Iona

Though frequently listed among modern Celtic acts like Enya and Clannad, the Scottish ensemble Iona draws from a broader palette that encompasses jazz-fusion, prog-rock, and ancient Christian motifs. Taking its name from an island along Scotland’s western seaboard, the band came together in the late 1980s around vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge.

The 1990 self-titled debut brought in drummer Terl Bryant, bassist Nick Beggs (ex-Kajagoogoo), and session contributors Fiona Davidson on Celtic harp, Peter Whitfield handling strings, Troy Donockley on Uillean pipes, and Frank Van Essen supplying tuned percussion. Despite scant coverage even within the UK, a Dutch broadcaster produced a documentary centered on both the group and the island.

Iona resurfaced two years later with Book of Kells, earning acclaim from reviewers across North America and the British Isles. Fitzgerald departed in 1992 to study music formally, prompting a noticeable reduction in jazz elements on the subsequent 1993 release Beyond These Shores. The band compensated by securing a guest appearance from Robert Fripp. A deal with England’s Alliance Music yielded Journey into the Morn in 1995, issued in the U.S. and Canada early the next year. Fitzgerald resumed recording that same year with his solo outing Columcille, while Journey into the Morn appeared stateside in 1996.