McGlynn, Wexford Carol

The Wexford Carol is an Irish folk song that probably dates back to the 15th or 16th century. It became popular through the efforts of William Grattan Flood, organist at St. Aidan’s Cathedral in Enniscorthy in the County of Wexford. Flood transcribed the work, and it was included in the 1928 publication The Oxford Book of Carols, which had wide circulation throughout England. The song has since been recorded by numerous pop and classical artists.

The Irish choral group Anúna, founded by Michael McGlynn, has gone through several phases over the past few decades. McGlynn conceived of the group in 1987 while he was a graduate student at Trinity College Dublin. Singers in the music departments showed little interest in joining, so he turned to talented amateurs to form a more eclectic ensemble. Under the name “An Uaithne,” McGlynn sought to revitalize ancient Celtic sounds through a contemporary musical vocabulary. The group changed its name in 1991 to Anúna.

Things changed dramatically in 1994 when they appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest entitled Riverdance. They rocketed to the top of the British charts, began making major appearances, and landed a PBS special called “A Celtic Celebration.” That fame apparently took a toll on the groups’ cohesion and original mission. McGlynn has elected to return to something more closely resembling the original concept, although expanding in new musical directions as well.

Professor Carol discovered Anúna a few years ago and wrote:

. . . when preparing a lecture for our Smithsonian Journeys’ Holiday Market tour entitled Advent: Music, Art, Traditions, I stumbled across a dynamic setting of Gaudete by a group of Irish choristers called Anúna. I was super-proud of myself for finding such an “obscure” modern rendition . . .

. . . until, after the talk when several folks came up and expressed how cool it was that I had featured their favorite vocal group for my snippet of Gaudete.

It seems that the Riverdance experience left a lasting impression on the public.

This arrangement of the carol by McGlynn mixes medieval sonorities with modern harmonies. And although the video seems incongruously dark, the simple joy of the carol comes through.