PART 4 : When you think there is no more to say, M’ANAM & Systir
PART 1 : 1987 to 1994, An Uaithne to ANÚNA
With Hamamatsu Junior Choir, Japan, December 2014
2013 included the group’s first tour of Canada and an ever expanding series of workshops which culminated in the second Anúna International Summer School. This event held in June had thirteen countries represented among the attendees and facilitators included Charles Bruffy, Artistic Director of the Phoenix and Kansas City Chorales and Dr. Stacie Lee Rossow of Florida Atlantic University. For the first time the majority of members of ANÚNA came from outside of the Republic of Ireland.
2014 marked an important year for Anúna, defining and developing the ensemble. Illumination is withdrawn from sale and reissued as Illuminations, completely remastered with new vocals and remixes. Michael stated that the original release aimed to "hide" a true connection with the singers, while this version puts the performer in the room with the listener and is a much more immediate and vital experience. The album now included the work of Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius on three tracks.
Revelation was completed in early 2015 and marks a watershed for the choir and McGlynn’s writing. It is unsurprising that this release, which came at the start of the music streaming revolution, has proven to be the most successful of ANÚNA’s releases on Spotify. Featuring a coherent musical narrative that connects material as diverse as a semi-improvised setting of a passage from the Book of Revelations and the theme of Japanese classic anime Princess Mononoke, the album ushers in a new era of recording that continues to develop. Now featuring a pool of approximately twenty five singers from eight countries, the choir developed repertoire and techniques to allow for non-amplified performances, and the album reflects the increasing virtuosity of Anúna.
Revelation was reviewed by the Irish Times “…Anúna exists, as Sliabh Luachra does, as much a state of mind as an entity. The group’s membership ebbs and flows, but McGlynn’s steely focus is ever-present. Revelation glories in a rich coalition of original material composed by McGlynn…”
“As a composer I found this to be the most difficult album to create. My father Andrew was very ill at the start of the recording sessions. He died before the album was completed. So consciously and unconsciously all of the material is connected to him and to how I felt at that time.
You could say that it was the way I came to terms with his death, but the album is not about grief. “Na Coille Cumhra” (the Fragrant Wood) is a song about a young man who believes that love can banish even the spectre of death, while “Fáilte don Éan” (welcome to the bird) is about bitter regret and frustration at how powerless we are in the face of fate. “Love’s Old Sweet Song” is a classic of the Irish parlour repertoire and I wanted to reclaim it for today with a setting that reached back and forward simultaneously as it is an elegy on the nature of love. One of the more significant musical tracks is probably “Fill Fill, a Rún” which features an exquisite solo by Éabha McMahon. This was the first time that I had the confidence to take a piece of traditional sean nós singing and arrange it in a way that allowed us to see the song clearer, to frame and magnify it in a way that elevated it beyond the lazy definition that is sometimes used to describe folk music.
“Revelation” is the defining song on that release, a reflection of the powerlessness of humanity in the face of atrophy and the neglect of our world, with the Archangels representing the power of inspiration and art to save and inspire us from damnation. Although the piece is intensely dramatic, like much of the record I view it as a static image. “One Last Song” and “Elegy” are a pair, and the most personal statement on the release. It was a deeply emotional moment for me when my uncle John came and played harmonica on the latter and I think it has taken me many years to fully appreciate the grief hidden within these songs.
The album features two Japanese language songs, both of which colour the record in different ways. “Mononoke Hime”, written by Joe Hisaishi, is a particular favourite of mine and has a message within it about the destruction of the natural world but it is “Sakura” that most touches me. A simple arrangement it may be, but it is a study of cherry blossom in grey, a deconstruction of the traditional song that welcomes the coming of spring. It acknowledges the beauty of the flower and the passing of all things simultaneously.”
Also in 2015 Anúna gave their first performance in England in a decade as part of the London A Cappella Festival on the invitation of The Swingle Singers and Michael gave a presentation with singers from ANÚNA at ACDA National Conference at Salt Lake City, Utah in March 2015. In August the group performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, China's premiere classical music venue located in Beijing which is a sell-out.
