Welcome to all new readers. If you are unfamiliar with Libera, you may wish to
go to Part One (link below) of this Timeline for an overview and history
of the group, including the story of its beginnings.
Please note: new material is added at the end of this post, rather than at the beginning,
Once again I state that I'm a writer, not a techie, so please forgive the occasional odd configuration, type change, or spacing. I welcome
corrections, suggestions and comments at:
Music From the Tower Interview With Robert Prizeman and Three Libera Boys
Japanese Fan Club Information
New CD Announced: Libera at Christmas (Japan)
2019 US Tour Photo Gallery
Sampler of Christmas Carols With Libera (UK)
Sampler of Libera at Christmas (Japanese Release)
2019 US Tour Blog
Libera at Christmas CD Reviews
JAPAN TOUR: FALL 2019
FIRST TOKYO CONCERT
December 3rd London Concert Announced
SECOND TOKYO CONCERT (Same Venue)
M&G Details
OSAKA CONCERT
Holiday Season
Libere Tops Charts in Japan & US
Release of "Carol of the Bells" and "Sing Lullaby" Videos
This is a continuation of the
12th year of the Libera Historical Timeline,which is now read in over 90 countries
(top dozen last year: the US, UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, The Netherlands,
Hungary, Germany, Indonesia, Russia and Slovakia, with South Africa and China
trending).
For all those who would like to know more about the
individual boys of Libera, I continue to recommend the wonderful Libera
Passion site, stewarded by Patrick FandeLok and Quentin (aka The Furby).
This site (in French, but fairly easy for non-Francophones to decipher)
maintains an up-to-date photo, media, tour, and concert record of:
• "Membres Réguliers" (Current
Members) — Boys who have participated in the most recent concert or tour. • "Miniboys"
— This is Libera lingo for young singers in training. Names are not
paired with faces unless the boys have been positively identified by photo. • "Absents
du Dernier Concert" — Singers who have performed regularly with the
group, but were absent from the previous concert or tour. • "Anciens
Membres" — Former Libera singers, going back to the 1980s, when
the
group appeared as the St. Philip's Boys' Choir, and then, (1987-1998),
as
"Angel Voices." (NOTE: This section, as of early 2018, was expanding to
include names and some rare photos of early members, as well as of
miniboys who never became Libera singers or were with the group only
briefly.) • "Staff"
— Staff members (often Libera alumni) and their roles with the group. • "Liens"
— Family groupings of brothers or cousins who have been members of Libera.
The
Libera Passion Site also hosts a wonderful set of databases. This
is primarily the ongoing work of "The Furby," long-time co-host of
the site, and has been a marvelous boon to Libera fans.
On August 16, a note from Libera Passion's Patrick FandeLok concerning the Fall 2019Japan Tour showed up on theLibera Dreams Forum)
It will be a busy tour for Libera: Libera Records announces that a special Meet & Greet will be held in Tokyo on Wednesday, October 23rd.
This M&G will be reserved for Japan Fan Club members, meaning at least six members of our forum
It will be quite a busy week for Libera:
21st: concert + Meet & Greet in Tokyo
22nd: concert + Meet & Greet in Tokyo
23rd: Special Fan Club Meet & Greet in Tokyo
25th: concert + Meet & Greet in Osaka
Tadgh Fitzgerald, Daniel White, and Alexandre Menuet promote the Japan Tour.
The content of this special Fan Club Meet & Greet is not yet defined. In
fact the Fan Club is currently asking its members to send suggestions.It cannot be a bowling party like that at the recent
M&G in the USA, for two reasons: language barrier and financial
considerations; possibly a couple of hundred people will attend.
Also the FC says that the M&G doesn't imply that the boys will be singing. So no
karaoke, thankfully. It could have been very embarrassing for some fans,
me especially—Patrick
On August 18th, a note on the Libera Dreams Forum by bachmahlerfan:
Track 10 ("Stetit Angelus") of the Christ Cathedral Dedication CD features Libera and the
Choir of Saint Thomas More Chapel at Yale. Libera's voices are nicely featured
here, and aren't relegated to the background.
This track is quite appropriate for Libera when you consider the mention
of angels in the text, as well as the combination of English and Latin
lyrics which you often get in Robert Prizeman's compositions. Here's a link to the recording,
where you can purchase individual tracks, which I found thanks to andmar66 on
Twitter: https://www.gothic-catalog.com/product_p/g-49326.htm
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82B0as7us8c
It's also available on Spotify.—bachmahlerfan
This lovely recording of a piece composed for the dedication of Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, includes the following participants:
Choir: Chime in! Handbell Choir
Choir: Choir of Saint Thomas More Chapel at Yale
Artist: Julian Revie
Choir: Libera
Artist: Milo Brandt
Conductor: Natalie Plaza
Conductor: Rick Wood
Conductor: Robert Prizeman
Choir: Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs Handbell Choir
Arranger: Julian Darius Revie
(This is
a continuation of a feature begun in Part 12 of this Timeline, with a repeat of its introduction.)
Throughout
the years, as the St. Philip’s Boys’ Choir morphed into Angel Voices (1987),
and then to Libera (1999), there have been a number of “Unsung Soloists,” that
is, boys whose excellent solo work was mostly lost to the non-concert-going
public because:
1. Their
solo careers coincided with those of a number of equally talented singers; they
were a bit shy and/or unassertive; and/or they got a bit lost in the shuffle when
it came to recordings and videos.
2. Their
prime solo years coincided with periods in which, for various reasons, few CDs
or videos were produced.
3. Their
time with the group was relatively short.
4. They
left Libera early, for reasons, such as family relocation or schooling, and
never achieved their full potential as soloists with the group.
5. Their
voices and/or confidence matured very late in their career with the choir.
6. Other
voices were considered more suited to those songs chosen to be recorded or
videoed.
Any of
these situations could produce a soloist who, in spite of excellence, is
relatively unknown to newer Libera fans.
From his earliest appearances (in 2010-2011) there were no
problems of exposure for Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, an absolutely solid little
performer who was once described thusly on a fan forum:
“You know
that kid, the one that when he gets on the stage to sing, you’re really nervous
for him because you’re afraid he’s going to blow it? Well, Ciaran is not that
kid,”
His lack
of stand-alone solo appearances can be attributed to the fact that he was one
of Libera’s great “second voices,” and for nearly every one of his many CD,
DVD, or other video appearances, he can be found slightly in the background,
singing harmony, or in a small-group passage, or doubling another singer’s solo
voice. Check out his impeccable harmony and doubling with soloist Michael
Ustynovych-Repa on the 2013 Angels Sing:
Christmas in Ireland DVD.
With few
exceptions, almost every solo with which Ciaran is credited, on media or on the
road, is followed by the parenthesis: (…[sung] with so-and-so).
On the 2015 Angels Sing: Libera in America DVD, Ciaran got to stand by himself
and sing the anodyne repeat verse of “Amazing Grace,” which he did with poised boyish confidence.
Finally,
at age 14, Ciaran got his very first on-his-own recorded CD solo, in “Home,”
which appeared on both the Japanese Jupiter
CD (2016) and Libera’s Hope album
(2017). His voice, which appears at the beginning, in the middle, and at the
end of the song, is beautifully expressive and nuanced—a moment
worth waiting for.
On August 29th, man-on-the-spot Justin Chen posted this video of Libera backing up a male vocalist (name?) during a service
at the Calvary Community Church, Westlake Village, CA, during the recent summer US tour.
(The video was shot by Surpinto, who apparently never intended it to be shared so widely.)
On September 7th, photographer Justin Chen shared this lovely shot of a pewful of miniboys (sock-footed in lieu of white shoes) at Arundel Cathedral.
On September 10th, a note from Patrick on the Libera Dreams Forum:
L to R: Cassius Collard, Tadgh Fitzgerald and Daniel White
While in the USA this Summer, Libera gave an interview to John Romeri,
the music director of the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.
The interview was said to go on air on Saturday September 7th, but for
some reasons it was not broadcast on the online stream of the hosting
radio 'Relevant Radio'.
Anyway, thankfully the podcast is now put online anyway for our greatest enjoyment. Interviewed people were Robert Prizeman, Tadhg Fitzgerald, Daniel White, and Cassius Collard.
The podcast can be listened and also downloaded from the "Music Of the Tower" page, here: https://occatholic.com/category/podcast ... -the-tower
Search for "Episode #67" - "MUSIC FROM THE TOWER: GUEST IS THE LIBERA BOY CHOIR"
On September 18th, information on Libera's new Christmas CD, Christmas with Libera,became available fromLibera Records.
(From Left: Samuel-Francis Collins, Oliver Mycka, Matthias Montoro, Daniel White, Frederick Mushrafi, Laurence Davey.
Song List and Soloists
1. The Angel Gabriel
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Traditional (English paraphrase by Sabine Baring-Gould)
Solo – Victor Wiggin
2. In Dulci Jubilo
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Traditional
3. Do You Hear What I Hear
Music – Gloria Shayne; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Noel Regney
4. In the Bleak Midwinter
Music – Gustav Holst; Words by Christina Rossetti
Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Solo – Dominik Clarke
5. Ding Dong Merrily on High
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Sam Coates
Words – George Woodward
6. Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Sam Coates
Words – Sabine Baring–Gould
Solo – Dominik Clarke
7. I Saw Three Ships
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Sam Coates
Words – Traditional
8. Walking in the Air
Music – Howard Blake; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Howard Blake
Solo – Luca Brugnoli
9. Once in royal David's city
Music – Henry Gauntlett; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Cecil Frances Alexander
Solos – Victor Wiggin, Daniel White & Mathias Montoro
10. Carol of the Bells
Music – M Leontovych; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
11. O Little Town of Bethlehem
Music – Lewis Redner (Tune: 'St Louis'); Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Phillips Brooks
Solo – Oliver Watt–Rodriguez
12. Poor Little Jesus
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Sam Coates
Words – Traditional
Solo – Luca Brugnoli
13. Noël Nouvelet
Music – Traditional Arranged by Sam Coates
Words – Traditional
Solos – Victor Wiggin, Oliver Watt–Rodriguez & Neo Parson
14. Silent Night
Music – Franz Grüber; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Joseph Mohr
Solos – Luca Brugnoli, Benedict Bywater, Mathias Montoro, Victor Wiggin & Dominik Clarke
15. What Child is This
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – William Chatterton Dix
Solos – Daniel White & Benedict Bywater
16. Wexford Carol
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Traditional (Carúl Loch Garman)
Solo – Tadhg Fitzgerald
17. Gaudete
Music – Traditional; Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Words – Traditional
Solo – Samuel–Francis Collins
Special Tracks
18. Tomorrow-For the Future
Music, Words & Production – Seiji Kameda
Arranged by Robert Prizeman
Solos – Oliver Watt–Rodriguez, Daniel White, Koji Shinokubo, Oliver Mycka, Mathias Montoro & Victor Wiggin
19. Headlight / Taillight (Vocalize) (TBS Sunday Theater Shitamachi Rocket soundtrack)
Music – Miyuki Nakajima; Arranged by Takayuki Hattori & Robert Prizeman
20. Angel Miracle / Angel (Universal Studios Japan® Universal Wonder Christmas tie-up song)
Music – Takatsugu Muramatsu Arranged by Takatsugu Muramatsu & Robert Prizeman
Words – Robert Prizeman
Solo – Isaac London
On September 23rd, Libera posted a gallery of photos from the 2019 US Tour; some samples:
On September 24th, Part 1 of the 2019 US Tour blog appeared, written with style and panache by the same droll fellow who composed the recent Japan tour blogs. An excerpt:
On September 26th, a note from Patrick on the Libera Dreams Forum:
Thanks to Aoba who reported it on twitter, we now know the Western version release date, tracks list. and cover
The album will be named "Christmas Carols With Libera".
