Anúna, generally stylised in all caps, is an Irish vocal ensemble founded in 1987 by composer Michael McGlynn, for whom it has served as the principal vehicle for the creation, performance, and recording of his choral music.
Originally founded as An Uaithne, the ensemble adopted the name Anúna in 1991. It became associated internationally with Riverdance during the mid-1990s but had already established an independent artistic identity centred on newly composed works by McGlynn alongside reimagined medieval, sacred, and traditional Irish material.
Critics have described the ensemble's music as drawing on early polyphony and Irish traditional sources through a contemporary compositional language, with unconducted performance practice and the spatial movement of singers through performance spaces as defining features.
Beyond conventional concert performance, the ensemble's work has included recordings, international touring, broadcast projects, and collaborations in theatre, film, and other media.
History Early development (1987–1994) Michael McGlynn formed the vocal ensemble An Uaithne in 1987, following his involvement with collegiate choirs at TCD and University College Dublin and his early experience within Irish choral performance and direction. From its inception, the ensemble pursued a repertoire combining medieval sacred music, Irish-language texts, traditional material, and newly composed or arranged works by McGlynn, an approach that differed from prevailing Irish and British choral traditions.
Early performances under the name An Uaithne attracted critical attention in Dublin. Reviewing a concert at the House of Lords in 1990, The Irish Times noted the ensemble's presentation of early Irish and English repertoire, including medieval plainsong fragments, traditional songs, and Renaissance music, performed with voices and period and traditional instruments.
In September 1990, An Uaithne took part in the premiere of The Children of Lir by Patrick Cassidy at the National Concert Hall with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
A subsequent recital at Trinity College Dublin in 1991 was described as ranging from twelfth- to twentieth-century religious music and characterised by a distinctive sound shaped by the interaction of plainchant-derived melodic material and contemporary harmonic language in McGlynn's own compositions. Later the same year the ensemble adopted the shortened name Anúna.
The group's debut album, ANÚNA (Danú 001), was released in spring 1993 and consisted largely of works composed or arranged by McGlynn. Reviewing the album, The Irish Times highlighted the ensemble's handling of medieval chant and sacred sources and praised the atmospheric qualities achieved through acoustic setting and vocal treatment, while expressing reservations about several arrangements of traditional songs.
A second album, Invocation, recorded in 1994, was reviewed later that year as fulfilling and extending the promise of the group's early work, describing Anúna as having developed into one of Ireland's most innovative choral ensembles. That year Anúna performed on the soundtrack to the animated film Thumbelina, with music by Barry Manilow, recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin.
By the end of 1994, The Irish Times characterised Anúna as having established a distinct position within Irish musical life, noting that while the group drew on medieval and traditional sources, its performances avoided both academic reconstruction and commercial pastiche, instead emphasising sound, space, and atmosphere.
Riverdance, recordings, and international recognition (1995–1999) From 1994 to 1996, Anúna were involved in Riverdance from its initial presentation at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin through its development into a full stage production, appearing as part of the touring ensemble during the show's early international run, including performances at Radio City Music Hall in New York; the ensemble sang the opening section, known as "Cloudsong", with soloist Katie McMahon.
In February 1995, The Irish Times reported that Anúna would not appear on the forthcoming Riverdance soundtrack album despite continuing to perform in the show. Bill Whelan said that the group had not been available on the terms offered and that Seolta had been used on the recording instead; Michael McGlynn disputed that account and said that Anúna would have appeared on several tracks. The initial 1995 issue of Riverdance: Music from Riverdance the Show credited Seolta on the relevant tracks. A revised 1996 issue, Riverdance: Music from the Show, featured Anúna and was released internationally; the album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997.
In 1996, Anúna soprano Eimear Quinn won the Eurovision Song Contest performing "The Voice", representing Ireland.
During the mid-1990s, the ensemble expanded its recording catalogue alongside its growing public profile. Omnis (1995) was described by The Irish Times as presenting Anúna at the height of its collective powers, while Deep Dead Blue (1996), later released internationally in 1999 following the group's signing to the specialist vocal label Gimell, home to The Tallis Scholars, was characterised by Billboard as the group's most accomplished work to date, noting its distinctive approach to choral sound and performance. In August 1999, Deep Dead Blue entered the UK Classical Specialist chart at number three.
In 1997, Anúna released Behind the Closed Eye, a collaboration with the Ulster Orchestra that marked a departure from the ensemble's predominantly a cappella work and expanded its sound into an orchestral context.
