March 2024
Thank you to everyone who came out to support us over the last week across the Netherlands!
We hadn’t toured there since just before Covid, so we were nervous that people would have forgotten us - yes, we are memorable but it was 5 years! You have no idea how happy we were to be welcomed back with open arms by our audiences. So many incredible memories. We hope we can come back sooner rather than later. This is a video we recorded in rehearsal for our final date at Tivoli Utrecht.
February 2024
Text and story are here at www.manam.ie/moghillemear
30 years ago in 1994 Michael McGlynn arranged this iconic traditional song for ANÚNA, Sting and The Chieftains for their hugely successful album "The Long Black Veil". This year he has rearranged it for M'ANAM and it was recorded in the same space, Windmill Lane Recording Studios in Dublin, Ireland.
"Back in 1994, the same year ANÚNA and Riverdance were to change the face of Irish music, we were part of an extraordinary series of session in Windmill Lane Studios" says Michael. "Stories of the sessions have become legendary over the years and I spent a lot of time in Windmill recording ANÚNA's second album "Invocation" at the time. It is all part of Irish history now, but the joyous performance by Sting was actually a huge catalyst for how I would approach the wild setting behind him on the track. With M'ANAM I wanted to try something a bit different as the Icelandic/Irish fusion of the group is unique."
MO GHILLE MEAR / My Spirited Lad DK UPC: 198086537708
RELEASED February 15th 2024
Brand new single - soloist Cian O’Donnell, percussion Noel Eccles & uileann pipes Massimo Orlandini
Our latest single, releasing March 15, 2024, on all platforms, dives into the Jacobite risings' emotional legacy. It intertwines the 1746 lament "Bímse Buan ar Buairt Gach Ló" with elements from "The White Cockade" and Mac Domhnaill's Jacobite poetry, presenting a rich narrative of historical yearning and cultural identity.
January 2024
Two new members join M’ANAM for our Dutch tour this March.
Following auditions in Reykjavik, we are very pleased to announce Einar Þór Guðmundsson as the new Icelandic member. Eínar is a baritone, pianist and conductor who is comfortable switching between music genres -
"Ever since I was in my singing studies in Iceland back in 2011, I always wanted to be in a vocal ensemble.
I tried a few times to start one but never really happened. Until one day a group of my friends (including me) came together to form an octet called Fjárlaganefndin (The sheep-song-committee). We were active from 2015 to 2016 until I moved out to the Netherlands for my singing studies.
I attended my bachelor and master’s study there from 2016 – to 2022. I never really felt that I fit within the classical opera field because my technique was never steady enough.
Until now, I’ve had a dream to try something new and low and behold, Michael McGlynn came in my way to offer a me to come on a tour with the amazing group called M’ANAM.
M’ANAM is a group solemnly based on male voices that are a mix of professionally trained singers and dare I say, not professionally trained singers. Just a bunch of guys having fun. I will be going on tour with them through the Netherlands from March 5th to March 10th . I’ve heard the vast array of voices that M’ANAM has to offer to the public and I think I fit right in with the group with my voice. I cannot wait to sing with them on this tour since Netherlands was my home for 7 and a half years."
Einar Þór Guðmundsson
Andy Boushell
Andy Boushell from Dublin, Ireland will join us on our forthcoming Dutch tour in March. Andy is a highly skilled professional classical singer and guitarist. Although, primarily a tenor, Andy is a multi instrumentalist, playing guitar, piano and bodhrán, to name but a few.
"Ensemble music making is at the core of what I think is most valuable and enjoyable in music, so I’m genuinely thrilled to be joining the M’ANAM lads for their upcoming tour of the Netherlands this March. This band really is one of a kind, fusing singers and performers from differing backgrounds with equally eclectic musical genres and styles.
The group already boasts great material from their self-titled debut album ‘M’ANAM’ and their follow up EP, ‘Smidiríní’, and I’m very much looking forward to performing these tunes and adding in whatever I can to this very special project."
M’ANAM: Between Two Worlds received its premiere public showing at Bío Paradís in Reykjavík! Thank you to everyone who came to see it and we are bowled over by the huge response. It should be available publicly to view in the not-to-distant future.
July 2023
All editing and final sequencing have been completed on the one hour documentary “M’ANAM : Between Two Worlds”. We hope to premiere this soon and we will post here with details of as soon as we have them.
M'ANAM: Between Two Worlds is a visually stunning and captivating exploration of the deep-rooted connections between Ireland and Iceland, through M’ANAM and the music of composer Michael McGlynn. The film delves into shared musical and societal ties that date back to the Medieval Era, and the creation of M'ANAM (Irish for “My Soul”), a unique vocal group that seeks to explore these connections through the voices of the men in the ensemble.
June 1st 2023
You can see the premiere of the new video for “Victimae” on June 2 at 6pm Irish Time, 5pm Icelandic.