Michael presenting at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference March 2015
London A Cappella Festival, King's Place, January 2015
National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing 2015
In 2017, ANÚNA celebrated 30 years with a series of events to mark the occasion. Highlights included a sell-out performance at Dublin’s National Concert Hall, tours of China, the Netherlands and a welcome return to Sweden to perform with long-time collaborator Linda Lampenius in Gothenburg. The group appeared again at the BBC Proms on direct link from Northern Ireland and sang a number of pieces including Michael’s “Pie Jesu” (soloist here is Andrea Delaney).
The stand-out event, however, was Takahime, a unique collaboration between ANÚNA and a Noh Theatre company in Tokyo's Orchard Hall. Involving a full Noh troupe performing in one of Japan’s most significant venues, Orchard Hall, the presentation was an enormously complex presentation and included a full score created by Michael.
“To create something that involved considerable improvisation and both interaction and sympathetic understanding of one of the highest theatrical art forms on the planet was a massive challenge. I think that this was the “coming of age” event for ANÚNA and it will remain with me as the most significant moment of my artistic career. It is a true fusion of two superficially disconnected cultures, but I think we, along with Keiko and Keita from Plankton, managed to do something truly astonishing without compromising in any way on the basic ideas of Noh or ANÚNA itself.”
Takahime, Orchard Hall Tokyo 2017
ANÚNA recorded four songs written by composer Yasunori Mitsuda for the soundtrack of Xenoblade Chronicles II, one of the best known video game franchises in the world. In November 2017 Anúna released a video, created by Michael McGlynn, of the piece "Shadow of the Lowlands" which was carried on Nintendo’s YouTube channels worldwide. Speaking of his first encounter with Anúna through their album Deep Dead Blue, Mitsuda says "I felt that ANÚNA was a new type of chorus that I’d never heard before. My attention was drawn to the lead singer, Michael McGlynn, and I dreamt about making music with ANÚNA one day. After 20 years, my dream came true through the making of the game Xenoblade Chronicles II".
In February 2018 the group won the Outstanding Ensemble category of the Annual Game Music Awards 2017 for their contributions to the game.
The year ended with the release of three limited edition CD releases, "A Christmas Selection" and "ANÚNA Selected 1987-2017" Volumes I and II. These feature over 60 remastered tracks and a number of new pieces including the monolithic "Look Away...", a 14 minute work that includes improvisation.
In February 2018 ANÚNA travelled to Tokyo to participate in four concerts with Mitsuda celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of the legendary video game Xenogears, also contributing new performances of songs to the soundtrack of the album. The Blu-ray of that extraordinary project was released in March 2019 in Japan by SquareEnix.
2018 also marked the first performances and recordings by the new offshoot ensemble of ANÚNA - M’ANAM. Different from ANÚNA in fundamental ways, M’ANAM has already created startling and original music that has a darker, more contemporary tone to its parent.
“When I set up ANÚNA it was to perform my own music in the way I wanted to. It is a bit of a cliché to say that the journey has been long and difficult, but nothing original that is worth anything is achieved easily. M’ANAM signals the beginning of something new, created using a pool of singers from many countries and backgrounds, coming together with different experiences and skills. ANÚNA itself is changing and developing faster now than at any stage in its existence”.
The release of ANÚNA : Collection in Autumn 2019 brought to a close a decade of change and development. The relationship of ANÚNA to choral and beyond remain relevant and powerful, with people still discovering the group for the first time in 2023. While the Covid-19 Virus has brought huge change to the world ANÚNA will persist. In December 2020 when participated in Voces8 Foundation’s “Live from London” series which has brought together the finest ensembles from around the world with a unified voice.
Live From London 2020
After shutting down for Covid, ANÚNA has resumed as a live entity, finishing 2021 with a tour of Northern Spain centred around the Tolosa Choral Festival. 2022 began with a headline performance at Dublin’s Tradfest Festival, and continued throughout that year with performances at the Leipzig A Cappella Festival in April, and subsequent performances in France, Iceland, Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands.
Chrono Cross the Radical Dreamers Edition
"Dreams of the Past, Memories of My Soul" from Chrono Cross the Radical Dreamers Edition is one of three songs performed by Aisling McGlynn representing ANÚNA that was released across the world in April 2022. Music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. She subsequently went on to perform two of the songs in the Royal Albert Hall in June with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Eimear Noone. In July Nintendo released Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a massively successful game, and that featured ANÚNA singers Sara Weeda on two solo pieces with Aisling and Lauren McGlynn. You can read more about our collaborations with video game culture HERE.
