
And then in my arms I will gently caress you
'Twas then she consented, I took her with me
Seven years have rolled on since we were united
There's many a change, but there's no change on me
And my love, she's as fair as that morn on the mountain
When I plucked me a wild rose on the hills of Glenshee
The Lass of Glenshee by Anúna tells the story of a chance encounter between a man and a woman. The singer sees a beautiful woman walking with her flock on the hills of Glenshee. Captivated by her appearance, he invites her to come with him to St. John's Town. The woman, however, is uninterested in his offer of wealth and luxury. She instead prefers to continue her simple life herding her flock on the hills of Glenshee. The man persists in his attempts to woo the woman and eventually convinces her to leave her life in Glenshee to be with him.
The song paints a picture of the beauty of nature and simplicity, contrasting it with the wealth and luxury that the man offers the woman. It also speaks to the idea that some people value the unspoiled beauty of nature above material possessions. The woman's initial rejection of the man's offer shows that she is content with her life and is not swayed by the promise of money or status. However, the final verse reveals that the singer and the woman have been together for seven years, indicating that they have found happiness together despite their differing values.
Line by Line Meaning
One morning in springtime as day was a-dawning
As the sun began to rise one morning in the spring, lighting up the world, and the day was just beginning
Bright Phoebus had risen from over the lea
The sun, also known as Phoebus, had just risen above the horizon and was illuminating the countryside
I spied a fair maiden as homeward she wandered
I saw a beautiful young woman as she was making her way home after tending to her flock in the hills
While herding her flocks on the hills of Glenshee
She was taking care of her sheep in the hills of Glenshee, a region known for its stunning landscapes
I stood in amazement, says I, Pretty fair maid
I was so captivated by her beauty that I stood there in awe and addressed her as 'pretty fair maid'
If you will come down to St. John's Town with me
I asked her if she would accompany me to St. John's Town
There's ne'er been the ladies set foot in my castle
No other women have ever visited my castle before
There's ne'er been a lady dressed grander than thee
None of the women who have visited my castle before were dressed as elegantly as you are
Oh what do I care for your castle and coaches?
The woman didn't care about my wealth or social standing
Oh what do I care for your gay grandeury?
She wasn't impressed by lavish displays of wealth or luxury
I'd rather be home at my cot, at my spin
She would prefer to be at home, doing her chores and spinning wool
Or herding my flocks on the hills of Glenshee
She loved spending time in nature, taking care of her sheep in the beautiful, rolling hills of Glenshee
Away with such nonsense and get up beside me
She rejected my offer and told me to stop talking nonsense and leave her alone
As summer comes on my sweet bride you will be
Several months later, when summer arrives, we will be married and you will be my wife
And then in my arms I will gently caress you
Once we are married, I will hold and comfort her with affection
'Twas then she consented, I took her with me
After hearing my promise of love and affection, she finally agreed to come with me
Seven years have rolled on since we were united
Seven years have passed since we got married
There's many a change, but there's no change on me
While many things have changed over the years, I remain as in love and devoted to her as ever
And my love, she's as fair as that morn on the mountain
Despite the passage of time, my wife is still as beautiful as the morning when we first met in the hills of Glenshee
When I plucked me a wild rose on the hills of Glenshee
I still remember the moment when I first laid eyes on her, and the wild rose I picked as a symbol of our love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Nicolerev1412
Which Anúna album has this rendition of the song? Love Méav’s beautiful voice
@keithwalsh514
Excellent