IONA

After a terrible battle which claimed the lives of 3,000 people and for which he himself felt responsible, Columba, an Irish monk of Kingly descent vowed that he would win for Christ as many souls as had been slain. Setting sail one day in 563AD, Columba went into exile, never again to set eyes on his beloved Ireland. Landing on the small island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland, he established a place of prayer and learning, from which many of the Celtic peoples of Scotland and

Northern Britain were to be converted to an earthy, real, humble, yet deeply spiritual form of Christianity that now seems more relevant than ever to a world that seems to have lost its sense of the mysterious.

Iona, the Tir-Na-Nog of legend, ’The Island of the Forever Young’ (and later the burial place of many kings including possibly Macbeth) and her sister isle, Lindisfarne (off the north-eastern tip of England) have been described as places where the veil between heaven and earth is particularly ‘thin’. This album (newly remastered for vinyl from the original master tapes, and now also including additional mixes and bonus tracks) seeks to put into words and music the landscapes and atmosphere of these uniquely spiritual places.

“A simply stunning musical trio Iona, with a quite brilliant recording of the same name…Iona have a sound all their own, but there are distinct Celtic influences along with classical, rock and jazz.”

21CC Magazine August 1990

“Richly evocative music which, with its crafty synthesis of the Gaelic and the symphonic, jazz-rock fusion and ethnic folk influences, make for an album brimming over with superb musicianship.”

Cross Rhythms Magazine, Aug/Sept 1990

"Iona has created some of the most dramatically different music on today's music scene ...

elements of classical rock mixed with modern ethnic experimentations ... such as Clannad and Peter Gabriel."

White Throne Magazine (USA), 1991

"The music on Iona's debut album is as refreshing as the moors of their namesake Scottish isle."

CCM Magazine (USA), 1991.

SIDE A 1. Turning Tide* 2. Flight Of The Wild Goose* 3. The Island* 4. White Sands 5. Dancing On Te Wall*

SIDE B 1. A’machair* 2. Vision Of Naran* 3. Beijing 4. Iona*

SIDE C 1. Trilogy* 2. Here I Stand 3. Columcille 4. The Island (From original DAT master tape) 5. Iona (From original DAT master tape)

SIDE D 1. A’machair (From original DAT master tape) 2. Vision Of Naran (From original DAT master tape) 3. Beijing (Widescreen remix) 4. Here I Stand (From original DAT master tape) 5. Columcille (From original DAT master tape)

PERSONNEL:

JOANNE HOGG - Vocals, Vocal Choirs, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Keyboards DAVE BAINBRIDGE - Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Fretless Keyboard, Bouzouki, Programming, Tambourine DAVID FITZGERALD - Alto & Tenor Saxophones, Concert Flute, Piccolo, Chinese Flutes, Flageolet, Tenor Recorder, Irish whistle

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Terl Bryant - Drums, Percussion Tim Hines - Percussion Tim Harries - Electric Bass, Double Bass Troy Donockley - Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistles, Backing Vocals Peter Whitfield - Violins, Viola Ian Thomas - Voice on ‘Columcille’ (Appears courtesy of Westminster Abbey Choir School) Frank van Essen - Drum Loop sample on A’Machair

Original tracks recorded and mixed between December 1989 and March 1990 at: Studio Two (Leeds) - engineered by Steve Lee, assisted by Rob Price Wildlife Studio (Ipswich, Suffolk) - engineered by Nigel Palmer The Field (Derbyshire) - engineered by Neil Costello Square One (Bury, Lancashire) - engineered by Steve Boyce-Buckley & Cliff Hewitt

Additional recording between December 2001 and May 2002 at: Open Sky Studio (Lincolnshire) - engineered by Dave Bainbridge Studio Frank van Essen (Drachten, Netherlands) - engineered by Frank van Essen *Mixed by DAVE BAINBRIDGE between December 2001 and May 2002 at: Open Sky Studio (Lincolnshire)

Re-mastered for vinyl by Nigel Palmer, Lowland Masters - 2023

produced by: DAVE BAINBRIDGE

Project Coordination for Open Sky Records: Robin Ayling Project design and sleeve concepts: Dave Bainbridge Layout and artworks: Michael Inns Cover photograph: Mary Fleeson Additional photography: Mary Fleeson