Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

David Adams is a modern day Celtic writer and his book "The Eye Of The Eagle" is a meditation on the Celtic hymn "Be Thou My Vision" combining his own original writing with the works of other writers who he thought could shed spiritual illumination. The book has been an influence on Fitzgerald and Bainbridge and already explored thematically on Iona's 'Journey Into The Morn'. This new piece sees the two founder members of Iona working together for the first time in six years creating pieces that are directly born out of Adam reading extracts from his book. The combination of Adam's rich Northumbrian voice and the ambient instrumental passages that undulate around the voice makes for compelling listening. Some pieces were created from spontaneous musical improvisations, whilst others were carefully constructed with layer upon layer of sound. Adam's words, choirs, swirling synths, Fitzgerald's flute and woodwind, Bainbridge's guitar, a huge organ and the ethereal sounds of Maire Brennan's vocals all fuse together in the most intriguing fashion creating a beautiful soundscape. Were it just music, this would be a wonderful experience but the album takes the listener on a further journey, across the universe measuring the vastness of space and the hugeness of the God who holds the planets in place and yet desires fellowship with every human soul. Thus the album speaks intimately into the heart and yet in doing so maintains a sense of hugeness. Bainbridge, Fitzgerald and Adam have created something majestic that stirred me and yet also moved me to tears as I have listened in the last fortnight. This is a significant work and if you've already been captivated by the work of Iona, Maire Brennan or Fitzgerald's solo material, you'll want to add this to your collection.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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