News Archive Page [1999 to 2004]
________________________________________
Anúna appeared on the RTE TV programme ID last night [Friday December 3rd] to promote their Irish performances over Christmas. The group sang a version of Siúil a Rúin, rather well too! L-R Orfhlaith Flynn, Michael McGlynn, Nicky Lewis, Derina Johnson, Aideen Rickard, Ian Russell.
See here [All Music Guide] and here [Christmassreviews.com] for two different reviews of the new Koch release of Anúna's Christmas Songs.
The Anúna shop is back online [25th October] - you can now purchase copies of the new edition of Deep Dead Blue as described below.
Koch Records International release the album Christmas Songs previously known in the USA as Winter Songs on October 5th. See here for details from amazon.com. The album is identical to the album Winter Songs.
Listen to an interview with John McGlynn here [Windows Media] for the RTE radio series Frozen Music. John was originally an architect and this programme, while playing copious amounts of music, deals with the idea that architecture is a form of "frozen music"...
Here is an image taken by John McGlynn of the spectacular venue we performed in last week [July 31st] at Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre. Note that the piece being performed was Jerusalem. The venue was full, and there were two standing ovations!
Matthew Manning's beautiful album Silver River has just become available from CD Baby here, and you can can hear large chunks of the entire album on their site. This album was a recent highly successful collaboration between Matthew and Anúna director Michael McGlynn, and features Michael himself on three solo vocal numbers.
The Silver River of the title flows through the heart of Ireland, a metaphor for the constantly flowing progress of musical tradition, augmented by external influences and streams. All the pieces are arranged or composed by McGlynn, including works by the Italian composer Geminiani, who lived in Ireland at the same time as the blind harper O'Carolan.
Musiques et Solutions have put together a beautiful compilation - Retour a la Magie Celtique - with limited availability through the France Loisirs club.
It features some excellent tracks, and two Anúna songs from the album Behind the Closed Eye, "Gathering Mushrooms" and "August". One of the unusual features of this excellent record is the inclusion of natural sound on the album. The album also features music by Clannad, Altan and The Waterboys.
Listen to the edition, broadcast on June 7th 2004 of the RTE Radio Arts programme Rattlebag here. This features extensive contributions from Michael McGlynn, and also has interviews with Jean Butler, Bill Whelan and Moya Doherty. This is the first time that Michael has contributed to a programme about Riverdance since the choir left in 1996. Although Moya Doherty mentions in this interview that the Riverdance company audition and have their own singers, Anúna singers Lynn Hilary and Joanna Fagan sing the lead roles in the 10th Anniversary production of Riverdance in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre this summer. Since we left Riverdance in 1996 our singers have been employed by the show on a continuing basis, usually in the lead roles...
Anúna will be doing a very short tour of Germany this coming week [May 21-23]. See details of appearances in our Live section.
The reissue of the beautiful album Deep Dead Blue has been put back until early June. The album will feature the stunning work of the photographer Julia Hember, to whose memory this album is dedicated. It features the original 13 tracks significantly remastered and remixed, with new solo vocals added to "The Sea", "Island" and "Blackthorn". Particularly stunning is the revamped mix of "Kyrie". Michael McGlynn says of this release:
"when this album was recorded [1996] we neither had the technology nor the time to do it justice, as we had just exited from an association with Riverdance - the Show leaving 14 singers in our wake and were obliged to record two albums simultaneously. This remix has allowed myself and Brian Masterson to revisit what is one of Anúna's finest moments. Changes have included reinstating lost sections of "The Sea" and the original male vocal on the track "Island". Remixes of the tracks "The Green Laurel" and "Deep Dead Blue", the Elvis Costello/Bill Frisell composition, have resulted in significantly enhanced sound. On a personal note it was a great opportunity to prepare the way for the next Anúna album, due to go into recording this summer, and our first since 1999."
John McGlynn was one of the guests at the Riverdance 10th Anniversary Party in Dublin. He was delighted to meet up with the original cast members of the interval piece which became a global phenomenon. Other guests including Michael Flatley - you can see a picture of them in our Gallery section.
You can also view a group photograph taken with President Mary McAleese, President of Ireland after our April 23rd concert in Theatre Flagey in Brussels, Belgium.
Hear Michael being interviewed on The Invisible Thread by poet Theo Dorgan this Sunday [April 11th] on Lyric FM at 10pm GMT [live streaming].
Anúna will appear on BBC1 TV on March 7th on Songs of Praise singing The Wild Song, filmed last week in Glendalough
In March Anúna will accompany the President of Ireland, President Mary McAleese, to South America for performances in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
BBC4 TV will be broadcasting Anúna's appearance at the opening of the Belfast Festival tonight at 2100 [20/2/04].
