Thanks for having a look around my site.
I’m Una McCann, a choir leader, performer and song-writer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
About Me!
I grew up in a house where music and singing were as natural as eating. My parents are wonderful musicians. Singing was very much part of being alive in our family house. It wasn’t ever something that we had to learn to do; we all just did it. My parents showed me how to accompany singing with the guitar and sent me to piano lessons from a young age. Thanks Mum and Dad 🙂
After playing in bands and running singing groups as a teen, I went on to study music at 3rd level, earning a BA from Queens University Belfast in both Music and Ethnomusicology (the study of music from different cultures). I complemented this with a PGCE in music from Bathspa University and taught for a number of years in secondary schools.
My heart always lay in community work and I found my way back into group singing pretty organically. I had been under the illusion that choirs needed to be formal, sheet-music-reading, exclusive scenarios in which a funky/ folkie/ ear -led musician like me wouldn’t be welcome. Then I discovered group singing at wonderful Earthsong camps and I joined the Natural Voice Network and a whole other world of singing opened up to me. Eureka!
I’ve now been leading singing in the community professionally for 14 years. It is my full time job and I love every day of it.
Having been a ‘singer- songwriter’ for a long time, more and more over the years, I’ve been writing material to sing with my choirs and groups. I love this process; crafting something that will be heard live that same day. I also love knowing that my songs have taken flight and some of them are being sung as far away as San Francisco and Canada. I also find that in showing my creativity and vulnerability to the groups, this encourages others to show their creativity too. Our open mic sessions at the end of term are full of people’s own compositions and creations.
Recently I’ve been running Co-Creative Retreat Weekends called Cruinniu Ealaíonta. These provide an opportunity for people to come together as their creative selves and share the things we love with others.
I also organise events with visiting choir leaders from around the world coming to share their knowledge and experience with us. This August Dr Kathy Bullock will be visiting NI and leading a wonderful day of Gospel singing. You can get tickets for that HERE.
You can keep up to date with my current offerings on my Facebook page.
Join a choir with Una
sing a little more joy into your life!
Una McCann
Choir Leader, Performer, Songwriter
Community Choir
Bringing the community together to sing is a passion for Una. Her weekly non-audition community choirs are in Belfast, Ballymena and Antrim.
Corporate Choir & Staff Wellbeing singing
Singing is found to be beneficial to our physical and mental health and wellbeing and a perfect break for staff in busy corporate settings.
Una currently runs well-being choirs with the staff of Queens University Belfast and Translink.
Song-writing and Performance
Una is an experienced song-writer and performer. She performs both as a solo artist and as part of bands. To hear a sample of Una’s work go to her Soundcloud Page
