1988 - David Fitzgerald, on a trip to Lindisfarne (shown above) is 'overwhelmed by the sense of history and atmosphere on that Holy Island'. He wrote in his diary 'I sense an incredible feeling of unity with the previous inhabitants. I am challenged by the lives of these early saints and our 1980's materialistic interpretation of Christianity. We certainly seem to have lost a lot of inner peace and serenity that this place echoes. I feel personally too locked into the cares of this earthly life; a life that centres itself on money, work, career, status and other material things - almost a slave to them'. David was affected deeply by his experience and looking more deeply at the source of inspiration of Lindisfarne, traced it back to Iona.

The source of Christianity in this country came largely from this beautiful isle, shedding light on much of pagan Britain. Columba sailed to Iona from Ireland in AD563 and set up a monastery which became a missionary base from which Christianity spread throughout Scotland and northern Britain.

Thus the idea of Iona the band was formed as David shared his experiences with Dave Bainbridge, and the two suddenly had a focus for music for the band they had been thinking of getting together.

1989 - June - Iona's debut gig at Thurston Upper School, Suffolk, England.
Promoted by Paul Heffer.
David Fitzgerald: saxes/flutes/recorder/tin whistle.
Dave Bainbridge: keyboards/electric guitar.
Caroline Bonnett: support.

July - The two Daves spend a few days on Iona.

August - First gig with Joanne on the fringe at Greenbelt Festival, Northants, England.
David Fitzgerald: saxes/flutes/recorder/tin whistle.
Dave Bainbridge: keyboards/electric guitar.
Joanne Hogg: vocal/keyboard.

1990 - March - Recording of debut album.
David Fitzgerald: saxes/flutes/recorder/tin whistle.
Dave Bainbridge: keyboards/electric guitar.
Joanne Hogg: vocal/keyboard.
Guests include Terl Bryant, Tim Harries, Troy Donockley and Peter Whitfield (strings).

June - Debut album released with Word UK (on the What label).

August - Open air charity concert (in aid of victims of oppression in Equador) behind the 'Pickerel' pub, Suffolk, England. 400 people attend. David, Dave, Jo + guest Tim Franks (drums).

Flevo festival, Holland. 8,000 people attend.

Christian Artists Seminar, De Bron, Holland. David, Dave, Jo + Frank Van Essen (drums/percussion).
N.B. we were looking for someone to replace the sequenced synth bass module we were using which, although very reliable, lacked a certain charisma and stage presence! Mike Haughton, a friend of the two Daves, who was at the Flevo gig suggested Nick Beggs.

First gigs with Nick guesting, include Greenbelt festival. David, Dave, Jo + Nick Beggs (Chapman Stick/bass), Tim Franks (guesting on drums/percussion). Soon after this Frank Van Essen (drums/percussion) joins the band and Nick continues to guest when other commitments allow.

October - Spoor 7 TV concert, Gouda, Holland. Other artists include Leon Patillo (ex Santana singer).

November - Visit the islands of Mull and Iona. Rehearse/write and shoot a video for a Dutch TV company (later released on Videogems).

1991 - January - February - Further writing sessions. It becomes clear that we have material developing for two separate projects: songs which will eventually be used on 'Beyond these Shores'; and music for a concept work based on the 8th century illuminated manuscript, the 'Book of Kells'.

May - More gigs now coming in. The fact that Frank is based in Holland is not working out logistically. Meanwhile Terl, who was for a time based in the USA, is now home and agrees to play some live dates with us including Europe-Fest Bonn, Germany in front of 6,000 people. Also on the bill are German band 'Passport'.

David, Dave, Jo, Terl, Nick (when commitments allow).

June - Dave Bainbridge is interviewed on Tyne Tees TV programme 'Believing People' along with footage of the band playing 'The Island'. The band appears at Rolle Festival in Switzerland.

July - UK concerts/writing sessions.

'Here I Stand' used on BBC1's 'Titchmarsh's Travels'.

August - Play Greenbelt festival supporting Steeleye Span (who include Tim Harries on bass). Mike Haughton (saxes/flutes) stands in for David Fitzgerald (who is touring in the Baltic States with Adrian Snell).

October - Leverkusen Jazz Festival in Germany.

Tim Harries and Frank van Essen stand in for Nick and Terl. Highlights of the gig later shown on German National T.V.

1992 - Record 'Book of Kells' with the now regular line-up of David, Dave, Jo, Terl and Nick with guests including; Frank (drums/percussion/violin), Troy (low whistles/uilleann pipes) and Fiona Davidson (Celtic Harp).

