Michael McGlynn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael McGlynn
Michael McGlynn
Background information
Birth name	Michael Philip McGlynn
Born	(1964-05-11) 11 May 1964 (age 61)
Origin	Dublin, Ireland
Genres	Classical world vocal
Occupation(s)	Composer
Instruments	Vocals
Associated acts	Anúna

Michael McGlynn (born May 11, 1964) is a famous Irish composer, producer, and director. He is best known as the founder of the amazing vocal group Anúna.

Michael McGlynn's Musical Journey

Michael McGlynn was born in Dublin, Ireland. He went to Coláiste na Rinne and Blackrock College for his schooling. Later, he studied Music and English at University College Dublin and Trinity College.

In 1987, Michael started a special Irish singing group called Anúna. At first, it was spelled "An Uaíthne." Anúna has released many albums, mostly featuring Michael's own music and arrangements. Their album Deep Dead Blue was even nominated for a Classical Brit Award in 2000. It became one of the top 5 classical albums in the UK!

Another album, Anúna: Celtic Origins, was the best-selling world music CD in the US in 2007. It stayed popular on the Billboard World Music Charts for many months.

Beyond Choral Music

While Michael is famous for his choral music (music for choirs), he also writes other kinds of music. He has created pieces for orchestras and instruments. He has also written longer works like cantatas and masses.

In 2007, his cantata St. Francis was performed for the first time. This piece was commissioned by RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcasting station. It uses texts about Francis of Assisi and is for a singer, choir, and symphony orchestra. He also worked with the Ulster Orchestra on the album Behind the Closed Eye.

Michael has also written music for plays. He worked on a production of "Three Sisters" by Anton Chekhov. He also teaches about singing and choirs around the world. He was even a special scholar at Florida Atlantic University. In 2017, he received an award from University College Dublin for his work in Arts and Humanities. Michael will be the artistic director for the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in Finland in 2021.

Who Performs His Music?

Many famous groups and singers have performed Michael McGlynn's music. These include Rajaton, Dawn Upshaw, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the BBC Singers, and Chanticleer.

Understanding Michael McGlynn's Music Style

Michael McGlynn's music has a unique sound. He mixes parts of traditional Irish music with modern sounds. You can hear old Irish melodies and special vocal decorations. He also uses interesting chords that sound a bit like jazz.

These musical features can be heard in his piece "Agnus Dei." This was part of a larger work called And on Earth Peace: A Chanticleer Mass.

Michael explains that he isn't trying to just save old Irish traditional music. He creates new versions of traditional songs. He takes old texts and writes new melodies for them. He wants to make a choral version that sounds great.

Dúlamán: A Famous Example

One of his most successful pieces is "Dúlamán." This song uses a traditional Irish poem. Many professional choirs, like Chanticleer and Cantus, have performed and recorded it. "Dúlamán" also shows another part of his style: using many different rhythms that switch back and forth.

A researcher named Karen Marrolli studied Michael's music. She noted that his work shows a lot of variety. He doesn't just repeat what worked before. His music keeps growing and changing. This means he will likely remain an important composer for a long time.

Selected Works by Michael McGlynn

Here are some of Michael McGlynn's original musical pieces:

• Invocation (For a tenor singer and mixed choir)
• Four Tenebrae Responsories (For mixed choir)
• Sensation (For a speaker, mixed choir, and harp)
• Celtic Mass (For mixed choir, solo singers, violin, organ, percussion, and harp)
• Silver River (For oboe and vibraphone; also a version for mixed choir, clarinet, and string orchestra)
• Four Poems on texts by Rimbaud (For soprano singer and piano)
• Wind on Sea (For mixed choir and violin)
• Quis est Deus (For mixed choir)
• O Ignis Spiritus (For saxophone, mixed choir, and mezzo-soprano solo)
• Agnus Dei (For tenor solo and mixed choir, from "And on Earth Peace, a Chanticleer Mass")
• Behind the Closed Eye (For symphony orchestra and mixed choir)
• Visions (Three parts, for soprano saxophone and piano)
• O Maria (For mixed choir)
• Brezairola (For tenor solo and mixed choir)
• Dúlamán (For male voice choir)
• The Sea (For alto flute, flute, and mixed choir)
• Lux Aeterna / The Road of Passage (For soprano solo and mixed choir)
• The Rising of the Sun (For solo voice, mixed choir, and symphony orchestra)
• Geantraí (For mixed choir)
• Pie Jesu (For symphony orchestra and mixed choir)
• Maid in the Moor (For women's chorus)
• Cúnnla (For women's chorus)
• Dormi Jesu (For mixed choir)
• My Songs Shall Rise (For mixed choir)
• When the War is Over (For mixed choir)
• Victimae (For male-voice choir)
• Takahime (For mixed voices)
• Why Should I Sleep? (For mixed voices)
• Sunshine & Shadows (For mixed voices and piano)
• Amhrán na Gaoithe/Song of the Wind (For mixed voices)
• O pia virgo (For ATBarB voices)

Selected Recordings

Michael McGlynn's music is featured on many albums. Here are some of them:

Anúna Releases

Anúna's albums almost always feature Michael McGlynn's work. Here is a list of some of their main albums:

• 1993 – Anúna (re-recorded 2005)
• 1994 – Invocation (re-recorded 2002)
• 1995 – Omnis (Irish edition)
• 1996 – Omnis (re-recorded international version of the 1995 release)
• 1996 – Deep Dead Blue (remastered 2004)
• 1997 – Behind the Closed Eye (remastered 2003)
• 2000 – Cynara
• 2006 – Sensation
• 2007 – Celtic Origins [CD and DVD]
• 2008 – Christmas Memories [CD and DVD]
• 2009 – Invocations of Ireland [DVD]
• 2009 – Sanctus
• 2010 – Christmas with Anúna
• 2012 – Illumination
• 2015 – Revelation
• 2018 – Transcendence

Other Releases

Michael McGlynn's music has also appeared on albums by other artists:

• "And on Earth Peace: A Chanticleer Mass" by Chanticleer (ensemble), featuring the Agnus Dei
• "Wondrous Love" by Chanticleer, featuring Dúlamán
• "Out of Bounds" by Rajaton, featuring The Wild Song
• "Boundless" by Rajaton, featuring Summer Song
• "Silver River" by Matthew Manning, includes Silver River, Aisling, Nightfall, Where All Roses Go
• "Let Your Voice be Heard" by Cantus (vocal ensemble), featuring Dúlamán
• "Carmina Celtica" by Canty, featuring Lorica
• "Turn Darkness into Light" by Consono, featuring Incantations
• "Kantika Sakra" by Kantika Korala, featuring Sanctus : Sanctua
• "Aria", by Gerard McChrystal, featuring Aisling, Behind the Closed Eye and From Nowhere to Nowhere
• "The Siren's Call", by Chanticleer, featuring Amhrán na Gaoithe/Song of the Wind, Hinbarra
• "Sing Thee Nowell", by New York Polyphony, featuring O pia virgo. This was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015.
• Celtic Mass, by The Taylor Festival Choir. Released in 2016.
• Artifacts, by Kansas City Chorale, conducted by Charles Bruffy. Released in 2018.
• Where All Roses Go, by Apollo5 featuring the piece "Where All Roses Go". Released in 2020.
• Haven, by Apollo5 featuring the piece "O Pia Virgo". Released in 2023.