Systir 2023 - Image Michael McGlynn
As the Covid waves died down ANÚNA returned to touring, with performances across Spain and the Netherlands in the latter part of 2022. A stunning performance at the Via Aeterna Festival at Mont Saint Michel in France revived connections with France and provided a hugely viral rehearsal performance for Facebook of Michael’s “Illumination”. In Ireland ANÚNA appeared for the first time at Tradfest in Dublin and at the legendary Fleadh Cheoil in Mullingar.
2019 brought the creation of the second ensemble that has grown naturally from ANÚNA, the six-voice female ensemble SYSTIR was suspended until early 2023 due to Covid. Their first single “Once I Had a Sweetheart” was released in March followed by a tour that takes in Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Systir are creating a new and eclectic musical ambience through their exploration of the myriad shades and hues of the female voice.
Featuring seven singers on stage at any one time, our 2023 Spring shows feature Caitríona Sherlock, sisters Aisling & Lauren McGlynn, Lorna Breen, Sara Weeda, Sara Di Bella, Sorcha Fenlon and Sigrid Algesten. The instrumental mainstay of the group, who also sings, is Donegal man Cian O’Donnell.
On December 3rd ANÚNA gave two performances in Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Dublin. These were to be the final live public performances the choir would give at home. In the press release issued at the time Michael wrote
“After 35 years it has become increasingly apparent that ANÚNA does not have a definable place within the choral music community of Ireland, nor, indeed, the general music community.
Despite this, ANÚNA remain the flagship choral ensemble for this country and will maintain its title of Ireland’s National Choir as it continues to represent Ireland across the world. While our membership comes from many countries, predominantly our singers are from the island of Ireland and remain connected to the spirit and ethos of our creation.
ANÚNA has provided vast opportunity and experience for young Irish singers, over 250 in total. Amongst them have been Andrew Hozier Byrne, Eimear Quinn, Julie Feeney, six of Celtic Woman’s principal soloists among so many others. As we no longer will have a base station at home, we will no longer offer training to Irish-based singers.
ANÚNA will continue to perform live in Northern Ireland and in a private capacity at home .”
While this may seem to be an extreme decision to make, Ireland is not known for embracing all of its artists, particularly those that do not conform to the existing artistic infrastructure. Over the years ANÚNA has maintained a steady and unique path, and it is probably inevitable that that path would take it beyond Ireland in every way.
After this, work began on a new release, OTHERWORLD, recorded in Sundlaugin Studios in Rekjavík, Iceland.
On January 1st 2023 a 50 minute retrospective film was released to YouTube - ANÚNA : Evocation alongside an album of the same name.
2023 was special for ANÚNA marking our return to China after many years, the consolidation of the ANÚNA Summer School, now located in Italy and the release of the album OTHERWORLD. This marks a radical change in the creation of albums on the part of ANÚNA. The Irish Times wrote
"…the music on Otherworld may well be outside the orbit of prevailing listening habits, but the blend of what you might expect (sepulchral harmonies presented in sheathes of sound) is enhanced by what you might not (a distinct Icelandic sensibility that would not be too far removed from liminal moments provided by the likes of Sigur Rós). As always, Anúna remains too distinctive for easy categorisation, which is both a creative virtue and a (perceived) commercial flaw, but the journey – undeterred by music-industry expectations – persists."
the album features the music of Michael McGlynn and Yasunori Mitsuda. The album was created almost spontaneously, continuing the methods used for the recording of the previous release Revelation, but this time with music being presented on the day, often composed on the day of recording. One such piece created in this was is the opening track “Earendel”, a song about the oldest star known to us in Anglo Saxon, Irish, Latin and Icelandic.
Mitsuda’s beautiful music colours this album in a very different selection of tones. His music, originally written for the game Xenoblade Chronicles II shines out of the record, and combines seamlessly with the music of McGlynn on so many levels. A standout is the simple and elegiac song “Ever Come to an End” featuring the voice of Lauren McGlynn