Twenty Years On, And Still Passionate

Mike Fitzpatrick Talks To Anuna Who're On A U.S. Tour To Promote Their New Album

By Mike Fitzpatrick

It's not always easy determining somebody's age you know. There are times when a youthful exuberance, pleasant demeanor and all-round optimistic outlook on life will contradict the graying temples and voice of experience, leaving one baffled as to how old or young somebody actually is.

On speaking with John McGlynn, brother of Michael McGlynn, creator and founder of globally-renowned Irish choral group, Anuna, one is immediately hit with the idea that despite the fact that he has been directly involved with the group for almost twenty years, that passionate enthusiasm is still there, and the excitement at trying new things, visiting new places and meeting new people remains about his person, and perhaps, always will.

Anuna was founded in 1987 by Dublin-born composer, Michael McGlynn, as An Uaithne, a term which describes three types of ancient Celtic music, Suantraí (lullaby), Geantraí (happy song) and Goltraí (lament).

Upon forming the group, McGlynn's main aims included exploring and redefining this ancient music form, as well as performing his own original works and arrangements of traditional and medieval Irish music.

When his brother John joined in the early '90s, the group underwent several changes, some popular with its members, others not so.

Said John in a recent interview with CelticCafe.com; "Anyone who has seen Anúna perform recently will not believe that the gentlemen wore tuxedos, the choir had the music stuck under their noses and Michael frantically conducted them.

"This was combined with no lighting or sound and audiences of up to 3.

"It took only a little while to build the group into something unique.

"I persuaded him to lose the sheets of music, the horrible clothes and to start moving around.

"It all rose from there. My tentative title in the group is Production Designer.

"Everything from costume to choreography, lighting to album cover design is my job".

Changing its name to Anuna in 1991, John's introduction coincided with the group's close association with the Riverdance phenomenon which first exploded onto the scene with a brief, yet hugely significant appearance during the 1994 Eurovision Song contest. Indeed, many of the vocalists who first earned their stripes with Anuna have since gone on to successful careers of their own, including Eimear Quinn, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland in 1996, and three of the soloists featuring with the popular Celtic Woman group.

Nowadays, using neither sheet music or a conductor when performing live, Anuna's standard line-up includes fourteen singers, and having won a National Entertainment Award for Classical Music, as well as being nominated for a Classical Brit Award, Anuna under the expert tutelage of the brothers McGlynn, continues to cruise through previously unchartered waters in their continued rise in popularity.

Although often closely associated with Celtic music, these ties are regularly cut, and tied once more, as Anuna steps away from that particular style to make forays towards other musical genres.

'Sensation', for example, the group's 2006 album, is one such example of the group's varied influences.

Songs on the album include tracks in Irish, English, French and Latin, also featuring texts written by Arthur Rimbaud.

Having appeared twice at the World Sacred Music Festival in Morocco, as well as having given the first ever Irish Prom at the BBC Proms in London's Royal Albert Hall,

Anuna continues to tour, and since 1993, have appeared live in dozens of countries.

Currently, the group is in the United States, on a two-month long tour to promote its latest release, the CD/DVD, 'Celtic Origins'.

In January of this year, a series of concerts were recorded in Cleveland, Ohio.

These shows are to be shown later this year on PBS, as part of that channel's Summer/Autumn pledge drive.

Before that however, there is a DVD of those concerts hitting shelves around the nation, and the group is appearing at several record stores to promote that.

The CD has been available since July 17th, exclusively at Borders retail locations nationwide, while the companion DVD (available only through Public Television), features twenty-four songs as well as bonus material.

Touring, it seems, is not something that phases John McGlynn, and while on the road, he says; "'We also have a lot of fun and travel a lot.

"Most of my closes friends are members of the group. Probably the funniest thing that I have to contend with are the wildly different venues that we perform in, from tiny churches in the West of Ireland to The Royal Albert Hall in London within a few weeks of each other!"

Having just performed a short set at a Borders location in downtown Manhattan, John was reminded of previous trips to New York, and in particular the group's shows at popular venue, Joe's Pub ("Brilliant, great times").

Although one might succumb to laziness and attempt to place (or is that misplace?) Anuna into one particular musical category, perhaps the right thing to do would be to leave them in a class of their own.

The group's often animated, occasionally haunting, sometime mystical, yet always unique sound, is an eclectic blend of genres, spanning centuries of musical history. Celtic Origins, which includes 19 tracks, has among its number tunes written by Michael McGlynn, as well as special arrangements of more well known staples, such as 'Greensleeves', 'I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls', 'Our Wedding Day' and the Simon and Garfunkel classic, 'Scarborough Fair', before closing with an emotional tribute to the late John Denver, a rendition of the singer/songwriter's 'Annie's Song', performed as a duet by the brothers McGlynn.

The American tour will bring Anuna to over forty cities coast to coast, including appearances in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, San Francisco, Denver, Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Nashville, Knoxville, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Toronto, Atlanta, Phoenix and others, with some dates to be confirmed.

Having performed with artists such as as Sting. Elvis Costello, Michael Crawford, The Chieftains and Sinead O'Connor, a live performance by this wonderfully diverse musical ensemble will satisfy one's musical appetite, though one may well be left with an insatiable desire for more.

With the McGlynns everlasting enthusiasm for their work, the group is sure to continue chiseling masterpieces from their mounds of talent for many years to come.

'Celtic Origins' is available at Borders Bookstores nationwide, and for more information, visit anuna.ie