June - Martin Neil (drums/percussion) replaces Terl on UK dates as Terl is in the USA completing his last tour with the Pete Murphy band to whom he is still, up until now, contracted.

August - Greenbelt festival (again!). On before Runrig. This turns out to be David Fitzgerald's last UK gig with the band.

September - Memorable and humbling 9 day tour in Estonia including a concert at the former Communist Party HQ which is now the home of the Estonian Christian Church. Due to lack of finances it is not possible to take the whole band. David, Dave, Jo + Martin Neil (drums/percussion).

David Fitzgerald decides to leave the band and commences a three year full-time music degree course.

October - Mike Haughton joins the band.

1993 - January - UK mini tour - first with Mike Haughton.

March - Meet Simon Hicks who by the summer is the band's manager.

April - Iona win award for 'Best International Artist 1992' (GMA Awards). 'Kells' is also voted 'Best Import Album' for 1992 in Syndicate Magazine (USA) and number 2 by Bob Darden in his 'Critics Choice' of best albums for 1992 (Billboard Magazine USA).

May - Open air outreach concert in Liverpool for drug addicts. Four corners of the Earth in Salisbury Cathedral.

April - August - Festivals in the UK/Germany/France/Switzerland and Holland.

June - October - Record 'Beyond These Shores' in Manchester and an additional session with Robert Fripp in Bath. Other guests on the album include Troy, Fiona, Peter and Debbie Bainbridge (Dave's wife) on oboe.

October - Record 'Treasure' promotional video at Pencoed Castle in Wales.

November - December - 10 day UK tour. Dave writes and the band records music for BBC TV Natural World programme 'Snowdonia, Realm of the Raven'. (Shown May 1994 and again in August 1997). Fiona Davidson (Celtic Harp) guests on the recording.

'Beyond These Shores' is released in UK, Europe and Australasia.

1994 - February - UK tour, including the band's first ever gigs in Scotland.

Journalist Thom Grainger flies from the USA especially to spend time with the band to write an article for the US magazine CCM (click here to check out their website)

March - TV concert in Holland for E.O. TV (attended by about 1400 people).
Writing sessions in Ireland.

April - Two Iona tracks are featured on a compilation cassette issued by the 'British Progressive Rock Journal'; 'Final Journey' and 'Treasure' (single edit).

The US single version of 'Treasure' goes in at numbers 8 and 14 respectively in two of America's Christian music charts.

May - First broadcast of 'Snowdonia - Realm of the Raven', the Natural World series on BBC2 which features specially commissioned music by Iona.

The band perform two songs 'live' on the BBC1 TV programme 'Heart and Soul'. UK tour including successful gig at The Grand Theatre in Clapham with Eden Burning.

June - Appearance at Glastonbury Festival on the Avalon Stage. The band's first visit to the USA appearing at Cornerstone Festival.

July - The band appear at Creation festival in the USA in front of 25,000 people.

August - Writing sessions in Ireland with Joanne. Thanks to a distribution link with Permanent Records, 'Beyond these Shores' becomes the first Iona album available nationwide in Our Price stores.

September - UK tour (the band's most extensive to date). The band is supported by singer/songwriter Iain Archer from Ireland.

Nick Beggs resigns from the band. Nick's departure leaves a difficult hole to fill. Amazingly Tim Harries is free to do the whole of the UK tour. He learns the whole set with only two days rehearsal and jettisons all his music by the second gig!

Mike Haughton is unable to make the last few gigs on the UK tour or the German/Dutch tour due to landing a place in the Cliff Richard band. His place is admirably filled by Mike Parlett (who has previously played with Take That, Gabrielle and Yazz among others). The addition of Mike's expertise on percussion and wind synthesiser is an added bonus as is his ability to get the audience clapping in 9/8 time!

The band play a short one off acoustic set at the 'In the City' event in Manchester. Andy Coughlan - session bass player and member of the Mal Pope band - fills in.

October - UK tour continues, including the band's first gigs in Ireland. Maire Brennan (from Clannad) comes to the Dublin show.

November - German/Dutch tour (the band's first). Unfortunately Tim Harries is unavailable due to prior commitments with Steeleye Span so the bass spot on the tour is filled by Luca Genta. Luca is an Italian multi-instrumentalist living in Holland. Dave Bainbridge toured with Luca in a stage production of a musical presentation called 'The Passion' by Adrian Snell back in 1990.

