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.

The Sea
Anúna Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ailiu iath nErenn

I am the wind that breathes on the sea
I am the wave, wave on the ocean
I am the ray, the eye of the sun
I am the tomb, cold in the darkness

Who but I can cast light upon the meeting of the mountains?

Who but I will find the place where hides away the sun?

I am a star, the tear of the sun
I am a wonder, a wonder in flower
I am the spear as it cries out for blood
The word of great power
I am the wind that breathes on the sea

Who but I can cast light upon the meeting of the mountains?
Who but I will cry aloud the changes in the moon?
Who but I will find the place where hides away the sun?

I am the depths of a great pool
I am the song of the blackbird
I am wind that breathes on the sea

Who but I can cast light upon the meeting of the mountains?
Who but I will cry aloud the changes in the moon?
Who but I will find the place where hides away the sun?

Ailiu iath nErenn

From the breeze on the mountain to the lake of deep blue
From the waterfall down to the sea
Never changing or ending on the voice of the wind
Sing the dark song of Erenn to me

Ailiu iath nErenn

Overall Meaning

The song "The Sea" by Anúna is a beautiful piece that speaks about the power and beauty of nature. The lyrics describe the elements of the world around us, from the wind that breathes on the sea to the depths of a great pool. The singer portrays himself/herself as the personification of nature's elements, giving life and power to everything in existence. The song suggests that the singer is not only one with nature but is nature itself, personifying it to be revered and respected.

The opening line, "Ailiu iath nErenn," is a Celtic phrase that translates to "Powerful is the land of Ireland." It sets the stage for the song, emphasizing the magnificence of the land and all that it holds. The lyrics highlight how the singer, who is nature, is the force behind the elements that make up the world.

The whole song creates a mystical and magical atmosphere taking the listener on a journey that explores the wonders of nature. The singer is depicted to have great power, and the song implies that we should acknowledge and respect the natural world around us. The fact that the song is sung in the Celtic Irish language adds more depth to the song as it ties the lyrics to the song's Irish roots.

Line by Line Meaning

I am the wind that breathes on the sea
I am the gentle breeze that moves across the sea

I am the wave, wave on the ocean
I am the force that propels the waves of the vast ocean

I am the ray, the eye of the sun
I am the sunlight that brightens the day

I am the tomb, cold in the darkness
I am the somber stillness of death

Who but I can cast light upon the meeting of the mountains?
Who else but me can illuminate the union of the mountains?

Who but I will find the place where hides away the sun?
Who else but me can locate the spot where the sun conceals itself?

I am a star, the tear of the sun
I am the bright and shining tear shed by the sun

I am a wonder, a wonder in flower
I am a marvelous splendor that blossoms

I am the spear as it cries out for blood
I am the weapon that thirsts for bloodshed and destruction

The word of great power
I possess commanding and immense strength

I am the depths of a great pool
I am the profound depth of a vast body of water