It will be released on Friday November 15th.
It has 17 tracks, the same as for the Japanese version, not in the same order though.
01. In Dulci Jubilo
02. Walking in the Air
03. Ding Dong Merrily on High
04. In the Bleak Mid-winter
05. Noël Nouvelet
06. Once in Royal David’s City
07. I Saw Three Ships
08. What Child is This (Greensleeves)
09. Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)
10. Carol of the Bells
11. Wexford Carol
12. O Little Town of Bethlehem
13. The Angel Gabriel
14. Poor Little Jesus
15. Gaudete
16. Silent Night
17. Do you Hear What I Hear?
As for the recent previous CDs, the label is IHM (Invisible Hands Music)
Reference is IHCD89
On September 28th Libera posted a list of generous samplings of songs from the new CD, Christmas Carols With Libera. This was revealed to be a gorgeous CD—the ensemble of boys in brilliant voice, the soloists in the samplings superb, the arrangements (especially those of Sam Coates) so unexpected as to breathe new life into old chestnuts, and the orchestral accompaniments lush and full.
On October 3rd, the ever-resourceful Patrick Fandelok posted (on the Libera Passion and Libera Dreams sites) the following tutorial on how to access the much-longer previews found on the web page advertising the Japanese release of Libera at Christmas.
2) If it displays, click on the blue bubble on the top of the page.
This will start the Itunes application.
On October 5th, Part Two of Libera's charming 2019 US Tour Blog appeared, covering the St. Louis and Oklahoma City Parts of the tour.
On October 10th, a video ad for the upcoming Japanese version of Christmas with Libera and for the upcoming tour appeared on the Japan Libera Records site. Besides purchasing information, the video included opening segments of "Silent Night," "In Dulce Jubilo," "Ding Dong Merrily on High," "Walking in the Air." What Child is This," "For the Future," "Angel," and "Headlight, Taillight." These are beautifully accompanied by a slideshow of wonderful group photos and video segments.
Matthias Montoro, Daniel White, Frederick Mushrafi and Laurence Davey
On October 17th, the following review of the Japanese release of Libera's new ChristmasCD appeared on the Libera Dreams Forum:
My Reviews
Short TL:DR Review
This album is extremely well done. There isn’t a single song on it which
I dislike. Almost all of the new songs are fantastic and if I had to
pick the absolute top of the top they would be:
"Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)" and "Poor Little Jesus" because they are strikingly beautiful.
"Noël Nouvelet" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" which are great new songs that I could listen to over and over again.
"I Saw Three Ships" and "Ding Dong Merrily on High" because they are great, catchy, and fun new arrangements
But there are many other gems on this album!
Full review The Angel Gabriel
A beautiful song and a good choice as the first track on this new album.
It has many of the quintessential elements of the “Libera sound”;
including the high soaring descants and harmonies. Victor Wiggin does a good
job on his solos contrasting nicely with the higher parts.
Victor Wiggin
In Dulci Jubilo
While this song is arranged almost identically as the previous versions
Libera has recorded, there are subtle nuanced differences with the
instruments and the tempo seems a bit increased to me. At about 1:58 a
new part of the song begins which is without words until about 2:10 with
the melody being sung with “aah’s”. But the part that always sends
shivers down my spine is the part where the choir sings “…there are
angels singing...” followed by a high descant which seems to be the very
angel being portended by the verse. Not sure why but that verse is just
so cool. Anyway, the song is great and the slight modifications are
most welcome.
Do You Hear What I Hear
The song starts with multiple single voices echoing the song title. The
production is obviously more sophisticated than the last time they
recorded this on Angel Voices 3 back in the 1990’s. It’s a
pretty song and well done with lots of instrumental ornamentation. I
could see this one getting radio play.
In the Bleak Mid-Winter
The song started off as expected (with the added benefit of the
Libera-style instrumental and vocal flourishes) but with every verse I
was drawn in more and more. There is something special about Libera’s
take on this song and when the choir starts singing acapella the climax
of the song seems to be nearing, and then enter Dominik Clarke’s solo. His
voice is very pure and well suited to the song. Then suddenly the piece
is over much too abruptly and I am left wanting more. WOW. I love this
song.
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Likely the most controversial song on the album (akin to “Exsultate”).
First I want to say that regardless of what anyone thinks of the song
personally, the arrangement is undeniably brilliant in the way that the
song is constructed and the voices, beat, and instruments work together.
I’m going to have to say that I like it .
It’s catchy, unique, and fun. Clearly not meant to be a serious or
heart-wrenching composition, I like the playfulness of the song and its
design. My only critique is that it ends on 3 repeats of the same verse
which would work wonderfully in a live concert but is less advantageous
on a recording; but as far as critiques go that is a very mild one.
Dominik Clarke
Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)
Achingly beautiful with Dominik Clarke’s flawless solo (with all parts backed
by lower voices doing the “hmmmm” thing) elevating the song further.
This is clearly one of my favorites on the entire album. The gentle
ending to the song is a lullaby in and of itself to me. This is one of
those songs which I find so beautiful that I fear over-listening to the
piece lest the effect of it be somehow inextricably lost.
I Saw Three Ships
Upbeat and fun; this is also a brilliant arrangement combining the best
of the choral nature of the song with a more modern arrangement. This
one will get stuck in my head!
Walking in the Air
While I know that this is a classic song, it has never been a personal
favorite. I like it but I don’t love it type of thing. The arrangement
is fairly predictable in that there are no major deviations from
previous versions done by others and the song is well recorded. Luca is
absolutely stunning on this as the entire piece is basically him
soloing. I would enjoy hearing this performed live but it’s not going to
be a go-to song for me. Yet, Luca Brugnoli’s singing cannot be understated given
that he was only nine when he recorded that. That’s CRAZY!
Once in Royal David's City
The same arrangement as in this music video and very similar to previous recordings. A good, solid, and well-known song which Libera has always recorded well.
Carol of the Bells
Same arrangement as before with no marked changes so I will not comment further.
Oliver Watt-Rodriguez
O Little Town of Bethlehem
I didn’t think that I would like this song too much, but enter Oliver Watt-Rodriguez
starting off the song perfectly and suddenly it’s lifted up. The song
has a very peaceful quality which I greatly enjoyed, and the string
parts also elevate the piece nicely. The ending with Oliver’s voice
closing the song just as he opened it rounds out song for me and makes
it one to which I would return.
Poor Little Jesus
One of the best songs on the album. There is a solemnity and earnestness
in this song which touches the heart in a unique way. Without any of
the flourishes or the elaborate harmonies Libera often delivers, this
song has a sort of raw quality to it which I am having difficulty
categorizing; but which is very moving. Luca Brugnoli’s performance is incredible
too.
Luca Brugnoli
Noël Nouvelet
With French and English being intermingled this song stands out just
from that point of view. Also the explicit contrasting of the higher
notes with the lower ones using both the voices and instruments is a
cool feature. It’s an excellently done song and very catchy in it’s own
way. A favorite!
Silent Night
Sung a capella with the classic arrangement I can find no fault with this
song, other than the fact that I may never hear it sung live.
What Child is This
This is the same arrangement as on the Ireland live album. I
liked it a lot then and I like it a lot now. The soloists are solid on
this but I’m afraid that I miss Isaac London'’s voice which was so well suited
for this song. Although maybe I’m just so used to that version that it
will take me time to acclimate.
Wexford Carol
As this is one of my top Libera favorites I’ve looked forward to this
new recording for some time. There are no discernible differences
between this version and the last studio version; although the
instruments sound a bit clearer to me. Despite the fact that Tadhg Fitzgerald has a
great voice with a lovely gentle quality to it, I think I genuinely
prefer Isaac London’s voice on this piece. Tadhg’s voice is more breathy and
less sweet than Isaac’s; and while that is no dig on Tadhg, Isaac set
the bar so tremendously high on this song that I am doubtful that any
soloist will come along anytime soon to better his recording of “Wexford
Carol”.
Tadgh Fitgerald (top) and Isaac London
Gaudete
Identical to what was recorded previously on no less than four prior albums. Good song but no further comment is needed.
How to Get The Album Early
Per fan_de_LoK’s post on twitter you can now purchase the full album (Japanese version) at Ototoy with payment via Paypal available and no geographic restrictions. Thank you fan_de_LoK!!
The files are only available in FLAC or ALAC
formats rather than the traditional mp3 or m4a formats people are used
to. If you have trouble playing these I recommend using VLC (Windows,
iOS, MacOS, Linux) or if you prefer something a bit more high-end Aimp (Windows and Android) and Vox (MacOS and iOS) will do the trick.—Surpinto
On October 19th, a brilliantly detailed review of the same CD (on the Libera Dreams Forum) by filiarheni:
My review of the Japanese album, "Christmas With Libera". Since I don't
have the physical album yet, I'm not sure if there are soloists named
for Do You Hear What I Hear. If so, I'm going to add them later.
The Angel Gabriel
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Victor Wiggin
That's such a wonderful song I've been loving for a long time, and I'm
super-glad about them singing it. It begins with a slowly increasing
intro whose sound makes me feel warmer and warmer. It then features a
recorder, which here is considered as a typical Christmas instrument.
Victor sings it with a very mature voice - how well he has developed! -
and flawlessly. The arrangement places the typical Libera shine on the
song, for which I adore Libera, and couldn't be any more beautiful. The
ending puts sort of a symmetry to the song by a decreasing sound and
with the "Gloria" that had already started it.
In Dulci Jubilo
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
This is the quickest version of their three recordings of the song. The
slower one of Ireland made it more festive, a calm gladness, while this
quicker now is more dancing for joy. I still like the Armagh one better,
but both have their own charms. The arrangement, which I love, as it
perfectly sets the joyful lyrics to music, in general has remained the
same as in previous versions. Armagh's interlude after the third verse
has been enriched by playful garlands of alto choir vocalises. And I
really like the deeper voices which form a solid fundament to this
lively song.
In past times, I had found the song boring, as it's sung at each and
every Christmas in each and every church over here, and never knew I'd
be able to enjoy it, until I heard Libera's version at the Christmas
concert 2016. Perhaps this song is one of their best examples to show
how Libera can turn songs thought to be nothing into something
attractive and dear.
Do You Hear What I Hear
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solos: Div.
Yes, this belongs to my most favourite Christmas songs ever! Robert
seems to have read my mind in terms of the arrangement, as this is the
one of which I've always dreamt someone should write it: with lots of
voices echoing each other and echoing the echoes.
