Message from Joanne Hogg on her new solo CDS
Category: Music

Dear friends of Iona. Joanne has asked me to post this message she has written to Iona fans here on Myspace. She has two exciting new solo CDs and wants to share the info with all of you.

Cindy L Spear (friend and co-writer of JITM & Inside My Heart songs)
www.myspace.com/clspear
www.myspace.com/clspearmusic
* * * * * * * * *
Hi everyone

Jo here! well, I've finally come out of hibernation....well, not really hibernation..more of a season of seeking the presence of God, worshipping. and creativity! I..ve ended up completing 2 albums, both around the same time, which was not my original plan but has just sort of happened that way. The 2 projects are very different so I..ll tell you a bit about them and hopefully you..ll be intrigued and inspired to get both of them!

The first album is entitled " Raphael..s Journey". I will tell you the story behind the title in a bit , but first the concept behind the album. Many years ago , before I became a mother, somebody suggested doing a lullaby project and so I set about trying to write some lullabies with a friend of mine. Somehow, I couldn..t really get into it and although we ended up with a bunch of potential lullabies, it never really came to anything. Time passed, and I became a mother....and then time really seemed to pass me by, very quickly. the inspiration was certainly there to write lullabies, but not the time , or the energy. in the first year after my first son was born, I only wrote one song ....which is on this album. as a parent, I soon began to realise that it..s more the grown up..s who need lullabies! Life seemed so hectic....so many friends, both those with kids and without , seemed to be constantly dealing with a variety of pressures and stresses, hurts and disappointments. as I began to write again, the album concept in my mind was more of a "lullabies for grown-ups " sort of thing. There is a story in the book of Samuel in scripture about David playing the harp for the king when he was having a tormenting time. through David..s music, God ministered healing and peace. That is my prayer for this music...that it could somehow bring something of God..s tender love, compassion and healing to His children....kid..s and grown -up..s !

Around the time of recording final vocals I was reading a book about angels and their ministry. There was mention of an angel named Raphael who is referred to in the book of Enoch and was believed by some of the early Christian mystics to have been the angel who came and moved the waters of the Pool of Bethesda with a healing annointing. Not wanting to delve too much into the theology of it all... but just to share why the name was in my mind! around this time, I got a message from a friend late one night asking me to pray for a critically ill baby....called Raphael. I spent most of that night awake, praying for this baby and asking God if perhaps he could send a mighty angel called Raphael to minister healing to this baby. During the night as I lay thinking about the journey an angel makes on God..s command, and also about the journey of this little baby...the words " raphaels journey " came to mind. it seemed to be the title I had been searching for and over the coming weeks God comfirmed this to me.

The other thing that is special about this project, is that all the profits from sales of Raphaels journey will go to charities that help children in extreme poverty. One is called "adopt-a child" working in guatemala, albania and egypt, one is a project called "the uganda jesus village" which is part of the work of freshfire ministries, and another of the projects is Kingsway Music..s project called "ray of hope" working in the amazon. this is initially only going to be available as a download. This is really to maximise the money generated. So please download this project and encourage others to purchase the download as well. Don..t encourage illegal copying! (Coming soon!)

Musically, this album is a collection of songs with a few instrumentals. Frank van essen has been working with me on this for several years not only as producer, but also co-writing and playing. There are beautiful performances from all my mates in Iona, gorgeous string arrangements from Frank, beautiful guest vocals from the amazing Moya Brennan and piano and vocals from myself......so, please download it and tell others about it. check out www.raphaelsjourney.com or www.missionworship.com through kingswaymusic. (Coming soon!)

The second album that is now available is called "personal". This is a very different project from anything I've done with Iona and the songs on it came after an intense, prolonged season of seriously seeking to experience the presence of God, of wailting, of questioning, of discovering.....sort of like modern day psalms! I was learning to worship Him in a whole new way, just singing and playing for an audience of one. I had no intention of making another album....but the songs just started to flow. Within about 6 weeks, almost all of the tracks were written and I felt a real urgency to record them. We are in a season of global revival and it is being released through lives that have a passion for personal relationship with Jesus ....hearts that are so hungry and desperate for Him that it becomes their primary goal and desire. It..s my prayer that this album will impart something of that hunger to seek God.

