Bridging the gap between serious and popular music, Anúna’s unique vocals are part folk, Celtic, and classical—and totally captivating. The group, whose members first sang in Riverdance on public television, has topped all music charts in Europe. Celtic Origins began an exclusive run with Borders on July 16, 2007. According to Billboard.biz, for the first three weeks after its release it was the No. 1 seller at the Borders chain, which includes Waldenbooks stores. “It would have topped Billboard’s World Music chart, if it was eligible,” wrote Ed Christman of Billboard.biz. “But since the album is available only at Borders, the only Billboard chart it is eligible for is Comprehensive albums.”
Celtic Origins was recorded as a public television concert, CD, and DVD in Cleveland’s Gothic-style Trinity Cathedral in January 2007. Violinist Johanna Novom ’07, violist Adriane Post ’07, and cellist Erin Wang ’05 were part of the 11-member ensemble that performed original compositions by Anúna founders Michael and John McGlynn, as well as traditional songs.

Associate Dean Michael Lynn Plays Important Role
In 2006, Michael Lynn received a call from Denny Young, president of Elevation Group, a Cleveland-based event management and television production company. It was Young’s idea to put together a public television special with Anúna, one of his favorite groups. Young was familiar with Lynn, who is Associate Dean of Technology and Facilities at Oberlin, through his work with Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s prestigious baroque orchestra. A few years ago, the event impresario asked Lynn to find a well-tuned Irish band for his wedding. The two became friendly from that moment on.

Later, during the planning of Celtic Origins, Young asked Lynn if he knew of musicians for the project who were not only dedicated and gifted, but who also could play baroque music. He came to the right source: Lynn is also the Conservatory’s Professor of Recorder and Baroque Flute. He had worked with Novom, Post, and Wang—all Oberlin-trained baroque musicians—in his own group, Praeclara, and he enthusiastically recommended them to Young.

Says Young, who eventually became Executive Producer of Celtic Origins, “Michael is an amazingly talented person, and also a terrific administrator. He put together a wonderful string section for us of talented, funny, and beautiful musicians. All three [of the Oberlin musicians] added great value to our production. I would be happy to work with all of them again on another project.”
He adds, “Michael Lynn will always be a resource that I turn to for musicians. If he says, ‘these are the best and they are students at Oberlin,’ then I would work with Oberlin students again. I trust Michael’s instincts and knowledge.”

The Trinity Sessions
Lynn offered musical and moral support to the students during the tapings at Trinity Cathedral. “What makes Celtic Origins unique,” he says, “is the combination of top-notch producers, videographers, sound technicians, and musicians. Each element in the entire project represents the highest possible standards.”

“The taping of Celtic Origins was a real immersion into the music recording business,” says Johanna Novom. ”It was an eye-opener to see how many people were behind the scenes in the production end, how tapes were edited, and how much energy and effort had gone into a few minutes of the final cut.” Novom added that because she and the other musicians were at a distance from the vocalists, they had to wear in-ear monitors to follow the score. “It was so entertaining because Michael McGlynn [Celtic Origins’ creator] was making wisecracks all the time in our monitors,” she says.

Novom and the ensemble performed such traditional songs as “Greensleeves,” “Scarborough Fair,” “Gathering Mushrooms,” “Aisling,” and “The Rising of the Sun,” among others.

In its filmed concert incarnation, Anúna’s Celtic Origins premiered on PBS in August, and is being broadcast through September as part of public television’s national pledge drive. The concert will air on more than 250 PBS stations across the country, with a companion DVD made available exclusively through the stations. To find out when Celtic Origins will be broadcast in your area, please check local public television listings.

For information about purchasing the CD, please visit www.borders.com