The Leicester Mercury wrote a review of Anúna's Leicester concert at the de Montfort Hall. You can read it here. The London concert in the Queen Elizabeth Hall was described by the Irish Post as
"Bristling with seductive musical tension. This is music which sounds as if it originated in heaven, not Ireland." Frank Carlisle, Irish Post
Come and see meet Anúna in person after our concerts in Leicester and London on the 14th and 15th of February! See details of both concerts here.
See last night's [January 5th] broadcast of Michael McGlynn's article on the RTE one programme Nationwide [report by Diarmuid Peavoy] here [Real Media] This is an excellent introduction to Michael's work.
Michael has been chosen as Composer of the Month for January 2004 by the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland, and you can read and see a very candid article about him on the CMC website here
Autumn/Winter 2004
On the 27th, Anúna's appearance at the Belfast Festival opening concert was broadcast. The show ran from 18.25-19.25 on BBC2 NI TV and featured Anúna, Cara Dillon, Brian Kennedy and Liam O'Flynn. The broadcast included The Rising of the Sun with the Ulster Orchestra, August, Dúlamán and Fionnghuala.
On the 26th Anúna's National Concert Hall performance of last August was broadcast on RTE 1 Radio.
On the 20th, the Irish Independent, Irelands biggest selling daily, included a 3 page colour interview, with pics, with John and Michael in the Weekend supplement by Niamh Hooper.
Anúna appeared on two TV shows the week of the Christmas Concerts - ID on RTE2TV [15th] where singer Emily Jeffers did a short interview, while soprano Lynn Hilary sang the solo on Winter Fire and Snow backed by a number of the choir, and on Open House on the 17th, where we sang O Holy Night, with Matthew Manning playing the first verse, and Lynn again singing solo on the second verse. Matthew's album Silver River is available online from here.
Read a review by the Liverpool Guardian here of our concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on December 6th
Today, December 4th, the Anúna men appeared on The Pat Kenny Show on RTE Radio 1, singing Ríu Ríu , with a solo by Jeremy Morgan and Fionnghuala. They were also interviewed about the longevity and continued success of Anúna.
Visit the Download Page to see a very recent interview [November 7th] with Michael and John McGlynn on RTE TV [Courtesy of Open House, Tyrone Productions] here. You can also read some background blurb to the appearance here.
Anúna will make a personal appearance at Celtic Note on Nassau St. in Dublin tomorrow Saturday 22nd of November at 13hr00. You can meet the choir and listen to a few tunes.
Winter Songs has gone up to number 12 in the Irish Classical Charts this week.
Michael has just begun work with Brian Masterson on the reissue of the album Deep Dead Blue - already recorded is a wonderful new vocal from Lucy Champion on the track "The Sea", and a new male vocal by Michael on the track "Island". Lynn Hilary lends her voice to a crystalline vocal on the beautiful "Blackthorn". All of the tracks will be remastered and some remixed entirely. Expect to be able to purchase the record early in the new year. The artwork will revert to the beautiful fold-out work done for the 1999 UK release of the album, with a newly designed interior by John McGlynn.
You can now purchase all your Anúna needs directly from the site via secure credit card transaction! Special thanks to Conor McCarthy for all his work.
Winter Songs enters the Irish Classical Charts at number 15 this week - 5 days after its release! Not bad for November...
Long article and pic about Michael in Sunday 9th November Sunday Independent - Michael discussed how his stammer was obliterated by singing - very nicely written too by Rosemary Hannon - you can read it here.
John and Michael appeared on RTE TV today [7th November] on Open House, Ireland's premiere afternoon programme, to announce the launch of Winter Songs in Ireland today. After a spoken interview covering the group continued success and training techniques for the singers, Michael sang and John played guitar on "If All She Has is You" - you can hear the album version as an MP3 here.
Ils ont chante la Bretagne, possibly the nicest cover on any compilation we have appeared on, is released on the Kelitia Musique label. The album features music from Brittany, and we sing Diwanit Bugale on the record. Note that this track is available on Omnis.
See here for a very good review in the Kilkenny People after our concert there in June - note that this is a GIF file.
Anúna are number 9 in the Irish Classical Charts, entering the top 10 for the third time since Essential Anúna was released in February.
Anúna singer Lynn Hilary sang "Cloudsong" from Riverdance at the opening of the Special Olympics in Dublin on June 21st to huge acclaim. The Special Olympics is the largest sports event in the world this year.
