Mostly Captivating and Sometimes Even Amazing Improvisationa
Chip Webb | Fairfax Station, VA | 06/02/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"From Silence (2004) answers a question that probably has crossed the minds of many fans of the marvelous British, Celtic Christian-flavored band Iona: What would happen if you took the band's two most multi-talented musical geniuses from its current lineup, Dave Bainbridge and Troy Donockley, locked them in a room, and made them improvise music together for a set period of time? Now imagine that the "room" in question was humongously vast. This is exactly what happened within the setting of Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, England, on October 27, 2004. Bainbridge and Donockley spent approximately 70 apparently uninterrupted minutes creating music on the spot that they hoped would be grand enough for such a locale. Between 10 and 15 minutes did not make this CD's cut, evidently due to technical problems.
No matter; what's here is mostly captivating and sometimes even amazing. Like The Eye of the Eagle, Bainbridge's remarkable 1998 collaboration with former Iona co-founder David Fitzgerald, this is music for contemplation and meditation. It is good music for long drives (particularly away from the city) as well, although not excellent on that end. It's incredibly beautiful and mystical, perfect (despite its flaws) for prayer and reflection. There is nothing that makes this album specifically Christian, unlike many of Iona's albums. There are no lyrics, nor are Donockley and Bainbridge trying to capture the spirit of a book, as Bainbridge and Fitzgerald did on Eagle. The only vocals are wordless ones contributed by Donockley near the midpoint of the album and a few barely noticeable background vocals in part five. Musically, Donockley mostly plays wind instruments, while Bainbridge contributes the vast majority of the guitars and all of the atmospheric keyboard work. Both are absolutely superlative musicians.
There are two weaknesses. First, the album's running order is open (a bit) to questioning. The six tracks on this album are labeled as "parts." Strangely enough, the album reaches its greatest ascension point about two-thirds of the way through part three. Also, the mostly meditative part five arguably should come either after part two or three. Over time, however, I have come to appreciate the current running order. Second, the album's usefulness for contemplation and meditation would be enhanced by readings from Christian literature, as on The Eye of the Eagle. But these concerns are relatively minor. Four-and-a-half stars.
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Needs the Right Mood
John D. Dooley | Southern California United States | 09/20/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Troy Donockley & Dave Bainbridge from the Celtic folk jazz rock group "Iona" were given a chance to play their instruments in the Lincoln Cathedral using a Binaural stereo technique. The sound engineer Dallas Simpson used a custom designed in-ear microphone to create a 3 dimension surround sound in real time. This CD is suppose to sound at its best using headphones. The music is rather free flowing with mystical Celtic overtones but something reminded me of a Mark Isham theme from the movie "Mrs. Soffel" staring Mel Gibson & Diane Keaton. Yes, its that Irish tin whistle sounding like blowing wind. The CD hasn't grabbed me yet, maybe because I can't find a special time of quiet listening these days, but the talent & engineering are unquestionable. There also is a video DVD version that just came out that I haven't seen. Keep an eye out for these two artists."
A Majestic Silence
Kathleen Iris | Michigan USA | 11/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Troy and Dave did it again! The music was raw, unrehearsed and beautiful. The flow of the music takes the listener on a tranquil and passionate journey of mood and emotions. Only one smaller part of one song I didn't care for...it just grated my ears a bit, but the other 98% of the music is beautimus!"
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1