And wow - the beginning! The different solo voices, first individually
and getting all time to fade, then more and more mingling in those
echoes, the interesting harmonies added by the instruments and -
fabulous! - the deep voices with a somehow Gregorian touch. It's a
mesmerizing beginning I get lost in most pleasantly to then wake up to
the clear, straight song. Every verse is arranged differently and it's
very nice that different solo instruments as well as voices are featured
in the echo line. I personally enjoy the extended use of the clarinet.
The last verse is really majestic, fitting the words "Said the king to
the people everywhere" and puts a triumphant ending to the so nicely
developing lyrics. Magic song!
P.S. On the international CD version Do You Hear What I Hear will be the finalising one; appropriate for a great album.
In the Bleak Midwinter
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Dominik Clarke
A Libera song which makes me just sink down inside and surrender! So
much beauty, so very much peace and hope! Robert wrote an exceptional
arrangement here.
In the first verse, there's that impressive bourdon underlying the
unison singing, which, both combined, so excellently picture the earth
frozen in darkness, while there are already a few notes by the flute
like foreshadowing the light to come. But then the numb ice begins to
melt, movement and diverse harmonies join to bring in more and more
colour and the initial repellent status dissolves to warm friendliness.
The choir has a wonderfully streaming sound here, and in the third verse
there is a marvelous choral setting. Very well sung! This is followed
by Dominik's sweet solo verse, matching the song's gentleness. A very
rounded song in itself and deeply touching my soul.
Since Brighton and Moscow, I've been longing for hearing it again and I know exactly why!
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Arr.: Sam Coates
Okay. Okay, okay.
I admit that I find this song not as bad now that I've heard it in
full, which delivers the evidence that we should never judge
prematurely. At least not negatively. At least not if it's about Libera!
In fact, I must say that, despite disliking the song itself for being
just too "ding-dong", Sam Coates has written a very creative
arrangement, varying from verse to verse, which distinctly enhances its
value for me. I even have to more or less correct my snippet fear that
the song would sound too hasty. - Still, I don't like the beginning. The
second verse with the bass rhythm however is funny. Well, the whole
song made me laugh, and at the end where they got into a ding-dong loop I
was laughing so hard, I had to repeat this bit just for the purpose of
counting.
The song sounds as if Libera just made a break from work to simply have
some fun. It will sure not become a favourite of mine, but when I need
some laughter this may be my go-to song, and I mean that positively.
(Oh no, now I've looked up how I could translate "laughter that frees
the soul" and the dictionary says "liberating"! Ok then, let's call it a
Liberating song!
Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Dominik Clarke
An enchanting song in 3/4 time which pictures the child being rocked to
sleep. Libera's singing is so gentle here, it's amazing how sensitively
these boys are able to sing. Sam Coates's arrangement is full of
intimate care. But don't let yourself be deceived: The beauty fogs the
horrible suffering for Jesus to come which the lyrics refer to. What
does this extreme contrasting tell us? Maybe: You will go through pain,
but we already see the light behind it and at the end, there will be
eternal life and undestructable peace, which the last verse implies.
Definitely a very interesting composition and reinforced by Libera's
arrangement.
Dominik, I am at your feet for your solo on this! Your gracile voice
fits the song in the best way, it sounds soft and secure, and your
pronunciation technique is really good.
The song gives me the more goosebumps, the more it proceeds.
I Saw Three Ships
Arr.: Sam Coates
This is a fulminant piece of music, very well arranged by Sam Coates
with a rousing rhythmic structure. I was lucky enough to experience it
live twice and it's just so full of energy, already at the beginning,
but still growing along the song until its end. While its effect can
definitely be felt better in the live situation. Yet, I'm glad that now a
recording exists.
Walking in the Air
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Luca Brugnoli
How can I express how happy I am about Robert's decision to equip this
song, which is very dear to me, with a new arrangement and give it new
life. I had worked myself through many interpretations, but either the
soloist sounds too childish or the tempo is too slow or ... or ... This
one is the solution now in every regard I had longed for.
The intro features an echo effect by layering choir voices, building up
tension, before Luca's brightly shining voice enters. Luca ... I don't
have words enough to praise his outstanding voice, his splendid
technique! This is a gem of a solo! He is an absolutely amazing singer,
and his voice is already that of a much older boy, where others are at
their peak. Here, he is 9! His voice, containing a very nice slight
vibrato, sounds so natural, flows so self-evidently and is so
homogeneous that it makes the listener (wrongly) believe that there's
nothing easier in the world than singing. Precious!
The arrangement has the choir sound really angelic, quite appropriate
for a song close to Christmas time. The well-known instrumental
interludes are now performed by the choir. Their wave-like sound reminds
me of the sea and only now that they're vocal, I've got aware of that!
The intensifying effect happens through the choral voices. They play an
essential role and thus equal the solo. Often it's here the solo, there
the tutti, but here they complement each other to such a degree that one
is just not thinkable without the other.
Once in Royal David's City
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Victor Wiggin, Daniel White, Mathias Montoro
Victor starts off with the song alone, before Daniel and Mathias join
him for a very charming trio. It's a relaxed arrangement and it's the
simplicity which makes me profoundly enjoy the song. A moment of rest,
that's this song - until towards the end the "Libera blossom" breaks
through, finishing the song with soaring harmonies.
Carol of the Bells
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Isaac London, Alex Montoro, Lucas Wood
We know this recording already from "Santa Will Find You" (2015) and
"Libera at Christmas" (2016) with Isaac opening the song alone. As this
song receives a review after every Christmas concert, only a short one now:
Magnificent song; always, always mesmerizing me and listened to
countless times. Nothing can keep me away from it any time of the year -
I love Libera's interpretation!
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Oliver Watt-Rodríguez
After the snippet I thought: One song has to rank at the lower end of
the album and it will be this one. Yes, I still have no liking for the
song, due to the harmonies in the verses' first part which will be
responsible for skipping it, but Libera's arrangement rescues it in a
way. In fact, I really like the prelude, and I'm so glad to finally have
a recording of Oliver's voice. Although I find that he sounds even
better live. Hopefully there will be another album with a main solo by
Oliver once more and a song I like better.
Poor Little Jesus
Arr.: Sam Coates
Solo: Luca Brugnoli
A very elevating spiritual, sung a cappella, and radiating such calm
through the masterful vocal score! Here again, we have that description
of Jesus's predetermined way, but very differently set to music: It
tells us more through the tune and the harmonies - I'm enthusiastic
about the harmonies btw - and doesn't disguise it the way Sing Lullaby
does. I particularly like how Libera take all time needed to
thoughtfully convey the song's meaning. The entire song expresses an
undeviating hope that in the end all will turn out well. Very moving.
We have got another crystal-clear solo by Luca here.
Noël Nouvelet
Arr.: Sam Coates
Solo: Victor Wiggin, Oliver Watt-Rodríguez, Neo Parson
It's this song which caught my interest the most, when the snippets were
out. I'm very much inclined to this kind of music, mysterious as well
as pretty in tune and harmonies, transferring me to long past times. I
also like music being performed in their original languages, and so I'm
happy about Victor's beginning in French.
Super-diverse arrangement with something new all the time. The many
changes might even be too much for some listeners, but so far I like it,
as it is just such a pleasant sound throughout. Very nice trio by
Victor, Oliver and Neo, the use of bells, one of my favourite percussion
instruments, the variety in harmonies - there are plenty of parts in
the song that call my attention. One very personal thing: I'd have
preferred them to take the tempo a few bpm more slowly. That would have
underlined the song's elegance even better. Anyway, it does evoke the
idea of a courtly dance.
The song will be a frequent listen here and I'm looking forward to hearing it live in a Christmas concert!
Silent Night
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Luca Brugnoli, Benedict Bywater, Dominik Clarke, Mathias Montoro, Victor Wiggin
This is likely to be the most famous Christmas song of the world with
all kinds of interpretations; over here frequently sung at the end of
Christmas services with the electric light extinguished and singing by
candlelight only. Robert's a cappella arrangement of this totally
peaceful song is just stunning, performed by just five boys, which feels
like a reduction to the essential in life and furthermore emphasises
the extraordinary beauty of the song's melody. The boys are simply
amazing here! Another jewel on this album.
What Child is This
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Daniel White, Benedict Bywater
Usually I prefer "Greensleeves", but, oh Libera, what do you do all the
time? Taken again! What a very charming arrangement this is, it leans
strongly on the Armagh arrangement, but differs in some aspects like the
small, but refined new choral and instrumental transitions to the
second verse and later to the flute interlude before the third verse. A
safe solo, then duet by Daniel and Benedicts starts the song. The music
increases in movement according to the lyrics: I can literally picture
the three kings to first wonder carefully, almost whispering to not
disturb, then get aware, in awe, of the hope and happiness just brought
to the world, after this unpack their gifts and jubilate, and finally
withdraw to let the child get back to rest.
Wexford Carol
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Solo: Tadhg Fitzgerald
There exist pieces of music which simply feel like caressing and this
song belongs to them. No wonder that it's my favourite Christmas song
since I met it through Libera.
The arrangement has remained almost the same as in the earlier versions,
while I do miss the mystic flute prelude of Armagh which prepares me so
well for the song's meditative character, supported by the swaying
harmonies. The whole Libera interpretation unfailingly places me into a
mood of calm contentment. I once wrote that Wexford Carol is
a synonym for "atmosphere" and yes, this just is it, this will never
change. The Gaelic language attracts me in particular, and although I
have long hopelessly fallen for Isaac London's interpretation of this song and
the successor is forced to step into big shoes, Tadhg has delivered a
fine solo here.
Oh dear, I have really troubles to break away from this song now to proceed with the review.
Gaudete
Arr.: Robert Prizeman
Samuel-Francis Collins
And here we have the recorded solo by Sam I've been waiting for! His
voice is clear and shining, I'm very pleased. I like it that the
instrumental accompaniment during his part was shifted more to the
foreground in this recording, which gives it more attention and for me
has almost a character of a partnership between solo voice and
instruments. The arrangement is very much the same as earlier, while
there have always been some minor modifications and this time that
strongly syncopated part was prolonged. Again, I love the deep voices in
this song.
_______________________________
The album is a highly well-balanced mix of songs once again with very
creative arrangements, and so there can be no doubt that there wil be
something to greatly enjoy for everyone. Its overall sound is
resplendent, very pleasant to listen to. The title is somewhat boring
though; I'd have liked the suggestion of one of the boys interviewed in
Garden Grove: "Christmas around the World", as there are songs from
America, Austria, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Ukraine,
possibly Finland/Sweden (Gaudete).
This time, a special shoutout goes to Sam Coates: I am very happy with
his arrangements on this CD! They show another dimension, compared to
his previous ones, which were all so flourishing, but now there appears
more than ever his capability of fully serving a song's inner meaning.