Musically, the album is a pretty acoustic affair. It was recorded in Nashville in a few days with a few wonderful musicians. The songs were tracked live with bass, drums, piano and keyboard and then some atmospheric electric guitar, mandolin. cello and percussion overdubs added after. Special mention to dear friend Terl Bryant who made the trip over to play drums and percussion. Amazing! Also a guest performance from the brilliant Troy Donockley...no album complete without him!....no instrumental tracks or long instrumental solos on this one....just songs. This album is being released through Kingsway Music and will be available in stores and from the on line site.

I hope you..ll enjoy and be blessed through these offerings of music. I will eventually get my own web site up and running but in the meantime, to purchase the albums go to www.raphaelsjourney.com or kingways www.missionworship.com. (coming soon)

If you..ve managed to read this far, thanks so much. a bit of an epistle...but it has been a while. I will keep in touch. In the meantime........

Love and blessings,
jo

4:06 PM - 7 Comments - 11 Kudos - Add Comment

Dave Bainbridge’s new band Open Sky - July dates info
Current mood: adventurous

Hi Everyone,

A bit late, but here is the info for the very first Open Sky UK band dates. We've deliberately kept the ticket prices low for the Bury/Hull dates as they are not big production gigs - but we're expecting to have a great time at them! Hope to see some of you there! For more info on the band (which now includes the fabulous Steve Lawson on bass) - go to www.myspace.com/openskyuk

All the best

Dave Bainbridge

THURSDAY JULY 10TH
Bury Christian Fellowship, The Manna House, Irwell Street, Bury, BL9 0HE, nr Manchester (Near the Swimming Baths)
Doors open 7pm
Support Artist 7.30pm Mike Ainscough + Band
Open Sky on stage at 8.30pm
Tickets £6 Tel 07791 865516 for more info / tickets
www.bury.org.uk Email; christianfellowship@bury.org.uk

FRIDAY JULY 11TH
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
Royal International Pavilion, Abbey Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire, LL20 8SW
2 performances on the S4C 'Roundabout' Stage; 3.30pm to 4.15pm and 6pm to 6.50pm
Tickets / info Tel 01978 862000
www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

SATURDAY JULY 12TH
New Life Church, Bridlington Avenue, Hull, HU2 ODU
6.30 pm
Tickets £5 from www.newlifehull.org (click on Events, then Other Events) or Tel 01482 610705 Email office@newlifehull.org

3:01 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Songs for Luca 2 - Reminder

Hello Iona Friends,

Just a little reminder for those who may not have had a chance to hear the new version of song "Journey Into The Morn" from Dave Bainbridge’s CD "Songs for Luca 2". Support this CD with your purchase as the proceeds go to Dave and Debbie’s son "Luca" in assisting his Autism program. This CD can be purchased in various places but go to Iona’s site for details. www. iona.uk.com

This song sample can be found at my site:
www.myspace.com/clspearmusic

I am co-writer of the song (lyrics) and of song "Inside My Heart".

Blessings to you ~
Cindy

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Iona co-founders Bainbridge & Fitzgerald recording new album!

Hi All,

Dave Bainbridge here.

Just had a great few days recording at Open Sky studio with my friend and Iona co-founder David Fitzgerald. We have commenced recording a new album to be called 'Life Journey' - based on the fantastic book of the same name and commisioned by its author Mary Fleeson of the Lindisfarne Scriptorum. The book contains many fantastic images created by Mary and many inspiring texts.

The music we're putting together is directly based on our thoughts and feelings on each chapter. So far we have ideas down for 9 tracks and have another session together in February. There will be 13 tracks on the album - following the format of the book. It has been great working with David again on our first collaborative album since 1998's Eye of the Eagle. As ever, improvisation and interaction between us is a big part of the music, though this will be balanced with pieces that have a more structured feel to them. Parts of what we've recorded so far remind me of some of the pieces we created on Iona's 'Book of Kells' album.

Will keep you posted on how the project develops. Meanwhile there may be the first couple of gigs with my new band Open Sky coming up in June / July - two festivals in the UK - still to be confirmed at the moment.

Do check out my myspace sites for more info on these and other current projects;
www.myspace.com/davebainbridgeuk
and
www.myspace.com/openskyuk

All the best,

Dave

1:06 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

New Version
Category: Music

Hear JOURNEY INTO THE MORN - New Version on SONGS FOR LUCA 2

Cindy L Spear Music


Hello Friends of Iona!