M'ANAM releases a new song today, "Victimae", which was recorded at Windmill Lane studio in Dublin, Ireland. Þórhallur Auður Helgason is the soloist. The piece was composed by Michael McGlynn, and the music video was shot at Brunasandur and Skaftafell. "Victimae" forms part of the essence of M'ANAM; timeless, obscure and enigmatic.
The song can be accessed on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services
M'ANAM sendir í dag frá sér nýtt lag, "Victimae", sem var tekið upp í hljóðverinu Windmill Lane í Dublin á Írlandi. Þórhallur Auður Helgason syngur við bakraddir meðlima hópsins. Lagið var samið af Michael McGlynn og myndbandið var tekið upp á Brunasandi og í Skaftafelli. Victimae myndar hluta fyrir heild M'ANAM; utan tíma, óljóst og yfirskilvitlegt.
Lagið má nálgast á Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music og öðrum streymisveitum - BANDCAMP, APPLE MUSIC LINK, SPOTIFY LINK
We have been busy. And sorry we have been so quiet, but it all starts up again this month as we dive in further to our new album recordings. Hope you will come along this journey with us over the next few months as we explore more avenues together to thrill you all! More soon...
In June we gave a special performance in Reykjavík University’s Sun for the Nordic Choral Director’s Conference. We gave a couple of flash concerts after that, one of which was at the Irish Festival in Akranes - lots of red haired young wans there - the blood connections run deep.
Victimae at Iðno April 2022
This April M’ANAM sold out Iðnó, one of Iceland’s hottest live venues. This was our first performance in Iceland and the audience where completely amazing. Thank you for the huge welcome and looking forward to returning as soon as possible. þórhallur gives a stunning performance of the evocative “Victimae” with a touch of magic thrown in by Cian O’Donnell on electric.
M’ANAM have returned to studio! New material on the way. We managed to get together the day after our sell-out concert at Dublin’s Tradfest to record a few tunes. It is all happening at last. More to follow.
This coming Tuesday (September 28) we will be releasing a new digital 4 track EP called "smidiríní" (smithereens) to all platforms and to Bandcamp.
"smidiríní" is a pretty special release, containing four pieces that have not been publicly released before. When we started M'ANAM we spent a long time refining and developing the sound and the ethos of the group and this gap in our world has given us the chance to reassess some of the amazing things we have done. These four tracks didn't appear on our début album released in 2019, but we think they pretty much reflect where we are now.
Recorded at Saint Bartholomew's Church and Mastered by Brian Masterson, Soundscape Studios. Edited by Michael McGlynn
Bandcamp link https://manam.bandcamp.com/album/smidir-n Spotify presave https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/manam/smidirn
M’ANAM reawakens! We are very pleased to show you this performance on this special day, the Viking feast of Haustblót September 23. The second harvest on the Autumn Equinox leads us into the darkest of days, but there is always hope beyond the Winter. Bjarni Guðmundsson embodies the song of the land. The passing of the old and the coming of a new world.
The text is from Iceland's epic Hávamál
M’ANAM appeared as part of the RTÉ programme “Shine” which was broadcast on Irish national television and radio on August 29th 2020 in a link-up between Dublin and Reykjavik. The broadcast will be available to view as listed below.
Filmed at Bundoran, Co. Donegal and in Dublin this month - this is the beautiful “Airdí Cuain”, a brand new video featuring Fergus Cahillane and Cian O'Donnell as The Singer and The Surfer.
Video : Michael McGlynn
“And Darkness Fell Upon the Earth”.
From our debut album M’ANAM, this is Tenebrae. This ancient 11th century Irish text rings as true today as it did over 900 years ago, on the backdrop of the powerful and beautiful west coast of Ireland. Video featuring Rory Musgrave. Solo from Sam Kreidenweis with music by Michael McGlynn and Saxophone by Gavin Brennan. Video, Michael McGlynn.
This is the powerful sound of Cian O Donnell and his trusty bodhrán blasting through the classic "Ag Iascaireacht" which means "fishing" in English. The sound of the guys is inspired by a song called " Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" by Stan Jones - not sure it is that appropriate but we love singing this one with Cian!
This concert was recorded so we hope to get some more of the songs out to you all over the next while. Give this a share and please check out our debut album "M'ANAM" as every little stream counts on this new world.
Thanks for supporting us. Plenty more stuff coming down the line! Watch this space.
Image Matthew Gammon
Debut Album Available Now
M’ANAM released our eponymous debut album on November 7, 2019. Written and recorded over a span of nearly two years, the album features twelve tracks in six different languages, from a song for a 10th century Viking in Icelandic (“Deyr Fé”) through to a riveting revisiting of the classic folk song “The Sheep Stealer”. Cover designed by Matthew Gammon, who did an interview with our own Gavin Brennan about the release - you can read that HERE.
