CD REVIEW
SENSATION : ANÚNA
April 2006
Vocal group Anúna's first release of new material in six years is a major leap forward from their last few offerings, throwing into high relief the progress that founder and group leader Michael McGlynn has made as a composer. The opening track '0 Ignis Spiritus' brings a text by medieval mystic Hildegarde von Bingen to glorious life, with Ken Edge's saxophone matching the reedy timbre of soloist Miriam Blennerhassett's wonderfully rich voice.
The dreamy title track (McGlynn's setting of the Rimbaud poem of that name) is another highlight, with the gravel-voiced Gilles Servat speaking the verses over the ensemble's multi-layered harmonies. Bringing the CD to an electrifying close is the shimmering, densely textured '0 Maria', which deserves to become part of the standard repertoire for choral groups everywhere.
NINE/TEN - Sarah McQuaid
SENSATION : ANÚNA
May 2006
Choral music is a hard sell, its spaciousness challenging our sound-clogged sensibilities to accommodate silence as readily as sound. Michael McGlynn and his 30-strong acolytes in Anúna have had an uphill battle to lure listeners into their somnolent soundscapes, but their 10th recording might just mark their crossover into mainstream.
Sensation is an agile leap into the unknown, populated entirely by McGlynn's original compositions...air and light penetrate Anúna's deep harmonies with almost aquatic ease. Soloist Sharon Carty's luminous rendition of Lux Aeterna is a particular treat, as is Anúna's more languid mood generally. A welcome loosening of the ties that once bound them to the past.
Siobhán Long