Congratulation to Libera and all others involved on this album! Libera
has remained entirely true to themselves, and that makes me more than
glad. —filiarheni
JAPAN TOUR: FALL 2019
Arrival in Japan: Tadgh Fitzgerald, ?, Dominik Clarke, Cassius Collard, Calam Tamana, Joe Cranitch, Oliver Watt-Rodriguez
Rivera (Libera) Japan Official @liberarecords · 9h Rivera arrived in Japan safely!Everybody is well.The concert will start from the day after tomorrow!See you in the hall!#LIBERA #Ribera #Angelvoicestour #Bunkamura #Cube Osaka #Orchard Hall #Christmas
Laurence Davey, Daniel White, Nathaniel Bates-Fisher
Frederick Mushrafi, Taichi Shinokubo, AlexGula, Matthias Montoro
Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz, Cassius Collard, Ethan Barron
LIBERA Angel Voices Tour 2019 10/21 (Monday) Tokyo 19:00 performance 10/22 (Tuesday) Tokyo 15:00 performance 10/25 (Friday) Osaka 19:00 performance
A MESSAGE FROM PATRICK
Official
goods of the tour have been presented on the Libera Records website.
New this year: printed Blankets, white or green (top of the image)
¥2500. Size 95 cm * 65 cm
Limited edition: only 150 of each are available.
The concert program has 36 pages and includes 71 photos (the one at the center of the image, with same cover as the CD)
¥1500
T- shirt - ¥2500
Clear files, two types, A and B (the two at the right of the image, exposed on both sides)
¥500
Limited edition. Only 500 of each are available
Candle
¥3000
Limited edition, only 70 available. Perfume is lavender.
Chorus Sheet music, song is 'For the Future'
¥1000
Clockwise from TopL: Calam Tamana. Koji Shinkubo, Samuel-Francis Collins, Alexandre Menuet.
CONCERT #1: TOKYO Bunkamura Orchard Hall; October 21st
SONG LIST 1 - Do you Hear What I Hear
2 - Sanctus
3 - In the Bleak Midwinter
4 - Angel
5 - The Angel Gabriel
6 - From A Distance
7 - In Paradisum
8 - Stay With Me
9 - Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)
10 - Poor Little Jesus
11 - Ding Dong Merrily On high
Interval
12 - Carol of the Bells
13 - Angele Dei
14 - Walking in the Air
15 - Gaudete
16 - For the Future
17 - Wexford Carol
18 - Libera
19 - Silent Night
20 - In Dulci Jubilo
21 - (encore) I saw Three Ships
SINGERS: Ethan Barron Leo Barron Nathaniel Bates-Fisher Luke Batteson Dalpiaz (new) Luca Brugnoli Benedict Bywater Dominik Clarke Cassius Collard Samuel-Francis Collins Joe Cranitch (returned) Laurence Davey Tadgh Fitzgerald John Gardener Alex Gula Peter Kielty Alexandre Menuet Matthias Montoro Frederick Mushrafi Oliver Mycka Kojo Shinokubo Taichi Shinokubo Jack Spicha Calam Tamana Laurence Taylor Rocco Tesei Oliver Watt-Rodriguez Daniel White Victor Wiggin
(It was noted that Ben Wevill had officially left the group)
BRIEF COMMENTS BY JOHN45
Brilliant concert in Tokyo this evening.
No first night nerves. No jet-lag slip-ups.
My highlights:
Do you Hear What I Hear - brilliant opening with soloists positioned at
different parts of the stage repeating the opening lines.
Angel Gabriel - wonderful performance by Victor Wiggin.
Sing Lullaby - magnificently led by Dominik Clarke.
Poor Little Jesus - now a firm favorite
Ding Dong Merrily on High - what can I say, the complexity, the discipline, the sheer
joy. Don't take any notice of Patrick. This is another masterpiece from
Sam Coates.
Walking in the Air - move over Aled Jones you have been eclipsed by nine-year-old Luca Brugnoli. What a voice; such purity, such control, pitch
perfect.
For the Future - a perfect showcase for the soloists.
The Wexford Carol - confident and flawless performance from Tadhg Fitzgerald, and I
must also mention Eimear McGowan's beautiful accompaniment on flute,
etc.
Silent Night - exquisite a capella performance especially from Ben Bywater who
harmonized so perfectly with Luca Brugnoli. Should also mention that Ben was the
soloist for Gaudete and did a great job.
I Saw Three Ships - a much anticipated encore.
Some oddities: Why did they (apart from Luca) kneel for "Walking in the
Air". Why wasn't Moose introduced to the audience (he was on stage).
Wrap-Up by Patrick
Program photo by Patrick
REVIEW OF OCTOBER 21 CONCERT BY JUSTIN
I was genuinely surprised regarding their lack of jetlag.
As the first performance of their 2019 Japan tour, they have managed to
set the bar very high! Virtually no mishaps/out-of-tune to speak of. The
concert venue was packed to the rafters, and the merchandise and post
concert M&G queues were long.
Now on to my impressions of some of the songs:
(1) Do You Hear What I hear: Absolutely excellent. I
have liked this song for quite a long time, even before Libera released
this revamped version. I particularly like the part when they turned up a
notch in volume and energy after the words 'said the king to the people
everywhere...". All the voices, particularly the low voices of Peter Kielty,
Leo Barron, Alex Gula and Taichi Shinokubo, joined in for the dramatic climax - a beautiful
explosion of light and sound. Glorious!
(2) Angel: This famous song was sung nicely by Daniel White.
Comparisons are bound to be made between Daniel and Isaac London. Who
did it better? Perhaps Isaac, in my opinion, by just a tiny bit. But
Daniel is certainly no slouch, and he has a way of singing - softly and
sweetly - that is so endearing. Well done Daniel!
(3) Angel Gabriel & From a Distance:
Victor Wiggin did the solos for both. I must say that Victor had some
difficulty with the former. He was unable to hit one or two of the high
notes, and ran out of breath for one of the longer notes. I'm happy to
say that he did much better with the latter! It appears to me that
Victor's lower register seems to be easier for him to reach than his
higher register, and that he sounds beautiful doing lower notes, whereas
his high notes are a bit breathy. Still, a pretty good performance from
Victor overall, and I'm sure he'll improve in the next two concerts.
(4) Stay With Me: It's Oliver Mycka again for this
nice, peaceful song. He's been singing the solo lines for this for what
seems like ages, and once again he has delivered them confidently.
Pleasure to hear him sing. I wonder if he'll get other solos? Would be a
nice change
(5) Sing Lullabye: One of my favourite songs for this
musical evening. Dominik Clarkehas always been a strong soloist, and he
carried this song by virtue of his beautifully confident and strong
voice. I've always loved seeing him sing, he's very expressive and it's
clear that he feels the flow of the music. He has lung capacity in
abundance and reaches the highs and lows of this song effortlessly. As
I closed my eyes and listened to him sing, I felt myself gradually
being lulled into peaceful slumber. Great lullaby, indeed.
(6) Poor Little Jesus: Brilliant, brilliant work from
Luca Brugnoli. Sorry for gushing about him over and over again, on social media
and elsewhere, but he really amazes me. I'm sure all of us who attended
the US concerts can attest to his vocal talents, and once again, he has
proved himself here in Japan. This soft and slow American spiritual
starts off nicely with the joint voices of the entire choir, and just
like a slow flowing river, the beautiful tune meanders on. At the very
end, Luca's voice floats above the rest smoothly and elegantly, like
fine wine that delights the palette but does not overwhelm.
(7) Ding Dong Merrily on High: I'm gonna say it. I love this song. (cue collective groans and 'never!') But hey, we all like different styles of music, so this 'pop-ish'
song is bound to be divisive among us. The boys were formed in a wide
arc facing the audience. The boys were visibly very happy while singing,
bouncing their "ohhh's", "lalala's" and "ding dong's" off each other
like it was a mad game of ping-pong.
You can literally visualise the
sound jumping from the left of the arc, to the right of the arc, down
the middle and then off the sides of the arc again. Supported by the
chiming of the bells and energetic beat of the drums, this song is a
highly energetic, rhythmic and complex seasonal piece that should not be
missed. Even Rocco Tesei and Tadhg Fitzgerald were laughing along at one point.
Certainly not to be missed in live performance.
(8) Carol of the Bells: A regular in Christmas
concerts, Cassius Collard did the final "ding dong.... that is the song". Isn't
it funny that both old Cassius and new Cassius are in charge of that
line? Still, very enjoyable performance of a classic Libera piece.
(9) Walking in the Air: I shall not repeat what I have
already said about Luca Brugnoli. The set-up of the performance was like this:
the other boys were kneeling in lines behind Luca, who was the only one
standing at the front. Luca, being only nine, is fairly short. Some of the
older, taller boys at the back were almost as tall as him, despite the
kneeling.
Regarding his singing, I will only say that it was studio
quality. Sounded virtually the same, in fact. My only suggestion would
be to raise the volume of his mic or ask Luca to sing slightly louder
next concert, so that we can enjoy his solo (which to be honest, was
practically the entire song) even more. Well done to the other boys for
supporting him as well.
(8) Wexford Carol: Great stuff from Tadhg Fitzgerald. The intro
was in Irish, as is customary. I can't comment on his pronunciation, but
in terms of the overall sound, I liked it a lot. Tadhg sings
confidently and has a generally pleasing voice. I think I detected a
hint of vibrato, which was probably natural and not deliberate on his
part.
(9) Libera: This song is pretty much customary for
every Libera concert, so why is it a highlight for me this time? Neo Parson is
the key. He was an absolute revelation for me. I couldn't believe my
ears when he sung the high notes which were previously done by Samuel-Francis Collins . He projected those notes resonantly and beautifully! Why haven't we heard more from Neo? Pretty please, Mr. Prizeman.
(10) Silent Night: A popular christmas carol performed
entirely acapella by a group of five boys - Luca Brugnoli, Ben Bywater, Matthias Montoro, Victor Wiggin and
Dominik Clarke. We heard this last Christmas in the UK, and the general
consensus among attendees was that it was gorgeous. It certainly was
gorgeous, but I must say that it's been taken up a notch again this
time. I couldn't tell from the CD who it was that duetted with Luca at
the start of the piece, but now it's clear - Ben Bywater.
Luca was great
starting the piece off, but Ben really stood out. His slightly lower
harmony line provided the essential contrast with the melodic line, and
he pulled it off beautifully. Add in Matthias (who also sang
confidently) after that and the song already sounds very rounded and
balanced. Victor and Dominik provided additional help at the second half
of the song, and the tune was essentially perfect at that point.
Brilliant!!
(11) I saw Three Ships: Glad that this was included as
encore!!! Another rhythmic piece, delivered impressively by the whole
gang. I couldn't help nodding and tapping my feet along with them. I
hope the person next to me didn't mind. Sorry!
P.S. Kudos to Taichi-kun and Koji-kun for translating the speeches, and
to the boys who had to wait patiently while they translated. The
speeches were rather long, and I'm surprised to see that not too many of
the boys were fidgeting. Some (quickly stifled) yawns were spotted
though.—JUSTIN
Also on October 21st, an online posting for a Libera concert in London on December 3rd in St. John's Smith Square, an 18th-century church restored post-WWII as a concert hall.
St John's Smith Square is a redundant church in the centre of Smith Square, Westminster, London. Sold to a charitable trust as a ruin following firebombing in the Second World War, it was restored as a concert hall.
