They are contemporaries of fellow Celtic artists Enya and Clannad; however, Iona's works are also influenced heavily by jazz-fusion, prog-rock and ancient Christian themes.
For Iona's 1990 debut album, the band added: drummer Terl Bryant, bassist Nick Beggs (former bassist of Kajagoogoo) and several studio musicians -- Fiona Davidson (Celtic harp), Peter Whitfield (strings), Troy Donockley (Uillean pipes) and Frank Van Essen (tuned percussion). The self-titled album received very little press, even in their home country, though a Dutch network compiled a documentary based on Iona, the band and the island.
Two years later, Iona returned with "Book of Kells", and the album was praised by North American critics
as well as those of the British Isles. David Fitzgerald left in 1992 to pursue a degree in music and, as a result, Iona lost much of its jazz influences by the following year's Beyond These Shores. The group made up for Fitzgerald's absence, however, by inviting Robert Fripp to guest on the album. Both albums also featured former Kajagoogoo bassist/stickist Nick Beggs. A contract with England's Alliance Music led to "Journey into the Morn"; the album was released in 1996 in the U.S. and Canada, and was listed among the top five folk albums in Q Magazine's Year End Review. "Heaven's Bright Sun", a live album, came the following year, then "Woven Cord" in 2000, and "Open Sky" in 2001.
Their latest release, new to 2007, is called "The Circling Hour".
iona has been a Leipzig, Germany based postrock-band from 2005-2010 that now reemerges as The Yuki Rush. https://ionanoise.bandcamp.com/album/a-noise
There is also a Romanian experimental / hip hop band who also go by the name "Iona",
Empyrean Dawn
Iona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fragment of a fiery sun
How lovely and how small
The smallest seed in secret grows
Thrusting upward and so soon
The bidding of the light
The bud unfurls into a rose
Are perfected for flight
The migrant bird in winter fled
Shall come again with spring
And build, in the same shading tree
How wonderful this life
No random path this great design
How fragile and how bold
The mystery of creative thought
The wonder of the human frame
Of spirit and of soul
When life within the nidus wakes
The fromless taking shape unfolds
How complex and how strange
The heart created free to choose
That quintessential breath is given
In love's own image born
The first verse of Iona's Empyrean Dawn speaks to the wonders of the world around us, highlighting the fragility of life and the remarkable beauty in the smallest things. The lyrics allude to the natural process of growth and transformation, suggesting that all life is interconnected and subject to the bidding of a greater force like light or love. In the second verse, the song takes on a more spiritual tone, suggesting that human life is not a random occurrence but part of a greater design. The wonder of human existence is framed by the mystery of creative thought and the quintessence of the human soul. The final line suggests that our lives are, in some way, connected to this mysterious force of love, which perhaps imbues our existence with greater meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
How wonderful this world
The world is truly amazing
A fragment of a fiery sun
The world is made up of pieces of a bright sun
How lovely and how small
The world is beautiful and tiny
The smallest seed in secret grows
Even small things can grow and flourish in secret
Thrusting upward and so soon
Despite its small size, it grows quickly and strongly
The bidding of the light
It grows towards the light
The bud unfurls into a rose
The small seed eventually becomes a beautiful rose
The wings within the white cocoon
The wings inside the cocoon
Are perfected for flight
Are made perfect for flying
The migrant bird in winter fled
The bird flies away in winter
Shall come again with spring
And returns in the spring
And build, in the same shading tree
And builds a nest in the same tree
How wonderful this life
Life is also amazing
No random path this great design
This is not a random design
How fragile and how bold
Life is both fragile and brave
The mystery of creative thought
Creative thinking is a great mystery
The wonder of the human frame
The human body is full of wonder
Of spirit and of soul
As are the spirit and soul
When life within the nidus wakes
When life begins to form inside the womb
The fromless taking shape unfolds
A shapeless form begins to take shape
How complex and how strange
This is both complicated and strange
The heart created free to choose
The heart is free to make choices
That quintessential breath is given
The most important breath is given
In love's own image born
Born in the image of love
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alyson Kelly
on Revelation
Revelation
by Iona
____________________________________________________
Waiting for the Spirit of Truth to tell
Power on Earth to stand in the face of hell
Waiting for the sky to clear
Waiting for the Son to appear
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Learning the purifying flame
Regeneration after the growing pain
Longing for the words to flow
Longing for the world to know
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your, your, your
Revelation