Luca does a great job learning the set and also contributes whistle and recorder on a few tracks.

December - German/Dutch tour continues.

Joanne is awarded the Classic Rock Appreciation Society's 'Best Female Vocalist' award for 1994.

A deal is completed with the 'Pony Canyon' label in Japan for distribution there of Iona's first three albums.

1995 - February - June - Recording of 'Journey into the Morn' at Neil Costello's Soundfield studio in the heart of the lovely Derbyshire countryside.

The studio, set up in a 200 year old barn (formerly a craft centre), proves to be a superb working environment with its beautiful setting looking out onto fields filled with sheep and new born lambs.

March - At the completion of the band's original 3 album contract with Word, a joint deal is signed with Alliance (in the UK) and Forefront (in the USA).

The deal is a vast improvement on the previous one with Word and leaves the band the option to pursue other licensing deals to get the next three albums out to a wider audience.

The band 65dba (now 'dba') work on a white label 'ambient dance' album, which includes their remix of the track 'Beyond These Shores'. Jo also guests on another track on the album.

HMV take on several hundred copies of the first 2 albums and have a dedicated 'Iona' section in some stores (in the 'folk' section).

April - The April newsletter is the first 'German translation' Iona newsletter to be distributed by our new German Friends of Iona, co-ordinator Andreas Scholz.

May - 'Morn' album sessions in Dublin with Maire Brennan
(singer/Celtic Harpist with Clannad).

June - Gigs in Belfast and at Glastonbury Festival (Avalon Stage) - premiering some of the 'Morn' material. A 'live' version of 'Heaven's Bright Sun' is recorded during Iona's Glastonbury appearance for an album entitled '25th Anniversary Avalon - Live'. The album was to celebrate 25 years of the Glastonbury festival and proceeds were to be donated to the 'Greenpeace' and 'Free Tibet' campaigns. However we are not sure whether it was ever released. Troy Donockley, who has guested on all the Iona albums and occasionally 'live', becomes a more permanent member, joining the band on tour for the first time.

July - Live concert on Lindisfarne. The BBC film the band in concert on Lindisfarne Island in Northumberland. The event is broadcast a week later as part of a summer series called 'Routes and Rhythms'. This is the fulfillment of a dream as the island and its history have been very significant to the band from the beginning and are particularly relevant to the 'Journey into the Morn' album. The concert includes the first 'live' performances of some of the 'Morn' pieces. Dave and Joanne are also interviewed on the programme by Caron Keating. The band perform in Rotherham for the Classic Rock Society. The recording part of 'Journey into the Morn' is completed.

August - UK gigs, including Greenbelt Festival mainstage - headlining in front of 12,000 people. The band are delighted that Calum Malcolm is free to mix 'Journey into the Morn' along with Dave Bainbridge. Calum has worked with Maire Brennan, Blue Nile, Capercaille and Runrig amongst others.

September - The BBC has a great response to the 'Routes and Rhythms' programme on Lindisfarne. The band play two very contrasting gigs in the space of a few days; Bury St. Edmunds Cathedral and Cardiff University students union. At the Bury concert, Iona founder and former member David Fitzgerald does the opening set - playing material from his first solo album 'Columcille' accompanied by Tim Oliver (keys), Andrea Cockerton (vocals/keys) and Dave Bainbridge and Terl Bryant. It is a lovely reunion - the first time that the two Daves and Terl have played a concert together since David's departure from the band in 1992.

October - 'Journey into the Morn' is released (timed to coincide with the start of a lengthy UK tour which continues on through November). The new album is available in HMV and Virgin stores during the tour. The band are very pleased with the way the album sounds - at just over 78 minutes long it is the longest Iona album yet - more or less equivalent to a double album in old vinyl terms! It also includes, in Encircling, the longest Iona piece recorded to date (at over 12 minutes). Tim Harries (Basses) is unable to do some dates on the tour due to prior commitments with his other band Steeleye Span, but is replaced on these by Phil Barker. Phil first stood in for Tim at the Borderline gig in London in August. Not all goes smoothly on the tour. The Bristol concert is cancelled due to fire damage at the venue 2 weeks before the band is due to play there and the concerts in Leeds, Lancaster and Whitehaven are postponed until early in 1996 due to Joanne contracting laryngitis and losing her voice. Supporting on the whole tour (except at Keele when Eden Burning played) were an excellent duo from Manchester, Annie and Graham (who performed under the name Aon), and whose gently evocative songs set just the right tone for the evenings.