This Grade I listed church was designed by Thomas Archer and was completed in 1728 as one of the so-called Fifty New Churches. It is regarded as one of the finest works of English Baroque architecture, and features four corner towers and monumental broken pediments. It is often referred to as 'Queen Anne's
Footstool' because as legend has it, when Archer was designing the
church he asked the Queen what she wanted it to look like. She kicked
over her footstool and said 'Like that!', giving rise to the building's
four corner towers.
On October 22nd, Libera officially released a YouTube (audio only) of "Walking in the Air," with Luca Brugnoli soloing
CONCERT #2: Tokyo, Shibuya Bunkamura Orchard Hall, October 22nd
On October 22nd, an online review from a Japanese website, JIJI.COM (Translation by GoogleTranslate): Current affairs dot com news
PR TIMES
A little early Christmas night when the angels came down! LIBERA Angel Voices Tour 2019 opens
[Wisteria Project Inc.]
LIBERA, an English boy choir who fascinated people all over the world with "Angel's singing voice", started the "LIBERA Angel Voices Tour 2019" Tokyo performance on October 21 at Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The concert tour will be held with the latest album “Christmas with LIBERA” on sale, and the Tokyo performance will be held for two days on the 21st and 22nd (Tuesday / Holiday). On October 25th (Friday), Osaka will perform in Osaka, Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka International Conference Hall Main Hall), and members will deliver “angels' songs” directly. At the concert, “Do you hear what I hear?” And “Sanctus” were performed, and the venue was changed to a sacred place in an instant, inviting the audience to a strict space. It was.
In MC, Daniel [White] "Hello. Welcome to our concerts. Also, come to this wonderful country, I am very happy. Rugby, and is honored to come to the time of the ceremony of the new Emperor of the coronation Rei main hall" and greetings. In addition, “There are many children who came last year, but there are also many first children in Japan, such as 9-year-old Luka [Brugnoli], Luke [Battesen-Dalpiaz], and Lawrence [Davey],” said Koji [Shinokubo]. I sing a lot of Christmas songs. "
Foreground: Koji Shinokubo; Background: Matthias Montoro, Oliver Mycka,and Daniel White
After that, they sang songs that color the holy night, such as “In the bleak mid-winter”, “Angel miracle / Angel”, “Angel Gabriel”. There are also spectators who warm up their eyes with their white robes and transparent singing voices.
Daniel said, “Here we sing two Christmas Carols from the new album. The first is an old American song and the second is a new arrangement for the well-known Carol“ Ding dong merrily on high ”. That ’s the first time this week is the first time to sing at a concert, ”he said, singing“ Poor little Jesus ”and“ Ding dong merrily on high ”. At the end of the first part, Daniel commented, “I will take a short break after this. We can also drink to avoid spilling into this white, clean robe.” .
The second part started with "Carol of the bells". After "Angel Dei", "Walking in the air" and "Gaudete", Joseph [Cranitch] says "Next special song" For the future-Tomorrow "" "For us, the lyrics are very special songs in Japanese. I hope you can understand them with our pronunciation," he said, "Tomorrow to the future / For the future."
Soloists for "For the Future"
In addition, Victor [Wiggin] said, “The concert is nearing the end, but before that, we will sing the most famous Christmas carols in the world,” “Silent Night” and “Indulci.” "Jubio" is sung. At the encore, after singing “I saw three ships”, members and the audience took a commemorative photo with the audience seats backed by Koji ’s suggestion, “Let ’s take a picture together!” A total of 21 songs, about 2 hours of “a little early Christmas night” was delivered to the audience.
(Text: Ken Harada) (Photo: Daisuke Akita)
Tadgh Fitzgerald and Luca Brugnoli in foreground
`` LIBERA Angel Voices Tour 2019 '' [Tokyo Performance] October 22 (Tuesday / Holiday) 14:00 Open 15:00 Start Tokyo, Shibuya Bunkamura Orchard Hall [Osaka Performance] October 25 (Friday) 18:00 Open 19:00 Start Osaka Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka International Convention Center Main Hall)
Latest album "Christmas with LIBERA" Release date: 2019.10.16 Product Number: LIBE-0012 Production / Release: Libera Records / Wisteria Project For sale: Libera Records
On October 23rd, a note from Maartendas:
At the fan club event, the boys showed great appreciation of all the
support they receive. They were also very engaged in a competitive team
game and in making their own Christmas decorations.
Due to a traffic jam, the boys arrived quite late but the fans waited
patiently. After some Q&A, the activities sparked everyone's energy.
The event ended with another group photo - a theme of this tour.
One last stop to go: Osaka.
On October 24th, A REPORT ON THE FAN-CLUB MEET-&-GREET VIA TWEETS FROM JUSTIN
A
friend asked if I could give a bit more additional info about the
Q&:
A
Japanese fan asked, after a long introduction of how she was so
impressed with Libera being able to perform and still sit through long
M&G sessions afterwards, if it was more difficult for them to cope
with M&G or with the singing. "M&Gs are fine" was the quick
answer.
Pretty
fun event, starting off with a Q&A, with questions like “do you
have any free time between concerts”, “what Christmas songs do you like
the most”, “what do you do with the free time”, “are M&Gs more
difficult to cope with than
singing in a concert”. The boys responded casually and candidly, some
of them offering extended answers and insights.
Apparently, the boys
love playing video games (nothing new there ), there’s a rivalry between Leo Barron, Rocco Tesei and perhaps even Sam Collins on ‘Clash Royale’, and that the
boys have been actively following the Rugby World Cup and there have
been some rivalries as well due to the boys’ different preferences for
the teams (some boys immediately countered, rather adamantly, that
that’s incorrect. Only Tadhg Fitzgerald, Rocco Tesei, and Victor Wiggin were ACTUALLY following
the World Cup).
With the Q&A over, it was games time. The boys were
divided into 4 teams, named after several famous composers. They were
then pitched against each other in a game of ‘pass the hoop’.
After the hoop game, which Rocco’s team promptly won,
there was a DIY Christmas bauble activity, where the boys had to create
their own custom baubles to hang on a small Christmas tree to the
right of the stage. Fans were allowed to take photos and interact with
the boys for that activity. At the end, there was a nice group photo.
Regarding activities they've done in their free time so far, Leo Barron mentioned that they went to do some water-related activities and also played a bit of footie. Neo Parson jumped in to say that they took a train to an activitiy centre of some sort that was "quite far away" to play with water
and had some climbing bars for them to clamber up and down. Leo then
mentioned they were sometimes allowed "device time". I'm sure we all
know what that means
Regarding
favourite Christmas songs, I'm only able to recall Tadhg Fitzgerald's and Cassius Collard's
responses. I couldn't quite catch what Daniel White said, but it was
apparently a song/carol that Libera rarely sings, but he just likes it. Cassius's favorite is 'Carol of the Bells'. To quote him, "I like the crescendos in the song, when we have to sing louder gradually. I also like to hold the long notes." Was it Neo Parson or Koji Shinokubo who said he liked Silent Night or Ding Dong? My memory fails at this point.
He liked the
Christmas-sy feel of the tune. Tadhg likes christmas carols in general.
He understands that Japanese fans may not appreciate the significance
of the song due to cultural differences, but he's thankful that Japanese
fans respect the western tradition of singing carols. —Justin
MORE M&G DETAILS FROM PATRICK:
Yesterday at the libera M&G with Fan club members, boys played a game being devided in 4 teams of 8, competing 2 by 2 (yes, 29 <> 32, so 3 boys played in different teams). They hold hands each other in a line. Goal was to pass the fastest through a hoop, from a side to the other.
To pass through the hoop without using the hands connected to the neighbor, they had to contort, pass the head and shoulders, then the legs, the fastest possible.
Boys were very energetic and enthusiastic and competitive, cheering each victory with great joy, bounces and high 5s.
At the end, the winning team was composed of Rocco Tesei, Tadhg Fitzgerald, Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz, Jack Spicha, Ethan Barron, Cassius Collard, Oliver Mycka and Victor Wiggin.
At the M& G with the Fan Club members, theboys introduced themselves, saying their age:
Laurence Davey 9,
Luca Brugnoli 9,
Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz 9,
Cassius Collard 10,
Daniel White 10,
Frederick Mushrafi 10, Jack Spicha 10,
Koji Shinokubo 10,
Alexandre Menuet 11,
Calam Tamana 11,
Ethan Barron 11,
Johnny Gardener 11,
Laurence Taylor 11,
Victor Wiggin 11,Dominik Clarke 12
,Joe Cranitch 12,
,Matthias Montoro 12, Neo Parson 12,
Oliver Mycka 12,
Oliver Watt-Rodriguez, 12
Samuel-Francis Collins 12,
Tadhg Fitzgerald 12,
Ben Bywater 13,
Nathaniel Bates-Fisher 13,
Peter Kielty 13,
Alex Gula 14,
Leo Barron 14,
Rocco Tesei 14,
Taichi Shinokubo 14.
—PATRICK
CONCERT #3 Osaka Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka International Convention Center Main Hall) October 25th
Concert ended. Fantastic performance. New standing ovation.
Changes since Tokyo2:
Ben Bywater replaced by Dominik Clarke among the 5 of the intro of "Do You Hear What I Hear."
Tadhg Fitzgerald doing the solo intro on "Gaudete. "The most beatiful I ever heard! Wow!! "Silent Night" was not performed tonight. —Patrick
ON OCTOBER 25TH, Furby at the Libera Passion site posted the latest touring roster. Missing this tour: Romeo Tesei, Felipe Jackson, and Nicholas Taylor.
Screenshot: the five newest members of the touring group
On October 26th, a REVIEW OF A LIBERA FAN'S JAPAN EXPERIENCES, a lovely detailed and personal account by Maartendas
So, here’s my take on the Japan tour. Be warned, it’s a long read.
In short:
1) All the songs with Dominik Clarke’s solos were highlights for me
2) The setlist was a great mix of moving songs and upbeat ones (tears and smiles)
3) The lighting deserves special credit
4) Apparently you can’t mouth the words and expect to go unnoticed.
Here a song-by-song review, taking in all three nights and some anecdotes from the signing line.
Do You Hear what I Hear?
Oliver Watt-Rodriguez started out this song on his own. In Osaka I asked
him what it’s like to start each concert on his own and his reply was
that it’s allright. Sometimes there are nerves, but not really. On came
different voices. In Tokyo the first night I was really pleased to hear
Alex Gula again, I could hear him really well as I was seated in the second
row.
Sanctus
This sounded very light to me, bright and open. Seated on the left side
in Osaka, I had a wonderful stereo effect with parts coming from all
sides to my ears. It shone for me that night.
In the Bleak Midwinter
The song that moved me each night. Dominik Clarke’s solo, the solemn melody,
the profound lyrics… In Tokyo the second night I was seated perfectly
centered for the main solos and so also for Dominik. It was like he was
telling me something profound straight from his heart. Just the way he
expresses the words when he sings. I told him in Tokyo he sings from the
heart and he agreed
His voice also had a fragility in it which made me think of Earth’s
atmosphere. A thin veil, protecting us. Delicate is the right word, I
think.