As many of you may know, the long awaited Songs for Luca 2 double album is on sale now at the brand new Iona / Open Sky Records secure store!! (where you can also purchase all the Iona back catalogue and related solo etc releases). To make a purchase, please go to IONA STORE

This incredible collection of 30 songs (2 hrs and 20 min) will find its way on your CD player time and time again. It is tremendous value for money with so many contributions from a myriad of talented artists including: Moya Brennan, Joanne Hogg, IONA, Phil Keaggy, Troy Donockley,Mostly Autumn, and many more.

One of the songs featured on this double CD is Iona's "Journey Into The Morn" but in a totally new arrangement. It is a must for all Iona fans to hear with guests Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn, Roine Stolt from the Flower Kings (guitars) and Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo (bass guitar) joining Iona members Joanne, Dave and Frank for a breath taking rendition.

This NEW version of JOURNEY INTO THE MORN song can now be heard at
Cindy L Spear Music

COME OVER FOR A LISTEN!!

As lyricist of the JITM song, I wanted to help Dave & Debbie Bainbridge promote the CD as all proceeds of Songs for Luca 2~ go towards helping their autistic son, Luca, so that he can continue on his Son-Rise Program (Autism Center of America).

I encourage as many as possible to please support this worthy cause with your purchase of a great double CD. Tell your friends. Pass the word around. You will be participating in a great blessing by making a purchase of Songs For Luca 2 . You will not only be getting an awesome collection that will quickly become a favourite but you will be helping a special boy achieve his potential.

God bless and Happy New Year~

Cindy L Spear (Ross)
Friend/Collaborator of Iona


Purchase the CD @ IONA STORE

2:53 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Songs for Luca 2 - on sale NOW!

Hi All,

We are excited to announce that the long awaited Songs for Luca 2 double album is on sale now at the brand new Iona / Open Sky Records secure store!! (where you can also purchase all the Iona back catalogue and related solo etc releases). The store is now active, though there are still some info details to add, which should be going on, on Monday. We also now accept payment via Pay Pal. Go to www.iona.uk.com.

At c2hrs 20mins long and containing 25 exclusive tracks (out of 30 in total) Songs for Luca 2 has definitely been worth the wait and is tremendous value for money.

You will find contributions from a myriad of talented artists including: Moya Brennan, Joanne Hogg, IONA, Phil Keaggy, Troy Donockley,
Mostly Autumn, Martyn Joseph and many many more, along with some intriguing collaborations. Where else will you hear Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn, Roine Stolt from the Flower Kings and Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo all guesting on a newly recorded version of Iona's song 'Journey into the Morn', or Dave Bainbridge and Phil Keaggy playing together?

All proceeds go towards helping Dave & Debbie Bainbridge's autistic son, Luca continue on his Son-Rise Programme (Autism Center of America). Luca has been doing his Son-Rise programme at home for 5 years now and has made amazing progress; the proceeds of this album will enable Dave & Debbie to continue working with Luca in this way and pay for the essential
support services that Son-Rise offer.

Songs for Luca 2 will make the perfect Christmas present - order now and we'll mail it to you in time!

All the best,

Dave Bainbridge (IONA)

1:24 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

more news about Bath gig Sept 22

21 June 2007: Ticket details for the Bath gig on 22nd September 2007. The Forum, Bath. Tickets: £15 available from Bath Festivals Box Office 01225 463362 or email on boxoffice@bathfestivals.org.uk great if these details can go on the Iona website. Bath venue details are on http://www.bath.co.uk/theforum/ Bath Christian Trust are promoting the gig as part of the "Live at The Forum" series.

7:50 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

IONA's Dave Bainbridge sitting in with Azalya

In 2005 Fred also teamed up in a trio with Peter Gabriel's bassist Tony Levin and pianist Pete Saberton.The trio CD "Rich Core" was released in 2005 featuring compositions by Fred, Pete and some standards.

An early vision was realised when composer Prof. Andrew Dowens wrote a double concerto for classical guitar surprimo Simon Dinnigan, FTB on fretless bass and string orchestra. Composer Prof. John Myhill recently composed a new concerto for Fred on bass plus string orchestra. Which will be performed soon.

Currently FTB is working on solo projects for electro acoustic guitar and bass and also teaches at Birmingham Conservatoire.