Anúna collaborated with The Chieftains on several recordings during the 1990s. In 1995, they performed with Sting on the track "Mo Ghile Mear (Our Hero)" from The Long Black Veil, which was nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in 1996. In 1998, Anúna appeared as guest performers on the track "Long Journey Home", recorded with Elvis Costello, which served as the theme for the PBS documentary series The Irish in America: Long Journey Home; the accompanying album The Long Journey Home won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. Anúna also contributed vocals to "Never Give All the Heart" on Tears of Stone (1999), which featured spoken narration by Brenda Fricker.
Media and broadcast activity during the late 1990s included an appearance on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC Two in December 1996 and collaboration with Secret Garden on the album Dawn of a New Century, with The Washington Post noting the role of Anúna's choral textures.
Anúna performed as part of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, an appearance highlighted by Elvis Costello as his "Hot Ticket" of the 1999 London Proms.
Recordings and international activity (2000–2009) Entering the 2000s, the ensemble continued to develop a repertoire centred on medieval and sacred source material alongside newly composed works. Reviewing Cynara (2000), The Irish Times emphasised the album's atmospheric focus and tonal control, while Télérama situated the recording at the intersection of ancient and contemporary practice, drawing attention to its use of early texts and its contemplative character.
In January 2000, Anúna appeared at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, performing at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. In 2003, the ensemble performed at the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in Finland. Winter Songs (2002) was reviewed by The New York Times and subsequently issued in the United States as Christmas Songs on the Koch label; the ensemble also appeared at Proms in the Park in Belfast with the Ulster Orchestra that year.
Released in 2002, the compilation Essential Anúna entered the UK Classical Artist chart at number six in February 2003.
In 2004, Anúna performed at official diplomatic receptions in Argentina and Chile during a state visit by Irish President Mary McAleese. In 2005, Anúna appeared on The Chieftains' Live from Dublin: A Tribute to Derek Bell, performing "Fionnghuala"; the album was nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Sensation (2006) was reviewed as darker and more inward-looking than earlier releases, incorporating literary text settings and spoken narration; the album's title track featured spoken narration by Gilles Servat. By the later 2000s, the ensemble's international activity included concert performances in Japan; a feature in Nikkei Premium Life (December 2007) characterised the group's music as drawing on medieval sacred song and emphasising contemplative listening.
In 2007, Anúna released the concert recording Anúna: Celtic Origins, recorded at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio, and broadcast nationally on PBS. Billboard reported that the release and accompanying broadcast formed the centrepiece of the ensemble's expanded North American touring activity during this period.
In 2008, Christmas Memories was produced as a PBS television special, recorded at Maryland Public Television, and released on CD and DVD. The album entered the Billboard World Music chart at number six in November 2008.
In July 2009, Anúna performed with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra at the National Concert Hall in Dublin in a concert presented as a celebration of the music of Michael McGlynn. The decade concluded with Sanctus (2009), described by The Irish Times as marking a renewed emphasis on sacred repertoire, and the Japanese release of the DVD Invocations of Ireland.
International activity and collaborations (2010–2019) In July 2010, Anúna performed with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, with Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius as featured soloist, in a programme that included new works and arrangements by Michael McGlynn.
In January 2011, the ensemble joined Clannad in concert at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin as part of Temple Bar TradFest. That year Anúna contributed vocal performances to the Christmas album It's Always Christmas With You! by The Wiggles. At the end of 2011, Anúna toured Japan with concerts and workshops; during the visit, the ensemble travelled to the Tōhoku region and worked with children from areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
In 2011, Anúna inaugurated the Anúna International Choral Summer School at the National Concert Hall in Dublin; it continued at Dublin venues through the decade.
In April 2012, Anúna participated in the premiere of Philip Hammond's Requiem for the Lost Souls of the Titanic at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast as part of the centenary commemorations of the sinking of the Titanic. Also that year, the group featured on the soundtrack to the video game Diablo III, the score of which was later nominated for a BAFTA award in the Original Music category; composer Russell Brower stated that Anúna was selected for its distinctive choral sound suited to the game's atmosphere. The ensemble also released Illumination in 2012 as part of its twenty-fifth anniversary output, with a substantially revised version later issued as Illuminations.
Anúna appeared at the London A Cappella Festival at Kings Place in 2015, where critics noted the ensemble's contrasting approach to a cappella performance, characterised by stillness and an emphasis on atmosphere. They performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in August 2015. Reviewing Revelation (2015), The Irish Times described it as one of the ensemble's more texturally rich recordings, noting its emphasis on original material by McGlynn alongside early Christian texts and Japanese-influenced works.