Angel
Daniel White sang this one with perfect ease and joy each night. Very
pleasant. I must mention the lighting for this song which was fantastic.
At ‘Voces angelorum’ the second half of the arc of lights came swooping
down over the boys and cast them in a warm glow. At the end of the song
they swooped back up again. Like a visit of an angel.
The Angel Gabriel
Following the song "Angel" and the lighting for that song, this was a
perfect follow-up, a song about the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary,
announcing that she would be the mother of Jesus. I was struck in Osaka
by the intro: the boys singing "Gloria" but almost in the dark, with grey
lights, mysterious. As if the actual ‘gloria’ has not yet come to Earth.
Perfectly fitting the theme of the song. I thought this arrangement to
be very dramatic, telling the story of Gabriel and Mary. In Tokyo, I
thought Victor had some difficulty with his voice at first, but he
recovered very well and this brought a smile to his face. I complimented
him on this and he acknowledged it again with a smile.
In Osaka I loved to hear all the layers of the different parts coming together.
From a Distance
In Tokyo, this made me sentimental. How time flies… Many songs get new
soloists but suddenly I missed Merlin Brouwer particularly on this one. Not to
take anything at all away from Victor, who does a splendid job with his
shining voice. But it made me think to appreciate each moment as they go
by so quickly...
After the first night, the song was changed with a group singing the
solo part. Victor apparently had a cough which would be the reason for
this change. Personally I missed the solo part, somehow it works less
for me when this part is sung by a group. However, this is usually a
song that moves me and I enjoy the simple staging of the boys all facing
the audience straight.
In Paradisum
One of the definite highlights of each night. Oliver Watt-Rodriguez has
such a versatile voice: from piercing high notes to grandiose lower
notes. He sings with great musical feeling and when he sang the word
‘Jerusalem’ it was immensely powerful and overwhelming for me. In Osaka
the part of ‘quando paupere’ truly moved me and I absolutely loved,
loved, loved the harmonising with Dominik, especially the final ‘In
paradisum’ they sang together. The red lighting in this song added to the drama and worked really well.
Stay with Me I felt so proud for Oliver Mycka that his song is still on the set list after
such a long time! In Osaka I felt his voice is now in full bloom. I was
amazed! Even after all these times. It has been a wonderful journey
hearing him sing this and in Osaka he absolutely nailed it for me.
Special mention should also go to Luca Brugnoli, whose vocalises in Osaka were
like a butterfly dancing through my ears.
I mention soloists a lot but this is not to take away anything from the
group. In Tokyo, the first night, I was caught each time by the
harmonies and the group effort. In Osaka, seated left again, I made a
point to really look at the group on that side and watch them harmonise,
provide backing for the soloists and take their part in the whole. It
is only through the whole that the sound of Libera comes alive! By
watching boys like Koji Shinokubo, Laurence Taylor, Cassius Collard, Freddie Mushrafi and Jack Spicha, I noticed
there were so many backing parts I never noticed before! Much much
kudos to all the dedicated boys in the background who get too little
attention in the limelight.
Sing Lullaby
In Osaka this was the emotional highlight for me. After Dominik Clark’s solo –
which ends with that low note on ‘weeping’ – I felt a tear roll down my
cheek. (I was lucky to be able to tell him this in person afterwards).
I think this is not an easy solo to master but he sings it like a
champion. Overall I was impressed by Dominik’s stage presence, also in
the group, often forming a golden duo with Luca on soaring descants. But yes, Sing lullaby… what can I say? Those words… that solo… shivers.
Poor Little Jesus
I loved the dynamics in this one, when they sing ‘Come down all ye holy
angels’ and Luca Brugnoli’s bright solo. I also enjoyed how the back-row voices
added colour.
Luca Brugnoli
Ding Dong Merrily on High Eager to hear this one for myself after all the debate. What can I say,
it is such great fun! Daniel White explained at length in his speech the
difficulty of this tongue twister but also the fun and the pride of
singing this brand new arrangement in concert for the very first time.
It really makes you appreciate their effort when you see them sing all
the different parts right in front of you – and see the joy on their
faces while they’re singing it. Bravo! My favourite part was Dominik’s
"Gloria."
On the first night, something in the audience made Rocco Tesei laugh, which added to the cheerful mood of the song.
INTERVAL
Carol of the Bells
This started the second half of the concert in grey light, very
mysterious, and spooky sounds, like something dark was happening. And
then: Hark how the bells… Bright voices coming to light. Joyful
Christmas! A really energetic and dynamic song, a great way to start the
second half. On this song Ben Bywater and Neo Parson sang the high solo vocalises, only in Osaka Ben
was replaced by Oliver Watt-Rodriguez, who did a great job. Ben apparently had a
sore throat so let’s hope he has recovered already while I’m writing
this.
At one point on my first night in Tokyo I caught Cassius Collard’ eye while I
was mouthing the words, as I tend to do. It turned out during the
m&g that some other boys, like Calam Tamana and Luke Batteson Dalpiaz had also noticed this
habit of mine. I told them that’s so I can help them with the lyrics, should they forget them. I also tend to move my head to the beat sometimes, especially with the upbeat songs and they had also noticed that.
Cassius sang the last line and I noticed in Osaka that he prolonged the
final sentence: ‘That is their song’. A nice improvement, I thought – it
marks the closing of the song in a stronger way than by singing it very
short.
Angele Dei
A wonderful addition to the set list. Dominik Clarke in front, all boys folding
their hands and standing in two arcs (as with several other songs, like
"Angel"). The supporting voices arced around the solo in curving shapes
like angels’ wings. The way Dominik sang the high note of ‘Abide’ was
like a rocket launch straight to the heavens among the angels. His
‘Amen’ in Osaka was to me especially beautiful – held for a long time,
perfectly polished and mild in sound, coloured deep blue with a golden
edge. In fact, in Osaka the whole song sounded near to perfection for
me.
The lighting for this song was also fantastic, swooping golden beams when they sang ‘Illumina’...
Walking in the Air
The first time I heard this live was absolutely magical, transporting me
to another place. No other way to describe it. Seated second row on the
left, I had a perfect side view of Luca, surrounded by kneeling boys
and bathed in deep blue light. His solo was crystal clear and the
backing was completely solid. The entire song, a fairytale, became real
in imagination and sound. I was moved to tears.
Gaudete
A fiery, energetic song that got me moving in my seat! I am amazed how
the boys remember all that Latin! Ben Bywater sang the opening solo in Tokyo but
was replaced by Tadhg Fitzgerald in Osaka. Tadhg’s version was splendid – flowing
and glowing is how I would describe it. Another song where I enjoyed the coming together of all the different parts and the rhythm of it.
Calam Tamana caught my eye the second night and I should mention him anyway as
his smile is so charming and radiant. I especially love the fact that he
often smiles this smile AFTER he sang a line, which I suppose is a sign
that he genuinely enjoys what he’s doing.
For the Future
A song with many solo parts and unfortunately in Tokyo the ‘different
language’ parts were barely audible. In Osaka this was luckily changed
(I guess by a technical solution to balance the sound). As for the
‘regular’ soloists, I found Daniel White and Oliver Watt-Rodriguez really matured in their
delivery. (especially Oliver’s last bit on the second night) As for the
song as a whole, it sounded very warm to me.
Wexford Carol
Speaking of warm: this song was a wonderful evocation of a sunlit
morning on a green meadow… Eimear McGeown’s flute, the vocalises… the bright,
warm lights… I could just bask in this song forever… Superb! In Tokyo,
Tadhg Fitzgerald’s voice reminded me of a hot drink with a bit of spice, so I
thought: chai latte. I told him so in the signing line, to which Ben Bywater (who was seated next to him) replied: "I thought more of a flat white."
Libera
Their proud signature song. Tadhg Fitzgerald and Neo Parson, as in Arundel, sang the duet
and Neo also sang the ‘aeterna’ parts. In Osaka I watched him as he
stood at the front of the stage and really sang his heart out – focused,
full of force and with a soaring voice. Very impressive! His
harmonising with Tadhg was lovely.
In Osaka, Tadhg had had some difficulty with "Wexford Carol," it seemed,
but he picked himself up again splendidly on Libera, which caused a huge
beaming smile on his face which stayed there for the rest of the
concert. He should be real proud of himself.
Silent Night
Only five boys to sing this one. Luca Brugnoli in the middle (small boy between the big lads ).
Ben Bywater then joined him in harmonising so beautifully, Matthias Montoro joined and
then Daniel White and Victor Wiggin (Tokyo 1) and Dominik Clarke (Tokyo 2). (No "Silent Night"
in Osaka) This is my ultimate favourite Christmas song and has so much
meaning. A song of fragility, warmth and peace. To hear Libera sing it,
in Robert Prizeman’s arrangement, on the anniversary of my mother’s passing was a
unique experience.
In Dulci Jubilo
The concert ended with great joy. Eimear McGeown and Jon Ormston, the percussionist,
joined the boys at the front of the stage on either end. A colourful,
joyful performance, again with all the different parts mixing together
so beautifully.
Encore: I Saw Three Ships When this started as encore in Tokyo I was so happily surprised! Double joy.
It also showed on the boys’ faces. I happened to catch Cassius Collard’s eye
again as he sang the part about Bethlehem and I was mouthing along, as I
tend to do. It was great fun to ‘sing together’ like that and he smiled
with his eyes.
A great encore, I think, to send the audience home, happy and perhaps slightly dancing. (I know I almost was.)
After this, the queue would form for the m&g, which went smoothly, I
think. In Tokyo it felt more relaxed than in Osaka, though.
Ben Bywater, Freddie Mushrafi, Sam Collins, Oliver Mycka, Alexandre Menuet, Laurence Taylor
The boys were divided in two groups and a ticket for the signing line
(obtained by spending at least 3000 yen on merchandise) gave access to
one group. If you had bought two tickets, you could go twice and get all
the boys’ signatures on one night – and of course say hi and chat to all
of them. It was sometimes challenging to find out who was in which
group and to decide which group to join. This is a bit stressful, I
think, but it worked out well for me in the end. I am grateful for these
small moments of fun interaction.
I am also grateful for the time spent with other international fans,
Japanese and otherwise. Music can do so much to move us and create many
precious memories. I am sure that the boys, like me, will take many of
such memories home with them—Maartendas On October 31st, a tweet from Libera:
On November 1st, fan Steve Walker revisited an article on the Daily Echo online site from a year ago:
South London vocal group tops Japan’s classical chart
By
Press Association 2019
A singer from Libera with a fan
A choral group of youngsters from South London has topped the classical music charts in Japan.
Libera
– which is made up of singers aged between seven and 16 – is number one
on Japan’s SoundScan classical weekly chart with their album, Beyond.
Charles Kennedy, of the band’s UK
label Invisible Hands Music, said: “After all their hard work, seeing
Libera plant a Union Jack at the top of the charts in Japan, the world’s
second biggest music market, is immensely gratifying.
“This sales triumph, following their Top 20 chart performance in the USA, is a win for British exports.”