Anúna performed the Sanctus and Fionnghuala as guests of The Chieftains on Sunday 25th of May at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. Other guests included Carlos Nunez and Micheál Ó Suilleabháin. The concert was organised to commemrate Derek Bell, harpist of the Chieftains, and the men of Anúna finished their set with a rousing version of their first collaboration with these icons of Irish music, Mo Ghille Mear.
Shorelines [Jacksonville, USA] published an interview with Michael in March - see the text here.
On April 13th, you will get a chance to see Anúna on BBC2 TV Network, performing The Blue Bird in Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, on the programme Songs of Praise. Broadcast times will not be available until very late this week, but they should be around 6pm.
Read a review of the Palm Beach concert on March 14th here.
An Anúna sample from the track Invocation [a recording of this song features on the album Anúna 2002] has been used by the Canadian fiddle player Ashley MacIsaac. This album will be released on Universal/Decca in many territories in the near future and was released this March in Canada. It can be purchased from Amazon here.
Read an interview with Michael recently given in the Irish Examiner here.
The track "She Moved Through the Fair" has been released on two compilations this month! Celtica, released by Sony France, features a huge range and high quality group of performers, including Dan ar Braz, Clannad, Gilles Servat, Alan Stivell and The Corrs. You can purchase it from http://www.amazon.fr.
The Celtic Circle - Legendary Music from a Mystic World [yes, really!] features a startlingly diverse range of Celtic Acts, and appears on BMG in many territories. Included are Vangelis, John Williams, Kate Bush, Loreena MacKennit & James Horner.
Essential Anúna has entered the UK Classical Artists Chart at number 6 and the Combined Classical Chart [compilations and artists] at number 14 this week [27th January].
Read an interview with Michael, Lucy Champion and Lynn Hilary at Musical Discoveries here. It also includes reviews of 3 Anúna CDs.
Essential Anúna has entered the Irish charts at number 6 this week [ending January 23rd].
Anúna appear on the TV programme [BBC Northern Ireland] Brian Kennedy on Song singing Michael's arrangement of My Lagan Love [you can hear Michael sing this on the Invocation record] on Friday 31 January, at 9.30pm.
Anúna appeared on the Late Late Show, Irish television's most popular and influential show, last Friday 17th of January and sang Winter Fire and Snow.
On Classic FM [UK] this Wednesday 15th of January there will be an interview with Michael between 6.45pm and 7pm GMT. Essential Anúna will be record of the week on Classic FM as and from next Saturday the 18th of January.
Winter 2002
On December 28th at 8pm on BBC 2 Northern Ireland you can see Anúna's short contribution to an hour long performance with The Ulster Orchestra as part of last August's "Prom in the Park".
Anúna appeared four times this week on the Irish TV channel TV3 singing Silent Night, Angels are Singing, The Wexford Carol and O Holy Night.
A nice review of the concert in Manhattan can be read here, or on the Review page.
Ireland's Irish Times ran a half page colour interview with Michael on Saturday 14th December. A very candid article, it describes quite accurately our rather unortodox rehearsal methods, and also is somewhat outspoken regarding the place of Anúna in modern Irish music life. The article can be read for a fee at www.ireland.com and was written by journalist Arminta Wallace - an excellent article it is too.
On Saturday 14th, John Schaefer interviewed John McGlynn live on WNYC on "Soundcheck" for about half an hour. We also hear excerpts from The First Day, Away in a Manger, Codhlaím go Suan and The Hymn to the Virgin. Listen to the interview here, Real Audio format.
The Dallas Morning News listed Winter Songs as its no. 1 choice in Christmas Music, the review, short though it is, is by Teresa Gubbins.
"Anúna
Winter Songs (Danú)The Irish choral group that performed in Riverdance takes on Christmas, with reverential, church-like renditions of classics such as "Silent Night" interspersed with old English carols and Irish hymns. The liner notes helpfully explain the origin of each song."
Read the review of the album Winter Songs in the NY Times here by John Pareles. If unavailable, the review is also available on the Reviews page.
Tickets for the New York debut [and US!] of Anúna are going on sale tomorrow. Visit the Appearances page for details.
[Nov. 6th] Winter Songs is now available from this site. See the Recordings page for details
Universal Italy release a new compilation Celtic Stars, Eternal Moods. This features the track Winter Fire and Snow in a beautiful performance by Joanna Fagan. The compilation also features Loreena McKennit, Sinéad Ó Connor, The Corrs, Clannad and our friends Secret Garden.