Hayley Youell (vocal / keyboard) 

From a very early age, Hayley and music have pretty much been inseparable. Born into a household bustling with all kinds of wonderful and obscure recordings and then eventually instruments, Hayley quickly began making her own. Kitchen pans, a tardy green recorder, songs about fox hunting, and singing to a rabbit quite rapidly evolved into a Yamaha keyboard and a young girl with her heart on her sleeve in the school hall. Deeply encouraged by her family and respectably recognised by her teachers and peers, Hayley continued to pursue her natural gifts, writing and singing throughout her teens. Intrigued by the dramatic and essentially emotive effect of sound and music production Hayley studied Music Technology and Theatre Studies at college before opting to study a Theatre, Film and Television Degree at York St John. There she sustained an active musical lifestyle and where her true passion for music was realised. It was during these testing, yet exciting, times that she met Mr Fairclough.

8:59 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Random ads to be deleted

This is just a post to let everyone know that ads not pertaining to music, bands and the related will be deleted. 

This is a fansite and should be treated as such.  Phone ads, weather site ads and such will be deleted to make room for fan comments. 

Thanks!

Your IONA myspace maintainers.

7:56 AM - 2 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

E-news for Jan./Feb. 2007

IONA / OPEN SKY RECORDS ENEWS 5 - JANUARY 2007
www.iona.uk.com    www.myspace.com/ionauk


Hello to everyone and we wish you all a (rather belated) happy new year. The Iona office acquired a new computer in December which will help to speed things up for us, but the transfer of data from the old machine has taken ages. So hence the late greeting and delays in replying to some emails.   


IONA GIGS COMING UP VERY SOON!!!!
Three gigs have been confirmed for Germany in March and one in the UK in April - details below. 



GERMANY

March 23 - Altenkirchen. DE-Altenkirchen, Stadthalle
www.haus-felsenkeller.de +49 2681 71 18

March 24 - Hattersheim. DE-Hattersheim, Stadthalle
www.dekaart.de +49 6196 7669720

March 25 - Karlsruhe. DE-Karlsruhe, Jubez Club
www.visible-events.de +49 7000 84 74 253

Details on: www.profile-productions.ch/agenda.htm


UK

April 29th, Carnglaze Caverns & The Rum Store

St Neot, Liskeard, Cornwall. PL14 6HQ. Tickets £15.00. Concert Starts at 7.00pm Tel: 01579 320251 Email: info@carnglaze.com

www.carnglaze.com

The band are looking forward to seeing many familiar faces at the German gigs and their first return to Cornwall in about 15 years! This should be a particularly amazing venue as The Rum Store is actually a cave! There are pictures on the venue's website, Here's some interesting info; 
A Rum History:- During the Second World War the Royal Navy used the first of three caverns at Carnglaze to store its supply of rum. In 2001 it was converted into an auditorium with seating for 400. The slate walls and roof form a stunning backdrop for performances, making this a unique venue. Due to the shape and height of the cavern, the acoustics are outstanding and are acclaimed by many of the international performers who have been to The Rum Store. A variety of concerts and events takes place over the year offering a selection of musical genres.
There is a free car park with low mobility/disabled parking on site and an overflow car park via a "Park and Ride" scheme is provided when appropriate. A fully licensed bar is available at most concerts and events. New for 2005 will be a catering facility available at most concerts and events. The Rum Store is fully accessible to wheelchair users and people with low mobility.

The Rum Store is one of three caverns that form the old slate mine at Carnglaze, which is set amongst 6.5 acres of woodland in the Loveny Valley.

Unfortunately Frank, due to a clash with some previously confirmed work (including a week in India!), is unable to play with the band on these 4 gigs. However his place behind the drums will be ably filled by Martin Neil. Martin has previous played with the band in the early days (filling in for Terl) on both UK dates and the memorable tour of Estonia in 1992. 



WEB NEWS

IONA WEBSITE UPDATES

At the end of last year our webmaster Paul Smith was busy with several updates on the Iona website. If you haven't checked the site out in a while, updates include; 

The creation of a new Iona lyrics section; 

Some very beautiful photos of the island of Iona taken by Michael J. Steciuk have been added to the Island page.

