Temple Bar TradFest: ANÚNA & M’ANAM

Please note: proof of immunity (vaccinated or recovered) will be required for entry to the Cathedral. For information on TradFest’s COVID safety measures, click here.

With a name derived from the collective term for the three ancient types of Irish music; Suantraí (lullaby), Geantraí (happy song) and Goltraí (lament), Anúna was founded in 1987 by Dublin composer Michael McGlynn. While most of the twelve singers come from the island of Ireland, the group’s members are drawn from across the world. Performing music composed primarily by McGlynn, their repertoire includes reconstructions of medieval songs from Ireland and traditional arrangements. While the group’s atmospheric stage performance still enthralls listeners across the world after over thirty years, it is their unique sound that continues to bring new audiences.

M’ANAM

M’ANAM “my soul” in the Irish language, is a seven-strong male vocal group based in Iceland and Ireland that combines the shared heritages of two ancient cultures in unique and compelling ways. Their voices have created a sound-world for our modern times. They came together in 2018 and released their eponymous debut album in November 2019. M’ANAM’s music and performances evoke a unique landscape of sound, melodic echoes rooted in the contrasting natural environments of both countries. The music fuses and words of long dead Viking and Irish writers with contemporary sensibility, with stories that include extracts from the Icelandic Hávamál, and the words of medieval Irish authors. 2021 brought the release of the full-length documentary premiered at the Tampere Vocal Festival in Finland, M’ANAM: Tales of Blood and Earth and also the release of the EP “Smidiríní”. This year will reignite their singular journey to express ideas of culture and shared heritages.