Year: 2005

Band History

January '05   /  From Silence & Iona DVD Released Virtually no live work for the band this year but 2005 turns out to be a bumper year for cd and especially dvd releases! The band focus their attention on recording especially in the latter part of the year with work on their first new studio album since 2000's 'Open Sky' as well as completing mixing and editing on the "Live In London' DVD and recording additional material for a proposed 'History of Iona' DVD that Voiceprint are putting together.

'From Silence' - Troy and Dave's first duo album (from the Lincoln Cathedral improvised performance) is released on Iona's Open Sky label. Recorded in 'binaural' - a technique which gives a fantastic sense of movement and involvement (particularly when listened to on headphones), the resultant sound is very dynamic, with Dave's keyboards and electric guitar and bouzouki loops swirling around and sounding much more organic and alive than on a conventional recording. And as the persective shifts around, Troy's pipes and whistles at once sound close and intimate, and then far away and distant, as though becoming part of the cathedral itself. The material on the album is presented exactly as it was played, with no overdubs and only a couple of edits for technical reasons.

January also sees Iona's first DVD release. An documentary originally filmed for a Dutch TV series back at the end of 1990 and subsequently released on video (but deleted many years ago) is now re-released on DVD. The half hour programme, which was filmed largely on the islands of Mull and Iona, catches the band soon after the release of the first album and includes rare interview and rehearsal footage as well as some live film from one of the band's first ever concerts - a TV festival in Holland.

Work continues on Troy and Dave's next duo album 'When Worlds Collide'.

Dave continues to prepare tracks from his 'Veil of Gossamer' album for release on 'dual disk' - a new cd/dvd format. The release, planned for later in the year, will be through a new US company called Jhana Music and will feature the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound and also film footage of Dave discussing the making of the album and playing a few extracts. Meanwhile 'Veil' continues to receive some tremendous reviews during 2005.
Jo and Frank get together in Ireland putting initial ideas together for the album that will eventually become 'Rafael's Journey'.

February '05   /  Dave Off to the USA Troy works together with the producer on editing the film of his and Dave's improvised performance from Lincoln Cathedral, which is scheduled for release on DVD later in 2005, along with some accompanying interview footage was also captured on film at the time.

Troy is on tour throughout the UK with Barbara Dixon in February and March.

Dave and family head off to the USA to attend the Son-Rise Intensive programme at the Autism Treatment Centre, thanks largely to money raised from sales of 'Songs for Luca'. Luca has a great time there!

A short feature on the Lindisfarne Gospels is aired in February as part of the programme 'The 700 Club' on the cable channel CBN. The feature uses music from the tracks 'Lindisfarne', 'Heaven's Bright Sun', and 'Songs of Ascent (Parts 1 & 2)' and is also aired on 'God TV' a month or two later.

March '05   /  Writing for New Album Jo and Dave get together to continue writing for the next studio album. A short feature film on the Lindisfarne Gospels aired as part of the programme 'The 700 Club' on the cable channel CBN is accompanied by some of the band's music.

Troy is on tour throughout the UK with Barbara Dickson in February and some of March.

The band plays a few dates in Germany.

Dave is busy working on editing the Live DVD music and mixing the Troy and Dave 'When Worlds Collide' album.

April '05   /  Jo Sings in Chicago Jo sings at a promotional concert in Chicago for the 'New Irish Hymns' album series along with US singer Margaret Becker and Kirsty Getty.

Dave completes the 'When Worlds Collide' duo album mixes and the Live DVD concert music is sent to LA to be mixed in 5.1 surround sound by John Kellogg.

May '05 - June '05   /  Introspective Series DVD Planned to be a comprehensive history of the band featuring much rare archive footage, quite a bit of new material was filmed in 2005 for an 'INTROSPECTIVE SERIES' DVD release by Voiceprint, including interviews with band members past and present and discussion of some of the band's classic tracks with examples from the original multi-track tapes. co-founders Dave Bainbridge and David Fitzgerald reunited at Dave's Open Sky Studio, where they were filmed for the DVD discussing and playing pieces from the band's first 2 albums and also jamming together. Sadly the DVD (and several others in the series) is later shelved following a dispute between Voiceprint and the company who were filming the DVD .....
July '05   /  First Norway Gig The band play their first ever gig in Norway in the beautiful location of 'The Seaside Festival'.

Troy works again with Maddy Prior on a new album during the summer (and tours with her in the winter).

August '05   /  When World's Collide Released Joanne is filmed on the island of Lindisfarne for a 'Songs of Praise' special on the island to be broadcast in November. She sings (appropriately!) the song 'Lindisfarne'. Later in the month Jo has a serious back & neck operation which keeps her out of action for several months, but the surgery goes very well.

Troy and Dave's second album 'When World's Collide' is released. Featuring five live tracks recorded in the UK at the end of 2003 and five studio tracks, this is a good representation of the material that Troy and Dave have been performing to enthusiastic audiences in both the UK and Japan between 2003 and 2005. With a mix of material spanning Troy's solo projects, the repertoire and the traditional, the album features big dynamic contrasts ranging from the intimate to the full on epic.

September '05   /  Live in London DVD mixed The last week in September saw Troy heading off to sunny Los Angeles to supervise the final tweaks of the audio mixes by John Kellogg at Future Disc Systems for the Live In London DVD. Dave and Troy report that the 5.1 surround mixes are sounding fantastic! The final mixes are mastered by world renowned mastering engineer Steve Hall.
October '05   /  New Album Tracks Quite a bit of work is done on the new studio album, with most of the drum tracks and vocals being completed in Dave and Frank's respective home studios, Troy and Dave add more of Troy's pipes and whistles and Joanne completes most of the main vocal parts - her first singing since her operation.

Jo also records vocals for a new version of the track 'Journey Into The Morn' for the new 'Songs for Luca 2' album. This features a new extended, rocky instrumental section on which Dave hopes to feature some very special guests....

November '05   /  From Silence DVD Released Troy and Dave's 'From Silence' DVD is released.
History by Album:
Iona  ('90)
The Book Of Kells  ('92)
Beyond These Shores  ('93)
Journey Into The Morn  ('96)
Heaven's Bright Sun  ('97)
Woven Cord  ('99)
Open Sky  ('00)
The River Flows: Anthology Vol. 1  ('02)
Songs for Luca  ('03)
Veil of Gossamer  ('04)
Iona  ('04)
The Circling Hour  ('06)
Live In London  ('06)
Songs for Luca 2  ('07)
Live In London  ('08)
Life Journey  ('09)
Raphael's Journey  ('10)
Another Realm  ('11)