Iona

    Iona

    United Kingdom11 reviews across 7 releases

    celticceltic rocknew ageprogressive rock
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    Iona was a UK Christian band formed in 1989 around an unusual meeting of Celtic tradition and modern studio music. The 1990 debut combined mellow jazz, new age atmosphere and Celtic melody, while also leaving room for alternative rock. The Book of Kells gave the approach a clearer focus, using eighth-century Irish manuscripts and the four Gospel portraits of Christ as the basis for a sequence of vocal pieces and instrumentals. Its storytelling often came through arrangement rather than narrative lyrics: desert heat, the Virgin and Child, and the conflict of the Temptation were rendered through gradual changes in texture and intensity. By Journey Into The Morn, electric guitar and ambient synthesizers had taken a larger role, producing long, seamless pieces built for contemplation, with pipes, whistles and percussion widening the band's palette.

    In 1992, the original trio of Dave Bainbridge, David Fitzgerald and Joanne Hogg expanded into a five-piece with Nick Beggs and Terl Bryant. Iona then toured extensively, though the band's strong critical reputation did not translate into comparable commercial success in the United States. Woven Cord marked their tenth year by recasting older material with the All Souls Orchestra, and Hogg's solo work, family responsibilities, bereavement and major surgery later restricted the band's activity. Iona continued beyond Open Sky, releasing further material through 2015, while members pursued separate projects. Dave Bainbridge continued as a solo musician and producer, and Hogg continued writing and recording. The band is not currently touring or recording as a group.

    7 releases reviewed