[Odin]

Well today is Easter. Naturally my mind drifts to thoughts of a more religious matter. I hope no one minds if I post something a little more spiritual.

Anúna is an Irish choral group. Founded in under the nam An Uaithne, a name which describes the three ancient types of Celtic music, Suantraí (lullaby), Geantraí (happy song) and Goltraí (lament). One of the group's primary aims was to explore and redefine this music, and also to perform its own original works and arrangements of medieval and traditional Irish music. An Uaithne became Anúna in 1991, and became closely associated with the Riverdance phenomenon from 1994 until 1996. Many of the singers who received initial training and international exposure through Anúna have gone on to achieve international prominence, including Eimear Quinn who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996, and no less than four of the soloists who have been featured in Celtic Woman. The choral arrangements are written to accentuate their unique choral sound and to utilise the group's facility to move during performance, as they use neither sheet music not conductor when performing live. Their standard line-up is 14 singers.

The video you are about to see is a live performance given by Anuna at Roppongi Hills Outdoor Arena, Tokyo, December 2005. It was a very cold evening reaching to -4° centigrade. The excerpt that follows contains three songs, sung in three different languages. Middle English, Castellano Antiguo (Old Spanish), and Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic)

The first of the set is “Jerusalem.” A traditional piece from the set of Kilmore carols. This song was reputedly written by an English Catholic priest on the day of his matrydom, in 1601. The chorus is arranged in a style known as heterophony, still practiced today in the western isles of Scotland. The song is voiced usually by 3-4 women in such a way that one part starts, followed shortly by another, then another, finally all voices coming together as one at the end of the verse. With the singers being separated physically as they sing, the effect is true surround sound.

The second movement is “Ríu Ríu” from Cançionero del Upsala. This was written in 1556 by Spanish composer, Mateo Flecha the Elder. It was written in while in Valencia. There he served as director of the chapel choir of the Duke of Calabria.

The third movement of the set is non-relegious. It is a traditional Irish Geantraí or happy song. It is know as “Sí Do Mhaimeo Í” or “The Wealthy Widow”. It is a rather light hearted tune about a young man who merries and older woman for money.

I have provided lyrics for all three pieces in their original language, as well as their English translations.

So I present to you live from Tokyo: Anúna

Jerusalem

{chorus} -> Jerusalem, our happy home : When shall we come to thee? : When shall our sorrows have an end? : Thy joys when shall we see?

{repeat chorus}
They see no one that sent her there. : Their palms spring from the ground. : No tongue can tell, no heart can think. : What joys do there abound.
{repeat chorus}
Forever more the trees perfumed. : And ever more they spring. : And ever more the saints are glad. : And ever more they sing
{repeat chorus}
Fair Magdalene, she hath less moan. : Likewise there she doth sing. : The happy saints in harmony. : Through every street doth ring
{repeat chorus}
Fair Magdalene hath dried her tears. : She'll weep no more to thee. Nor wet the ringlets of her hair : To wash her savior's feet
{repeat chorus}

Ríu Ríu (River, River)

{chorus} -> Ríu, ríu, chíu, la guarda ribera (River, river, the shepherd by the river)
Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera (God guarded our sheep from the wolf)
Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera (God guarded our sheep from the wolf)

{repeat chorus 3x}

El lobo rabioso la quiso morder (The raging wolf tried to bite her)
Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender (But powerful God knew how to defend her)
Quísola hacer que no pudiese pecar (He wanted to make her so that she could not sin)
Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera (This Virgin did not even have original sin)

{repeat chorus 2x}

Éste que es nacido es el gran monarca (This one who is born is the great monarch)
Cristo patriarca de carne vestido (Christ the Father made flesh)
Hanos redimido con se hacer chiquito (He has redeemed us by making himself small)
Aunque era infinito, finito se hiciera (Although he was infinite, he made himself finite)

{repeat chorus 2x}

Sí Do Mhaimeo Í (The Wealthy Widow)

{chorus} -> 'Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í (She's your granny, she's your granny)
'Sí do mhaimeo í cailleach an airgid (She's your granny, the hag with the money)
'Sí do mhaimeo í ó Bhail' Iorrais Mhóir í (She's your granny from the town of Iorrais Mór)
'S chuir-feadh sí cóistí 'r bhóithre Chois Fharraige (And she would put coaches on the roads of Cois Farraige)

{repeat chorus}

'bhFeicfeása 'n "steam" 'ga'l siar Tóin Uí Loing' (If you'd see the steam boat going past Tóin Uí Loing')
'S na rothaí gh'l timpeall siar óna ceathrúnaí (And the wheels turning speedily at her flanks)
Caithfeadh sí'n stiúir naoi n-uair'ar a cúl (She'd scatter the store nine times to the rear)
'S ní choinneodh sí siúl le cailleach an airgid (But she never keeps pace with the hag with the money)

{repeat chorus}

'Measann tú 'bpósfa, 'measann tú 'bpósfa (Do you reckon he'd marry, do you reckon he'd marry)
'Measann tú 'bpósfa cailleach an airgid? (Do you reckon he'd marry the hag with the money?)
Tá 's a'm nach 'bpósfa, tá 's a'm nach 'bpósfa (I know he'll not marry, I know he'll not marry)
Mar tá sé ró-óg 'gus dólfadh sé'n t-airgead (Because he's too young and he'll drink the money)

{repeat chorus}

'S gairid go 'bpósfa, 's gairid go 'bpósfa (We'll soon have a wedding, we'll soon have a wedding)
'S gairid go 'bpósfa beirt ar an mbaile seo (We'll soon have a wedding by two in the village)
'S gairid go 'bpósfa, 's gairid go 'bpósfa (We'll soon have a wedding, we'll soon have a wedding)
Séan Shéamais Mhóir agus Máire Ní Chathasaigh (Between Séan Séamais Mór and Máire Ní Chathasaigh)

{repeat chorus}