January 8, 2020 - January 2020 sees the release of a new video for the title track of the new disc “M’ANAM” featuring the lonely plaintive vocal of Nejc Rudel, who usually stands behind the video camera rather than in front of the microphone! The lyrics are about how many of us feel about the landscape around us and the need to lose yourself in the natural world in order to remain sane (lyrics by Michael McGlynn).
Breath of the wind, breath of the tide
On musical water my soul is quiet.
Soul of the tide, soul of the wind
Shimmering on my soul at rest.
Breath of wind blowing through the night
A beautiful, musical voice constantly sweet.
The dark water, the quiet water
In the musical water my soul is at peace.
Anáil na gaoithe, anáil ar taoide
Ar uisce ceolmhar m'anam ciúin.
Anam an taoide, anam na gaoithe
Loinnir ar m'anam faoi shuan.
Leoithne ag séideadh i rith na hoíche,
Guth álainn ceolmhar binn go buan
An t-uisce dorcha, an t-uisce ciúin
San uisce ceolmhar m'anam faoi shuan.
January 19, 2020 - Cian O’Donnell chats over a cup of tae about his music, his surfing an M’ANAM in this short film that features his own music and a couple of M’ANAM tracks. Cian is a B.Mus. Student at Magee College in Derry and can be seen out on the icy waves along the coast of Donegal a couple of times a week.
The film was made by Michael McGlynn and shot using an uncooperative drone. But it is amazing what modern technology can do with weak camera work.
December 20, 2019 - Some amazing pics by Nejc Rudel from our album launch in November in Dublin! Thanks to Thom van Steekelenburg for coming all the way over to light us - really made the evening very special!
March 31, 2019 - Very happy to release the new video for the track “Gunnarshólmi”. Recorded in Dublin and Iceland at Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Soundscape Studios and Stúdíó12RÚV, Reykjavík by Hrafnkell Sigurðsson. Text by Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845). Adapted translation by Bjarni Guðmundsson who also features as the soloist and music by Michael McGlynn.
January 5, 2019 - “Bitter Wind” from our forthcoming album is released on Tuesday 12 February to Spotify and later to all streaming and downloading platforms. The single features the voice of Philip Barkhudarov on solo with massive percussion by Noel Eccles. The text is 9th century and sung in the Irish language and the music was written by Michael. Recorded at Windmill Lane Studios Dublin.
January 20, 2019 - BITTER WIND from our forthcoming début album, is released this week. The video was filmed in Iceland by Nejc Rudel and Michael McGlynn.
Sold out for our first gig in the Netherlands at De Doelen in Rotterdam on February 16th!
September 5, 2018 - The end is in sight for our new album. In late August we hit the legendary Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin with the assembled men of M’ANAM who travelled from Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands to be with us. We took a few snaps - loads to look forward to. Mixing begins in late November with Brian Masterson at Soundscape Studios in Dublin. All images by Nejc Rudel.
November 4, 2019 - Our latest music video, for the track Deyr Fé, featuring text from the Hávamál, a Viking Age collection of poetic advice from Odin. Solo vocals by our resident viking, Bjarni Guðmundsson
Cattle will die, family will die,
You will die;
But your reputation will never die
If it's a good one.
Deyr fé, deyja frændur,
deyr sjálfur ið sama;
en orðstír deyr aldregi
hveim er sér góðan getur.
Image © A. McGlynn
November 10, 2018 - Great to get the cover for “The Sheep Stealer”. Brand-new single released Friday November 16th. “The Sheep Stealer” features a solo by Fergus who can be found singing obsessively in the folk venues and sessions around Dublin. It’s appropriate that the video, filmed and edited by Michael, features the guys singing at Dame Tavern in the centre of the city, and we think it brilliantly captures the late-night ambience of Dublin by night. Fergus says about the song -
June 26, 2018 - M’ANAM are releasing their first tentative toe-in-the-water as a single, the awesome Bandó Ribineann. The song is written by Michael and is from an old Scottish source, and this pretty fantastic video was filmed in Dame Tavern in Dublin. Available on all digital platforms.
July 23, 2018 - M’ANAM feature as vocalists on the soundtrack of the animated short created by Blizzard entitled Warbringers: Jaina. Warbringers is a series of animated shorts serving as a prelude to World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth. It presents the tales of Jaina Proudmoore, Sylvanas Windrunner, and Queen Azshara during pivotal times in their lives.
The teaser for the series was released on July 16, 2018.
May 23, 2018 - Great interview featured on the website ototoy.jp HERE with mouse on the keys where they discuss the collaboration with M’ANAM for the recording of their latest, highly successful album “tres”. The track “Clarity” was co-written by Daisuke Niitome and Zachary Trouton with the vocal parts recorded my Michael Mormecha at Millbank Studios, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.