A series of three TV programmes ('ABC of the Celtic Saints') are broadcast by Tyne Tees TV on the lives of Aidan, Bede and Cuthbert. The programmes also deal with the contemporary relevance of Celtic Christianity. Some of Iona's music is used as background music for the series. The band perform 'Irish Day' live on the ITV TV programme 'This Sunday'.

December - Play at the 'Christmas Rock Festival' in Erlangen, Germany. Joanne and (former bassist) Nick Beggs both feature in a rock poll in a Latvian music paper! Jo is joint third in the best vocalist category (along with 4 others including Sting!), and Nick is joint second in the bass guitar section.

1996 - February - Re-scheduled UK gigs from December 1995. Highlight is the Leeds Irish Centre gig where 600 people attend and make for a great atmosphere.

March - Recording of the traditional folk song 'I will give my love an Apple' for the Classic Rock Society's 'Unprogged' CD. Spoor 7 TV festival gig in Holland is broadcast simultaneously on the internet.

April - EMI release 'Journey into the Morn' in Canada.

May - Gigs in the UK and one in Germany. Live broadcast for BBC Radio Scotland. Filming for 'Songs of Praise' in Avoca (TV's Ballykissangel) in Ireland - on a cold and very rainy day! Jo and Dave interviewed for 'The Rock that Rolled Away' for ITV.

June - 'Journey' is released in Japan by Pony Canyon.

July - Our first tour in the USA and Canada.
Support Runrig at Killyleigh Castle in Ireland.

August - Festivals in Holland and the UK.

September/October - Alliance inform us that 'Journey' has sold over 49,000 copies. That takes the total sold (including copies through 3Cord) to approx 52,000 up to September. German tour. Good attendances (including 900 in Bonn - 800 in Braunschweig). Very well received by the press - except for one reviewer who described us as sounding like 'Pink Floyd played on a Bontempi organ'!! We were a bit suspicious when he referred in his review to a song we hadn't even played on the whole tour!

Stand in bass player Tony Stipetic does a great job despite playing 5 gigs with a broken finger - which occurred playing football! Play in front of 7,000 at the Alliance Festival at the Nynex Arena in Manchester. We are pleased at the response of the 'younger than our usual' audience and that the day (which was a huge step of faith to put on) was a success for Alliance.

November - 'Journey' enters number 21 in Germany's National World Music charts.

December - NSPCC charity shows. Joanne wins the Classic Rock Society's award for Best Female Vocalist (for the second time in 3 years). It is presented to her backstage at the 'Leeds Irish Centre' by Martin Hudson from the society. Live Album recording dates - the initial 'red light' syndrome (everyone standing motionless in silence as the wind whistles round) - is soon overcome as some great performances are put on tape. Thanks for your support on the gigs! Hear that 'Q' Magazine have voted 'Journey' as one of their top 50 albums for 1996.

1997 - January - 'Q' Magazine vote 'Journey into the Morn' as one of their top 50 albums for 1996 and one of their top 5 folk albums. 'Heaven's Bright Sun' album mixed at the singer Fish's Millennium Studio near Edinburgh. UK tour starts in London.

February - UK tour is cut short by the tragic and sudden death of Joanne's mum Anna. Troy breaks a finger on his left hand after trapping it in a door. The top of his finger is almost severed and a doctor says that the damage could have been permanent had the break been a couple of millimetres lower. (Fortunately the finger has now completely healed).

March - UK dates rearranged from February tour.

April - Release of 'Heaven's Bright Sun' album in UK and Europe.

May - TV recordings for 'First Light' (BBC1) and 'This Sunday' (ITV). Jo and Dave have writing sessions in Ireland.

June - UK dates, including a concert in the majestic surroundings of Ely Cathedral. Joanne rows from Ireland to the island of Iona in a currach with a crew of 14 in commemoration of the 1400th anniversary of the death of Columba. She is interviewed about the voyage on 'Songs of Praise' (BBC1).

July - The band's third trip to the USA coincides with the US release on July 1 of 'Heaven's Bright Sun' and includes a headline appearance at the Cornerstone Festival in front of 25,000 people and an appearance on cable TV programme 'The 700 Club'.

August - Headline at Greenbelt Festival in front of 12,000 people. Appear at the Bardentreffen Folk Festival in Nurnberg, Germany, which is held in the moat of the town's castle! The band's performance of the song 'Lindisfarne', recorded live on the island of Lindisfarne in July 1995, is shown on 'Summerscapes' (BBC1).