On Friday last [October 18th], Michael, John and Lynn Hilary performed with Jerry Fish in one of Dublin's best know venues, Whelans. They also appear on Jerry Fish's brand-new album Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, and the new Irish Vodaphone TV advert features the song "True Friends". On the album Jerry duets with Michael - see a pic of them performing together here.
Winter Songs will be released in the USA on November 5th. The album will be available from this site, but will also be available from CD Now, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp.
New video clip added of the Miserere, as broadcast in 2001 on the BBC on Songs of Praise.
Miriam Blennerhassett, long-time Anúna member, makes her Carnegie Hall debut on September 21st singing as part of the Irish Ring. You can find details of ticket sales here.
Summer 2002
Note Well: There is an excellent review in French of the recent Anúna concert in Fes, Morocco. There is also a video performance of An Oíche [click here to see it] with interviews with Joanna Fagan, and the press conference before the concert [in two languages], under the able eye of Gerard Kurdijan, the artistic director of the festival and Joanna again. There is a small picture gallery, so this is really worth a visit! See here for the website.
On January 15th 2003 Universal Classics UK release Essential Anúna in the UK and Ireland. This 75 minute album features tracks from Deep Dead Blue, Omnis, ANÚNA 2002, Invocation 2002, Songs for a Celtic Winter, Cynara and Behind the Closed Eye. Also included is the rare Secret Garden / Anúna collaboration "I Know a Rose Tree" as a bonus track.
See a picture here from the Irish Examiner published just before the concert. There was an almost exact duplicate published the same day in the Irish Times.
Ian Fox of the Irish Sunday Tribune reviewed our concert on the 25th of July in the National Concert Hall - see the Review page for details.
Invocation 2002 is released on July 25th in the Republic of Ireland [September 10th elsewhere]. Invocation 2002 has allowed Michael McGlynn to revisit and rerecord this beautiful record. It features three brand new tracks "The Wild Song", "Ich am of Irlond" and "My Lagan Love".
Anúna appeared live on the Vincent Brown Show, RTE Radio 1, on Friday 19th of July. We sang Ceann Dubh Dílis and Fionnghuala.
Anúna will be giving their official performance celebrating 15 years July 25th. See details here.
Read the complete list of names of past Anúna singers and guest musicians here.
Read the updated Recordings page, with brand new inclusion of the recording An Uaithne.
Read an interview with Michael from this month's IMRO News here.
Universal Japan have just released Human Voice [UICY 4060], which features Anúna's recording of The Mermaid from Omnis SE.
This unusual album also features Sissel, Boyz to Men, Nana Mouskouri, The Swingle Singers, The Novi Singers, The Style Concil [yes!], Sarah Brightman and Louis Armstrong.
Winter/Spring 2002
Listen to John Schaefer's interview WNYC in Real Media format here. Playlist can be viewed here.
The Blue Bird [with a beautiful solo from Joanna Fagan], as featured on ANÚNA 2002 features on the just released [April 2002] compilation [2 CDs] Voices. This has to be one of the most beautiful records Anúna have ever appeared on.
Voices features contributions from Ella Fitzgerald, Diane Krall, Mario Lanza, Emma Kirkby, Eva Cassidy, Frank Sinatra, Kiri Te Kanawa, Maria Callas, The Monks of Silos, Russell Watson and Sissel Click on the album cover to purchase from Amazon.co.uk
See details of Anúna's trip to Morocco by clicking on Appearances above.
On the 18th of April, New Sounds on WNYC will broadcast a full programme dedicated to Anúna, featuring an extended interview with Michael McGlynn recorded on location in Dublin [programme #2030].
At 2230 GMT on March 31st you can tune in to Lyric FM's "The Blue of the Night" for excerpts from next Sunday's Rajaton concert, featuring Michael McGlynn's music.
At 2115 GMT on Wednesday 27th of March you can hear a full 75 mins of Anúna on the Lyric Recital on Lyric FM. The programme will include a large span of material from Anúna's 15 years of existence. Visit www.lyricfm.ie for live-streaming details.
Listen to Michael's contribution to WNYC's New Sounds programme, presented by John Schaefer on March 26th programme #2024, entitled "New Music from Ireland". If you missed it, the programme is available online, and Michael's contribution occurs at about 46.40, and you can hear the programme here. This was broadcast recently on Lyric FM.
Listen to Michael McGlynn on Lyric FM's Artzone on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd of March at 1900 GMT in a programme discussing the group and its unique sound - live internet streaming is available from their excellent site. Anúna will also be Artist of the Week next week on Lyric Notes from 1000 each weekday morning, where Michael will introduce some of his favourite Anúna or Anúna related pieces.
