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",
Fragment
Iona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fragment of a fiery sun
How lovely and how small
Where all things serve Thy great design
And life’s adventure has begun anew
The life of all
Where life’s adventure is begun
The song "Fragment" by Iona talks about the beauty and grandeur of the world created by a divine power. The singer marvels at the wonder of this world, which is just a small part of a larger universe, represented by the "fiery sun". The singer acknowledges that all things in this world serve the purpose of the divine power that created it. The world is a place where life's adventure has begun, and the singer believes that this adventure is sustained by a force embodied in the "lamb", representing divinity.
The song celebrates the beauty and complexity of creation and acknowledges the role of a divine power in its creation. The lyrics convey a sense of awe and wonder at the grandeur of the world and the mystery that lies beyond what our human senses can comprehend. The song is a testament to the power and beauty of faith and spirituality and the power of belief in something higher than ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
How wonderful this world of Thine
This world of Yours is truly amazing
A fragment of a fiery sun
It's like a piece of a blazing star
How lovely and how small
It's beautiful and diminutive in comparison
Where all things serve Thy great design
Everything is working together according to Your grand plan
And life’s adventure has begun anew
A new journey of life has just started
The life of all
This is the essence of all existence
Where life’s adventure is begun
Here is where the journey of life begins
In Thee the lamb
Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, resides in You
Contributed by Skyler M. 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