Daitetsu Kuroki of Sony Music in Japan, said: “Libera’s music is hugely popular on the Japanese music scene. After
every Japanese concert there is a long line of enthusiastic fans
wanting the boys’ autographs; 3,000 people attended their Tokyo
performances!”
Beyond comes hot on the heels of Libera’s globally successful 2017 Hope album.
The
group has just completed a series of live shows in Japan and they are
due to perform concerts in the UK and Russia at Christmas.
On November 11th, Part Three of Libera's 2019 Summer Tour Blog appeared, full of humor and interesting details:
On November 17th, looking back to early October, Philippines podcaster James Neil devoted 24 minutes to a lively and informed choosing of his top five songs from Libera's new Christmas releases.
Me talking about my top tracks from Libera's new
Christmas album for 24-minutes. You may have to pretend that you haven't
heard the whole record yet. (Recorded on October 8th, one week before
the release)
On November 19th, an online article-with-video appeared in The Times of London. (Note: it's necessary to subscribe to the paper to read the entire article) The story also appeared in print on page 3 of The Times.
Screenshot from article, which includes a short video
On November 21st, three Libera spokesboys appeared for a TV interview about touring the world. No mention was made of their upcoming London concert or CD.
The
boys are v. busy at the moment with rehearsals, TV filming and preps
for the festive season, including our concert next week. Somehow they
fit everything in with their personal and school lives! (they are always
grateful when these are not mixed up.
As Christmas Day draws to a close, a well-known personality tells the
story of the first Christmas, from Luke's Gospel, when angels appeared
to shepherds to proclaim the news of the birth of Jesus. Followed by a performance of the beautiful Basque carol, Sing Lullaby, by internationally acclaimed boys' choir, Libera.
...and a post and tweet from Libera:
As Libera we are privileged to be able to take our music around the
world, and we are so grateful for the interest and appreciation shown by
our many supporters.
The boys devote a lot of their spare time to singing with Libera; they
love what they do and take pride in it, so they are immensely rewarded
by the warm response and attention they receive from our followers.
The performers of Libera also have very active lives outside of the
group, which are entirely unrelated. They have their own families and
friends, interests and schools. We are sure that everyone understands
that as young children, their private and school lives need to remain
separate from their Libera performances, and their personal worlds must
not be confused with their public.
Most of our followers instinctively honour this, and do not attempt to
contact the boys individually; or to post private information about the
boys; or to publish news about, or discuss on line their school
activities; or to assume that school or church/cathedral events can be
regarded as opportunities to make a connection with the boys. Details
such as where the they live, where they go to school and so forth, are
understood by our supporters to be personal, and they know that any
public discussion or posting of such information is not appropriate and
could pose a risk to the safety of the boys or prove an embarrassment to
them personally.
We wish to be able to continue to travel, perform and record as Libera,
but everyone will understand that if ever it seemed that there was a
threat to the safety of our boys, real or perceived, or to their comfort
and well-being, it would be necessary to restrict and constrain the
public activities and appearances of the group to the detriment of
Libera’s future and the continued enjoyment of our many supporters.
Please continue to respect the boys’ privacy and encourage others to do so too.
On November 28th, another tweet from Libera:
Our new ‘Christmas Carols with Libera’ album has reached number 2 on the US Billboard Classical Chart!
It's available from shops in the US and to download and stream. It will be at Amazon US from 6th December.
Links to pre-order, download and stream are at https://libera.org.uk/?p=12894
On November 30th, an announcement of another holiday appearance, this one on Songs of Praise, December 15th, where Libera will be singing "Carol of the Bells."
"...and we
also have a special performance from the all-boys choir Libera, singing Carol
of the Bells" Sun 15.12.2019 BBC1 (UK) 13:15
DECEMBER HOLIDAY CONCERT AT ST. JOHN'S SMITH SQUARE (Commentary by Jimmy Riddle, photos from Libera, program photo by Patrick)
Very Christmassy indeed, with only a few non-festive songs included
overall. Also with it being very much on home territory a few returns
to the white robes by previous alumni Alex Montoro and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti...
The boys must be very tired after attending school today, but i'm sure
they'll get a burst of festive spirit to deliver a first-class concert.
41 SINGERS (*=miniboy; **=returned member)
Hal Avery* Ethan Barron Leo Barron Nathaniel Bates-Fisher Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz Cameron Birmingham* Luca Brugnoli Benedict Bywater Daniel Catalogna* Dominik Clarke Cassius Collard Samuel-Francis Collins Joseph Cranitch Laurence Davey Frederick Day* Tadgh Fitzgerald John Gardener Ale Gula Adam Izghouti** Filipe Jackson Peter Kielty Ludwik Kowalczk* Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti** Alexandre Menuet AlexMontoro** Mathias Montoro Frederick Mushrafi Oliver Mycka Neo Parson Lewis Quinn* Koji Shinokubo Taichi Shinokubo Nathan Slater* Jack Spicha Calam Tamana Laurence Taylor Rocco Tesei Oliver Watt-Rodriguez Daniel White Victor Wiggin Morgan Wiltshire*
ON December 4th, the Libera Passion site unveiled arevamped
layout and photos updated as of the December 3rd concert. Click on the photos onsite for more information on each specific
chorister.
Last night’s concert will go down as one of Libera’s best. A bunch of us
tried to name any highlights but we couldn’t. The entire concert was a
highlight! Usually there are a couple of songs that were a little less
excellent than the rest, but last night I couldn’t name any. So this
feels more like a review of a single experience, rather than different
songs.
Several details stood out though, which I will describe from here on, in no particular order. Clear Voices
Seated on the front row I was able to hear many individual voices
directly. I was extremely happy to hear Alex Gula so clearly again, right
at the start in Do You Hear What I Hear (what an aptly named song )
During Angel, I thought I heard new harmonies by Mathias Montoro and Samuel-Francis Collins. Also on Angel,
the high notes on the right were very strong. I think Luca Brugnoli and Dominik Clarke
were responsible for those, but Daniel White and Neo Parson also contributed a great
deal to the high notes from the right last night. Bouche Fermée
Another feature that was new to me was the humming with closed mouth
(our conductor uses the French term ‘bouche fermée’). This produces, of
course, a ’mmm’-sound, like laying down a carpet for the soloist. Then
as the song gets stronger and louder, the boys opened their mouth for
their famous ‘aah’s. Please correct me if I’m wrong but this bouche
fermee harmonising seemed new to me. Soloists
As for the soloists, Dominik Clarke and Oliver Watt-Rodriguez were very powerful again.
It’s quite something to see Dominik stand so close with his commanding
stage presence and complete dedication to the singing. His voice is both
delicate and strong – delicate in his tender, almost aching solo in In the Bleak Midwinter, strong in the heavenly high ‘Abide’ from Angele Dei. A song that feels like a visit from a being of another world.
In a same way, Walking in the Air
feels like a journey to another world, a magical place from dreams.
Luca Brugnoli was very strong and has great breath control. I loved hearing his
crystal-clear voice flow so smoothly and hold those long notes. I wonder
where he’ll be in a year or two, if he’s already in top form at this
young age.
(Photo by seraphita)
I mentioned Oliver Watt-Rodriguez; he is a terrific soloist and his rendition of In Paradisum
was exceptionally powerful. The way he stood there, almost as if he was
on his own, singing his heart out in a pleading prayer for the
deceased… Supported by the choir, guiding him along in that spectacular
‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Aeternam’… I get goosebumps just remembering it. The Lights
I also recall the lights were beautiful for this one, I think it was
mostly red but my memory is so dodgy! The space of St. John’s Smith
Square was tricky to use for lights but there was always a hue or glow
of mostly red or blue if I remember correctly. Sitting in the front row
does not allow you to fully appreciate the lighting so others can
comment better on this, but the overall effect was very warm and almost
dreamlike throughout the concert. Conditor Alme Siderum
A wonderful surprise came at the beginning of the second half, when only
the boys from the back row appeared and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti started off the
Gregorian Advent chant Conditor Alme Siderum. This piece forms the basis for the Libera song Sempiterna on Visions, but here it was ‘merely’ used as an intro to Carol of the Bells.
"Conditor" is associated with Advent, a prayer for the coming of Christ,
and as such very solemn and fitting for the time of year – Advent having
started only this week. I was amazed that the back row was featured
exclusively, and their sound was like the colour of gold. The string
section supported them with a gently flowing accompaniment.
The rest of
the boys filed in during the last verse and ended the song with a
harmonious ‘Amen’. When Carol of the Bells started, the
solemn atmosphere of "Conditor"still hovered over this lively song.
Cassius' Collard's mini-solo at the end is sung more slowly now, a change made in
Japan. It emphasises the closing of the song and Cassius sings it with
precision and care in his most charming voice. Powerful First Half
As for the second half, I thought it was a bit more lightweight than the
first one, which had a sequence of very powerful and moving songs: Angel, Gaudete, In Paradisum and Sing Lullaby.
(Photo by celt)
Gaudete was so lively, colourful and joyful. Contagious
in its pushing rhythm. Again I could hear so many different parts so
clearly, like being able to see distinctly all the colours in a
painting, without losing sight of the whole.
Sing Lullaby again was deeply moving, perhaps the most
moving song of the night. Not just because of Dominik Clarke’s solo, but the
entire song. It is so solemn and sad, and then the turnaround at the end
makes it even more moving!
The first half ended with Ding Dong Merrily on High, which I would describe as Christmas confetti in every shining colour possible. Warm Glowy Songs
Just as in Japan, the fact that there were so many Christmas songs on
the setlist didn’t mean it was all the same thing. The entire scope of
emotions and meaning associated with Christmas was presented in the
music, from quiet reflection to bouncing joy.
Some of the songs were a bit of both, where a warm glow gave a joyful feeling without all the dancing around. Those songs were Wexford Carol, with the gorgeous pairing of Eimear McGeown on her flute and the boys harmonising; O Little Town of Bethlehem – slowly, gracefully unfolding the mystery surrounding the birth of Jesus – and Noel Nouvelet,
where Victor Wiggin is an ideal soloist and Neo Parson on the far right formed a
wonderful duet with Oliver Watt-Rodriguez on the far left, creating a marvellous
stereo effect. Great feeling for the tummy via the ears. Noel Nouvelet is deceptively simple, enchanting and rich in dynamics. Speeches
Normally I don’t write about the speeches, I think because they don’t
form part of the emotional and spiritual experiences during a Libera
concert, but I would like to make an exception for Daniel White. He had two
speeches that were new for this concert and which he performed with an
eager cheekiness.
One was about the fact that the concert took place on a
school day and some of the boys had been up since 6 am – at which he
made a face as if to say: can you believe it, that’s unbearable! The
other new speech talked about the history of Walking in the Air, and
Daniel mentioned Aled Jones as one of the boy singers who made this song
famous. He then went on to remark that Aled probably won’t be able to
hit those high notes as well as he used to, which caused a good deal of
laughter from the audience. Cheeky! Wait, What Did I Forget?
