The Circling Hour
Studio album by Iona
Released	Oct 2, 2006
Recorded	2005
Genre	Progressive rock, Celtic rock, Christian rock
Length	65:00
Label	Open Sky Records 2006
Producer	Dave Bainbridge
Iona chronology
The River Flows (2002) The Circling Hour (2006) Another Realm (2011)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The Phantom Tollbooth	(?)[1]
DPRP	[2]

The Circling Hour is a progressive rock album by Iona, released in 2006. It marked a return to the studio for the band after a break of nearly six years to record a full album.

Track listing

1. "Empyrean Dawn" – 7:49
2. "Children of Time" – 5:33
3. "Strength" – 5:59
4. "Wind off the Lake" – 11:02
5. "Factory of Magnificent Souls" – 5:02
6. "Sky Maps" – 6:39
7. "No Fear in Love" – 5:59
8. "Wind, Water & Fire - Wind" – 3:30
9. "Wind, Water & Fire - Water" – 3:00
10. "Wind, Water & Fire - Fire" – 7:14
11. "Fragments of a Fiery Sun" – 2:45

Personnel

Band

• Joanne Hogg - lead and backing vocals, choir chorus, keyboards
• Dave Bainbridge - electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, bouzouki, choir voices, Hammond organ, wind chimes, high-strung acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, piano, e-bow guitars
• Troy Donockley - Uilleann pipes, low and high whistles, tofran, bouzouki, vocals, choir voices, e-bow guitar, slide guitar
• Frank Van Essen - drums, bodhran, shaker, violin, choir voices, darabukkas, finger cymbals, tambourine, djembe, drum pads, tom toms, violas
• Phil Barker - bass guitar

Additional musician and special guest

• Heather Findlay - vocals (on" Fragments of a Fiery Sun")

Production

• Recorded between July 2005 and March 2006 at Open Sky Studio, Lincolnshire, England, and Studio Frank van Essen, Drachten, Holland
• Additional recording at Waterworld, Yorkshire, England
• Hammond organ and piano recorded at Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire, England (engineer Will Bartle)
• Digital transfers made at DB Studios, Lincoln, England
• Recorded by Dave Bainbridge, Frank van Essen and Troy Donockley
• Produced by Dave Bainbridge
• Mixed by John Kellogg with Dave Bainbridge and Troy Donockley, at Immergent Studios, Los Angeles
• Mastered by Denis Blackham, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Release details

• 2006, UK, Open Sky Records OPENVP11CD, release date September 2006, CD