February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Monday’s concert was an appealing, mostly well-executed program for a yuletide concert, sponsored by another well-respected New York City institution, the Irish Arts Center.
Since their founding in 1987 by Michael McGlynn, An_na has become known for their eclectic material and delicate, layered singing, and this concert, ranging from ancient chants to recently composed songs, reflected that in the church’s candlelit nave.
A number of selections came from “Winter Songs,” the choir’s latest recording. They sang the original melody, written by U.S. composer William Kirkpatrick, of “Away in a Manger,” lending it a new sheen of reverence. The choir also gave gossamer-gentle renditions of “The Wexford Carol” and “The Coventry Carol,” an exultant quality to the 18th-century carol “Christmas Day Is Come,” and a tender, thought-provoking arrangement of “Pie Jesu,” intended to commemorate the dead after the tragic Omagh bombing in August 1998.
The male singers in An_na gave a sinewy rendition of the Spanish-language “R