I haven’t yet mentioned What Child is This – a friendly, lovely tune where Daniel White did a fine job, calm and confident; The Angel Gabriel, with its rousing build-up, especially strong last night; Poor little Jesus – where Luca Brugnoli shone and the boys were really strong in singing the climactic final verse – and Silent Night
– not mentioned in the program but expected nonetheless.
I thought the
tempo was just a tiny bit faster than what I was used to. I thought of
using the word exceptional again but then realised it is used to
describe an exception and in fact, for Libera, these exceptional
performances have become the norm.
The way Luca Brugnli harmonised with Ben Bywater and
Mathias Montoro joined in – just three pure voices, all tuned to the harmony and
the rhythm and the meaning of the words – was just magnificent.
They
looked and sounded just like the King’s Singers, only younger. When
Dominik Clarke and Victor Wiggin joined, five boys filled the entire room like a full
choir. Luca closed off the song to a clear and bright ending, shining
like the star of Bethlehem.
Sanctus was the only Libera standard still standing on
this set list and called for a full stage, making sure the light and
colour of this song were performed to the max. An Aside…
We talk about the songs, the soloists and so on. What we see and hear is
not just that. It is all the effort put into it by so many people, more
than we know. It is also the seeds of what will follow, how the boys
will grow and mature. This is what moves me sometimes the most – all the
love and energy poured into this music and then poured out again into
the world. It is not just the notes, it’s everything.
Now, for the... Finale!
The irresistible cheer of In Dulci Jubilo was followed by a generous applause, still audible during the first notes of the encore. I Saw Three Ships
sent us out with a bang and a standing ovation – for the boys, for
Robert Prizeman, for the musicians, graciously acknowledged as usual by Victor Wiggin,
and even for Moose in his sparkly Christmas outfit.
What will the future hold for Libera next year? One can only guess – but
as we do so, we bask in the afterglow of this amazing night, leading up
to the glory of Christmas.—maartendas
Afterward by john45
Have to agree this was
the best Christmas Concert ever and the perfect venue. The large stage
had plenty of room to accommodate the 41 singers with the orchestra
perfectly positioned behind them; also high enough for good sight lines
not obstructed by the choirmaster. I would hope this becomes a regular
event – perhaps now is the time to book the venue for next year.
It was nice to see the miniboys front and centre for many of the songs.
Their expressions during the standing ovation were priceless;
astonishment, bemusement, happiness and perhaps a little well deserved
pride.—john45
@StJohnsSmithSq
has tweeted a 'sneak preview' of Libera's new video for Carol of the
Bells, probably to be shown in full on Songs of Praise 15.12.2019. The video was shot in St. Augustine's Church, Kilburn (North London) https://twitter.com/i/status/1201864491044163588
On December 6th, a note from bachmahlerfan concerning a brief review of Christmas Carols With Libera in The Times of London:
Well, The Timeshas published an article featuring reviews of
multiple Christmas albums, including Libera's. I
suppose it's not too surprising considering their recent article about
Libera. I'm not a subscriber and I don't want to sign up for a free
trial subscription, so I couldn't read past the first few lines.
Anyways, the album was rated four out of five stars. I like how Libera
is the first review of the article.
—bachmahlerfan https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/clas ... -clfb82pg7
On December 8-9, a tweet from Classic FM host John Suchet, with a Facebook note from Paul Hicks:
Coming soon! A new music video of "Carol of the Bells." Meanwhile don't forget you can stream this and all the tracks from our Christmas album at Spotify!https://open.spotify.com/album/7vXfgiwR
A NOTE FROM SURPINTO ON LIBERA DREAMS FORUM
Libera's
social media accounts have posted the following previews of a new
version of "Carol of the Bells" and "Sing Lullaby". We are promised the full versions "very soon". When that happens I will replace these links with the full videos. For now enjoy the previews!
I am really excited about "Sing Lullaby" in particular as it was one of
my favorite songs on the new Christmas album. It is beautifully sung and
very moving. —surpinto
Alexandre Menuet, Neo Parson, Koji Shinokubo and Calam Tamana in preview of "Sing Lullaby."
On December 12th, "Carol of the Bells" appeared in full: https://youtu.be/SQadcm_dwEM (Carol of the Bells/ Solos by Luca Brugnoli, Neo Parson, Oliver Watt-Rodriguez and Cassius Collard/12-12-19/3:05)
Also on December 12th: On Twitter, a video of "The Candle Song," an Advent piece from Graham
Kendrick's 1988 Christmas album The Gift (Make Way for Christmas). The song features the St. Philip's Choir (the origin of Libera; many Libera singers continue to sing at St Philip's Church).
"The
Candle Song," also known as "Like a Candle Flame," is frequently used by schools and churches for assemblies and choirs and has
been featured on BBC1's Songs of Praise.
On December 13th, a review of the December 3rd concert by padmachou (on the Libera Dreams Forum), brought an unusual set of observations, many concerning individual singers:
About the venue:Saint John Smith's Square is a
concert hall rather than a church, and I enjoyed that. For practical
reason (heated place, with toilets, comfortable seats) along with
musical ones, for we were seated close to the boys, and we could hear
each voice perfectly and sometimes even individually.
This was also due
to the orchestra being seated beside the boys, which must NOT have made
it easier to conduct for Robert Prizeman. But the sound was perfectly
balanced, the orchestra wasn't taking the lead on the voices, like it
sometimes happens. Though, Eimear McGeown, the flautist, was to discreet to my
taste, I like to hear her solo parts a bit more.
Another "default" of
the venue is that the stage was quite packed and, there were changes in
the positions, dispositions, some boys being mostly on the right side
and others on the left side. But nothing spectacular and sometimes
Libera choregraphies are quite a plus to the songs ! The lights also,
are better on churches' walls, definitely.
Before the concert, during the entracte and after, many goodies were on
sale. I found the Christmas cards beautiful ! Also it was the third year
in a row when calendars were on sale ! I like it.
Among the staff we spotted Kavana Crossley and Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, but on the program we
could also find Josh Madine, Steven Geraghty of course, and... Liam Connery! I
wish I would have seen him, he was a great soloist.
The boys were 42 or 43 ? on stage. Several groups, all
of them not always on stage. We could see eight newbies, seven of them we saw in
Arundel. Hal Avery still is the youngest, being seven now. The oldest boys
were 17. Romeo Tesei and Nick Taylor seem to have left the group.
We often talk about the soloists but... Oliver Mycka wasn't a soloist
that night and yet he deserves a shout-out, since he was sick and rumor
says he barely made it to the concert and even left stage on occasion.
It shows real motivation, and acknowledgement.
Tadhg Fitzgerald was ill ! You could tell from the way he talked through his nose
during speeches, also he has a red nose and looked a bit tired, of maybe
frustrated that he could not enjoy fully the concert? Nevertheless his solo was outstanding ! His voice is so special, I say
he is one of the few Libera soloists with the most recognisable voice,
very warm, a bit raspy, airy, and with a very discreet tremolo.
Soloist or not, the
pleasure to sing that night you could see on every face, maybe since a
lot of the boys had their families in the concert hall ? Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz,
discreet one, caught my eye since he gently smiles and he is very
focused. Dominik Clarke is so musical and impressive : I saw him sing solos eye
to eye with his mother [who was sitting in front of me with his little brother]!
Cassius Collard looks mischievious, still. Samuel-Francis Collins
is dreamy. Laurence Davey, Jack Spicha, Neo Parson and Frederick Mushrafi
could pretend to the title of "new smile of Libera", but Calam Tamana would
win, since he cannot NOT smile !
Felipe Jackson is now a full member of
the group, even though he did not tour this year. I can't quote every
name, but it matters that we thank all of the boys that did an amazing
job.
And a special thanks to the tall boys, who I can imagine have a lot
to do, and who do not have the most interesting parts to sing, but
still they are here! They must love Libera... I say loving Libera and
listening to them brings more than just music, and they must certainely
feel something like that.
A last word for the fellow fans : we share something it
is difficult to explain. Being friends even though we see each other
twice a year, live apart in the whole world, and do not speak the same
language, is very precious. Thank you all.
...and from Patrick,an update about the Libera Fan Club in Japan.
The FC informs today its members about the soon release of the 2020 Libera calendar in Japan.
It is composed of photos taken during the recent tour in Japan, in October.
Last year the 2019 calendar was reserved exclusively for the Fan Club members, but this year it is more open.
The 2020 calendar can be purchased by anyone.
The FC members have simply an additional little benefit: an exclusive Libera postcard.
On Christmas Night -11.50pm-25th December-BBC One.
@stormzy will recite a passage from Luke's Gospel.
Internationally acclaimed boys’ choir, @officialliberawill perform.The choir features singers aged 7-16yrs from a variety of backgrounds from schools throughout South London.
2:43 AM · Dec 18, 2019·
On December 20th, Libera appeared on ITV's This Morning, singing highly abbreviated versions of three songs.
Libera parts were :
6'40'' - 7'05'' intro
12'25'' - 20'20'' interview part 1 + COTB
52'42'' - 59'44'' interview part 2 + Ding Dong Merrily On High
On December 23rd, a Christmas greeting presented by Libera's six latest Miniboys, with Cameron Birmingham (top row, center) as spokesboy. Hal Avery is at lower right.
On December 25th, Libera performed 'Once In Royal David's City' as introduction of the TV show Carols at Christmas on ITV
Solo by Daniel White on first line, then backed by Luca Brugnoli and Cassius Collard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBzE2soA9Ro (Once in Royal David's City/solo and harmony by Daniel White, LucaBrugnoli & Cassius Collard/2019/Carols at Christmas on ITV/2:44)
Only 9 boys on the filming, among the youngests of the main group.
Three groups: at the center: Daniel White, Luca Brugnoli, Cassius Collard.
Left: Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz, Frederick Mushrafi, Ethan Barron.
Right: Jack Spicha, Felipe Jackson, Laurence Davey.
Also on December 25th, the broadcast of "Sing Lullaby," with a scriptural intro duction and only two verses shown. On December 31st, a post from Justin on the Libera Dreams Forum:
On December 31st, a post from Justin on the Libera Dreams Forum: To mark the start of a (hopefully) successful 2020 for Libera, the Autumn Japan tour has been announced!
Monday, October 26, 2020 19:00 - Grand Cube Osaka
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 19:00 - Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Thursday, October 29, 2020 19:00 - Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Fan club members will be able to purchase tickets from mid-January onwards.
Tadgh Fitgerald (top) and Isaac London
Aimp (Windows and Android) and Vox (MacOS and iOS) will do the trick.—Surpinto 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=jCqMoVY32RE
(Walking in the Air/solo by Luca Brugnoli/Christmas
Carols With Libera CD/2019/4:16)
Ding Dong Merrily on High
libera-passion.exprimetoi.net/t1280p180-les-
Calam Tamana caught my eye the second night and I should mention him anyway as
his smile is so charming and radiant. I especially love the fact that he
often smiles this smile AFTER he sang a line, which I suppose is a sign
that he genuinely enjoys what he’s doing.
Calam Tamana caught my eye the second night and I should mention him anyway as
his smile is so charming and radiant. I especially love the fact that he
often smiles this smile AFTER he sang a line, which I suppose is a sign
that he genuinely enjoys what he’s doing.