The pieces he chose were:
Dúlamán, From Nowhere to Nowhere, Island, Wind on Sea and Where All Roses Go.
Read a review of ANÚNA 2002 in February's Hot Press here.
Read a review of ANÚNA 2002 in today's Irish Times here.
A unique musical event takes place in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on March 24th. Michael McGlynn has been chosen as one of the Irish composers to feature in the prestigious Composers Choice, now in its third year. Michael will choose a full programme of music which will be performed by the Finnish 6 voice a cappella group Rajaton with Kenneth Edge [saxophone] and David Larkin [piano]. The programme will feature works by Michael, including Visions for saxophone and piano, traditional music from Canada, Ireland, Japan and Finland and also music by Debussy, Hindemith and Ligeti. Visit the NCH website for further details and booking information.
Anúna appear on Secret Garden's new album [currently available in Norway only, but soon to be available with tours world-wide] which is entitled Once in a Red Moon.
We appear on three tracks, the final track Elegie being inspired by an Anúna concert last year attend by Fionnuala and Rolf. Rolf actually wrote the basis for the piece on a napkin during the performance!
Anúna visit Holland for the first time on February 14th. See the Appearances page for details.
Autumn/Winter 2001
On December 21st Anúna perform in the Cathedral of Lamezia Terme in Italy at 2100.
The Anúna Christmas Concert Tickets have just gone on sale. Click here for details.
Cynara is now available from Amazon.com and CDNow.com, as well as from this site here. If you have purchased a copy already, why not leave a comment on the respective sites about it.
ANÚNA release, exclusively on the web and prior to its official release date of January 2002, the new rerecording, plus five new tracks, of the album ANÚNA, entitled ANÚNA 2002
Listen to Michael and John discuss Cynara and John's new album Songs for a Fallen Angel with Myles Dungan on RTE Radio's Rattlebag here [on real audio]
The Work of Angels has become available in the USA on Amazon.com here.
This beautiful video contains a large quantity of music by Anúna, including new music previously unreleased including "The Dawn", "Hymn to the Virgin" and "Kells". Copies will also be available directly from us in the near future.
Note there have been big updates in the Gallery [see menu above for link].
Check out the new Flash animation at the opening of the site here.
Another article appeared on the 3rd of November about John and Michael in The Irish Examiner, click here to access their site, and search their archives.
The Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest selling newspaper, ran a feature on John and Michael McGlynn last Sunday. See the full text here.
Michael's arrangement of "Stille Nacht/Silent Night", beautifully performed by Chanticleer and Dawn Upsaw on the album Christmas with Chanticleer, has just been released on Teldec; see here for details. Listen to an MP3 clip of Anúna's recording of the English language version of this arrangement here.
Rajaton's new album Boundless has just been released. It features a recording of Michael's piece "Summer Song", specially written for Rajaton for this album. See here for details.
Summer 2001
Visit here for a candid view and review of Anúna's concert in Poznan, Poland last year.
See a short piece in September 14th's "Nationwide" TV programme on RTE 1 TV [Ireland only] at 1900 hours, on the work of Francis Ledwidge, featuring music from Behind the Closed Eye
Click on the images below to see photos from the recent performance given by Anúna in the Dolomites of Northern Italy; in the pictures, the women are performing "Jerusalem". There were actually Edelweiss growing wild within a few metres of the performance area!
See the new review of Cynara from the Témoignage Chrétien.
Anúna will be performing in Italy on July 21st. Details from the appearances page here.
Ignore the disturbing Flash graphic, and see how Anúna did in the recent Lyric FM top 20 of Irish Music of All Time poll here. We are the only act to appear twice.
On Thursday May 3rd, Sarah Field [saxophone] with Simon Lepper [piano], performed two pieces live by Michael McGlynn on BBC Radio 3's In Tune, Visions I "Rithim" and From Nowhere to Nowhere. You can catch Sarah [ with Maria King, piano] performing the entire Sax sonata at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday, 11th of July and on the 21st of September at the Purcell Rooms in London.
Rajaton have been performing Michael's specially comissioned work The Wild Song all over Finland this summer. Visit their webpage here for details of performances.
Winter/Spring 2000-2001
See below for two brand new pictures of John McGlynn performing last March. Click on the image for a larger version.
Michael has just returned from Finland after spending a week working with the wonderful Finnish vocal group Rajaton [click here to visit their website]. The week was very productive, and Michael wrote, recorded and produced two new songs for the groups new album, which will soon be available on commercial release. Deta