October - UK tour including last UK gig (Solihull) until 1999. A fault with the microphone on Troy's pipes prompts spur of the moment performance of the 'Free' song 'All Right Now'.

December - German tour - last dates until 1999. Joanne voted 'Best Female Vocalist' in the Classic Rock Society's annual awards.

1998 - Iona take a one year sabbatical to concentrate on solo projects and re-assess things for the future. During this period Terl Bryant leaves the band to concentrate on Psalm Drummers and other touring and recording work, and Mike Haughton leaves to concentrate on other projects and work with Cliff Richard. Frank van Essen rejoins the band.

1999 - May sees the new line-up and the first gig since the sabbatical. The 'Woven Chord' concert is performed in London with the All Souls Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.

June - November - 1999 - A very busy time in the studio. Soon after the succesful 'Woven Cord' concert with the All Soul's Orchestra, work begins on piecing together material from the concert for the 'Woven Cord' album. Pic left shows Nigel Palmer backstage recording the Festival Hall concert (May 1999).

After a few months of editing, mixing takes place with Calum Malcolm at Castle studio near Edinburgh in August. Meanwhile, writing of material for what is to become the 'Open Sky' album is happening concurrently.

August / September - A few festival appearances in Europe (Switzerland and Holland). The Switzerland festival is memorable for the band playing during a thunder storm, complete with torrential rain and towels on the equipment in a vain attempt to keep it dry!

October 1999 - The 'Woven Cord' album is released on the Alliance label. Forefront in the US delay release until March of the following year.

November 1999 - March 2000 - Recording of the 'Open Sky' album, largely at Chapel Studios in the heart of rural Lincolnshire. The band breaks off in December to play at a concert in aid of Amnesty International in Germany.

May 2000 - Release of 'Open Sky' coincides with a UK tour.

July 2000 - Further UK dates, including at a Millennium celebration in the spectacular surroundings of Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire.

November 2000 - The band's first actual tour in Switzerland (see pics below) is very well attended and well received. Jean-Daniel Lerber, the tour's promoter becomes the band's tour agent for the whole of mainland Europe.

December 2000 - Concerts in Holland. Nick Beggs fills in for Phil, who is unable to get out of a prior commitment.

February 2001 - Iona's first ever concert dates in Japan organised by The Music Plant. The band are overwhelmed by the audience response each night, and the fact that many people are already familiar with the band's music. An acoustic 'welcome' evening in a small club sees the whole audience coming to chat to the band and have their cds signed afterwards! Over a traditional Japanese meal, Joanne announces the joyous news that she is pregnant - and suffering very bad morning sickness.

March - July - Due to complications with the pregnancy, Jo's doctor advises her not to do anymore long haul flights until after the baby is born. The band manages one Festival appearance in the USA in Memphis, but unfortunately has to cancel other US dates and the planned appearance at the Baja Prog Festival in Mexico.

July - The band is dropped by US label Forefront after management changes at the company and a change of emphasis to favour signing more younger chart oriented artists.

August - After discussions with Alliance Media, Iona's UK label, it is agreed that the band can be freed from their current contract in order to set up their own label 'Open Sky'. Iona immediately begin to look into the possibility of releasing a 4cd box set as their own label's first release. Greenbelt Festival decide that it is too risky to have the band on the bill due to Jo's baby's imminent birth (although Jo is feeling fine by now), so they cancel our appearance.

September 28th - Baby Issac Hogg is born to proud parents Jo and Steve.

September 2001 to June 2002 - Work continues behind the scenes to set up the 'Open Sky' label, and to prepare the box set for release. The latter is a huge task, as the box set contains a 60 page full colour booklet with around 80 archive photos which have to be collated from various sources, and around 10,000 words of text, much of it newly written.

In addition, original master tapes have to be sourced and transferred to new digital media, several tracks are reworked and remixed, and a whole cd of new and unreleased material is prepared. Unsurprisingly, the original release date has to be delayed.

June 2002 - After a break of a whole year from playing live concerts due to Jo's pregnancy and subequent giving birth, Iona are overjoyed to be back on stage! After a few days rehearsals, the band are back with a very well received run of concerts, starting at the Orange Wow (Fish Quay) Festival in North Shields and then on the Germany for two appearances.

August 2002 - Release of the bands first recording on own label 'Open sky Records'. 'The River Flows' boxset is attracting very positive feedback from fans.

IONA have been back on the road with a number of dates in Europe and the UK.

Zoetermeer photos - August 30 2002