• Open Sky, 2000 by James Stewart of The Phantom Tollbooth
• Heaven's Bright Sun, 1997 by James Stewart of The Phantom Tollbooth
• Heaven's Bright Sun , 1997 by Linda Stonehocker of The Phantom Tollbooth

Open Sky, 2000

Having delivered two live albums but no studio releases in the four years since the much lauded Journey Into the Morn, Iona's release of Open Sky was awaited with much anticipation among the initiated few. With the departure of Mike Haughton and Terl Bryant, the sound of Iona has certainly shifted although the signature remains almost the same.

The songs here show Iona leaning further on their progressive and Celtic inclinations, largely leaving behind the jazz background that first Dave Fitzgerald and later Mike Haughton brought to the mix. As with major influences Clannad, this occasionally sees the ethereal side of the mix floating a little too high, but the addition of new drummer Frank Van Essen's violin adds a plaintive touch which coupled with some delicate acoustic moments like the ending of "Hinba" provide some grounding.

Joanne Hogg's vocals soar as freely as ever and work well with the ever-bigger sounds that the writing partnership of Dave Bainbridge and Troy Donockley are exploring. Nowhere is the size of their vision more apparent than on the three-part "Song of the Ascent." Every Iona album has its epic piece but this time out they've excelled themselves with three tracks which together total 22 minutes, based on a sixth century prayer for St. Columba which presents the speaker as a vessel for God to fill. The range of moods and sounds encompassed in the piece is astounding and shows that the band can certainly marry their progressive rock and Celtic influences in a consistent and powerful way.

There isn't a weak release in the Iona canon, and this one certainly doesn't change that, but it doesn't have quite the variety or power of such earlier releases as Book of Kells. It's a strong album to be sure, but whether Iona have lost a little of the old package or have been caught during a time of transition this isn't quite the classic it perhaps might have been.

--James Stewart of The Phantom Tollbooth, republished with permission

Heaven's Bright Sun, 1997

I still remember vividly my first experience of Iona live. Perhaps it's because I was worried about developing hypothermia but it was still the most enthralling live show I have seen by any band. Since that time Iona have gone from strength to strength, and their latest studio album Journey Into The Morn was featured in Q's (a well respected British rock magazine) top 5 folk albums and top 50 albums of 1996.

Despite a fairly easy start in the limited world of British Christian music, the band's journey to their latest album has not been a short one with four albums (plus a 'best of...' release) preceding this. First up was a self titled album Iona which was followed in 1992 with Book Of Kells. About this time original member Dave Fitzgerald left the band, but they soldiered on and released Beyond These Shores in 1993 and the aforementioned Journey Into The Morn in 1995. The band has clearly developed over these recordings with none of the earlier albums quite matching Journey Into The Morn or their latest album, Heaven's Bright Sun.

Their latest release is a mammoth live double album featuring just short of two hours of music. My first impressions of this album involved much use of the expression "wow!", and continued listening hasn't really changed that reaction. Iona's great musicianship and spine-tingling vocals are one thing but when a group gels as they did in this performance, the results are fantastic.

Tracks are taken from all of the band's studio recordings with a couple of extras thrown in. The band has said that they've used live performances to build on the older songs, and old favorites such as "Treasure" and "Chi-Rho" certainly benefit from the growth of the group. But it's not just the older songs which benefit from this setting: even the Journey Into The Morn tracks take on a larger, more powerful sound which is quite an achievement. The amazing technical skill of the band is evident in every track but are very noticeable on "Flight Of The Wild Goose" and the set of "Irish Reels" which form part of the encore.

Musically the band is hard to pin down but have been described by some as "Clannad with some jazz" and containing influences from Irish folk, progressive rock, jazz, and world music on top of mainstream rock. But in this release, the progressive influences are more limited.

The effortless speed and the tone of the pipes blend well with the startling solos which Dave Bainbridge provides on his guitars. The variety of instruments--an almost bewildering array of pipes, whistles, percussion instruments, and a cittern (an instrument related to the guitar)--also added to my enjoyment of this album.

In the studio the band has made use of guest musicians including Chris Eaton, Maire Brennan of Clannad and guitar hero Robert Fripp, but on this release they stay with the regular live band. The "Reels" featured on disc two offer another outlet for the ability of these musicians, with some of the harmonies from Troy Donockley's whistles, Mike Haughton's flutes, and Dave Bainbridge's guitars being quite breathtaking. The bass is ably provided by Phil Barker, and Terl Bryant is as omnipresent as ever with his huge collection of percussion instruments.

Joanne Hogg's vocals are breathtaking all the way through but my favorites were "I Will Give My Love An Apple," a traditional tune, and "Today" from Beyond These Shores, both of which show off the folk lilt in her voice.

The band's vision is very much a part of their lyrics. Band members have been instrumental in the revival of interest in the Celtic Christian ways of faith, and they often draw on these influences for lyrics. The song "Iona" is a great example of this and is preceded by a spoken introduction from Hogg about the vision she had when she first saw a picture of Iona. The poetic beauty of the songs is yet another addition to the beauty of the music.

So make your home inside my heart
Fill this empty house of stone
Make your home inside my heart
Let me dance in the brightness Of your throne
- "Inside My Heart "

"Treasure" is taken almost directly from scripture, with the lines:

Consider the flowers of the field
In their beauty
More lovely than even the clothes of a king

Another interesting track is "Bi-se I Mo Shuil - Part 2" which is a Gaelic translation of the hymn "Be Thou My Vision" and was a large part of the inspiration for the Journey Into The Morn album. (A note for trivia fans: when the band began looking for a Gaelic translation of "Be Thou My Vision," they discovered that the grandfather of Clannad singer Maire Brennan had written this one.)

Perhaps the best thing about Iona's music for me is the emotion caught up in the songs, which have an ability to take me with them on a journey as no other band seems able to do. This ability is especially noticeable in this live recording, perhaps because of the spontaneity a live performance allows and because the band and the audience are caught up in the same journey. The album closes with Iona's latest version of "When I Survey." Now extended to fourteen minutes, the music takes the listener on a journey from the crucifixion, through the resurrection and on to the return of Christ, changing moods marvelously.

Stunning, breathtaking and epic are all phrases that have been used to describe music from Iona, and they all fit this album. As my mind drifts back to that evening when I first saw Iona, I realize how much they've developed without losing any of the qualities that drew me in.

--James Stewart of The Phantom Tollbooth, republished with permission

Iona, a rock/folk infused group based in England rarely visits the States. Their commitment to family precludes long trips, and they are successful enough in Europe not to require the sacrifice of extended North American touring. This is our loss because their impressive studio projects have never been an adequate substitute for a live show. Heaven's Bright Sun captures the magic I've seen them produce live, especially in the room the players give each other to improvise, within the discipline of staying true to the essence of their songs. The production values are excellent, with enough crowd noise to be authentic. Iona is notorious for their long concerts, yet the double CD project never drags. Their original lyrics set to British Isle inspired folk played on the latest technology will be a foreign mix to most rockers, but a rewarding opportunity to stretch musically.