We have added loads more excellent gig photos from the 2006 concerts (special thanks to Tim Martindale, Ronald Kolman, Marc van den Broek-Spekman, Jean-Daniel Lerber and Paul Heffer for these). There are also some great photos from the Spirit of 66 gig at http://jeanluc075.aceblog.fr/  (thanks to Jean-Luc Crewels).

If you've left a message recently on the guestbook recently you will have noticed that the message now appears instantaneously. We wanted to make the process a bit more immediate and interactive, so do keep leaving messages - it's great to hear from you!

We're very pleased with the response we're getting from the new Mailing List form on the website. This is a great way to stay on the current Iona / Open Sky Records mailing list and receive our email newsletters and it's also very helpful for us to see the distribution of countries and ages represented (oldest so far is about 76 - youngest aged 4! - yes - we wondered about that too!). Please remember to let us know if you change your email address so we can keep our records up to date.



VIDEO NEWS


WWW.SPIRITUALPROG.COM
Check out our friend in Alaska Dave Taylor's website www.spiritualprog.com. New additions include some video footage of 'Castlerigg/Reels', from the recent Eastbourne concert, plus a video interview with Dave. Also on there are reviews of the Iona Eastbourne concert and Troy and Dave's 'When Worlds Collide' duo album.

MY SPACE VIDEO ADDITIONS 

Some more video clips to check out on both the Iona and Dave myspace sites (www.myspace.com/ionauk and www.myspace.com/davebainbridgeuk). Two New Years greetings from Dave plus a few clips of him playing guitar and piano in his Open Sky Studio.

IONA ON YOUTUBE.COM
You can now view several Iona video clips on the popular youtube.com website, including the rare Iona Treasure video. Also on there courtesy of Voiceprint our distributers, are clips from the Iona 'Live in London' DVD ('Strength'), the first Iona DVD release ('Here I Stand'), Troy and Dave's 'From Silence' DVD and Bainbridge/Fitgerald/Adam's 'Eye of the Eagle' DVD. 


MEDIA ROUND UP 

IONA GERMAN RADIO SPECIAL
The year started on a positive note with a one hour IONA-Special on new years day on Radio Ems-Vechte-Welle (www.ems-vechte-welle.de) which broadcasts from Germany. Presenter Stephan Glück put the show together and it featured new interviews with Joanne and Dave plus lots of Iona music.

CIRCLING HOUR IN THE TOP TEN!
Tim Kubit from WITR FM's Night Vision in Rochester, NY in the USA  wrote to let us know that The Circling Hour is included in their Top Ten Prog CD's of 2006.  Tim told us that it was in 6th position, beating some very stiff competition!  The Top 10 countdown will aired on 5th January on 89.7 FM WITR in Rochester, and simulcast online at http://witr.rit.edu.  A replay of the broadcast was aired online at www.theradiantflow.com.  

FRENCH MEDIA
Joanne features on the cover of the recent issue number 60 of Koid 9 magazine in France. The magazine features the most in depth interview Dave has ever done! For further info see
http://koid9.fanzine.free.fr

Iona are also featured on the cover of the current issue (no. 64) of Big Bang magazine in France, along with an article on the band, Circling Hour review and interview with Dave. 
www.bigbangmag.com

Other very positive French language reviews of The Circling Hour and Live in London can be found at www.amarokprog.net  along with an interview with Dave.

CIRCLING HOUR REVIEWS STILL COMING IN
The new Iona album has been receiving some tremendous reviews and many of these are still filtering through including the following;

http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2007/circlinghour.html
This site will also soon be posting reviews of the 'Live in London DVD and Dave's solo album.

www.musicstreetjournal.com  This is a lengthy, track by track review  with reviewer Gary Hill concluding;

"Iona¹s blend of melodic prog rock with Celtic elements has always worked quite well. With their emphasis on acoustic instrumentation and the stellar vocals of Joanne Hogg comparisons to Renaissance are obvious ­ and often times well founded. They bring other sounds to the table, too, though ­ and not just in the form of those Celtic sounds. You might hear such bands as Yes, Genesis and Gentle Giant in the mix here. The end result is all woven into a musical tapestry that is uniquely Iona, though. I¹d have to say that this particular outing is among their best, doing a great job of merging their more ornate sounds with harder rocking ones. It would be a great first acquisition for anyone looking to explore the musical universe that is Iona."

10:50 AM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment