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 each 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 from imported material. I welcome corrections, suggestions and comments at: aahill@sonic.net
Disclaimer:This ongoing essay-with-videos is strictly an informal history, and, while I've attempted to make it as accurate as possible, some of my sources (or my interpretation of them) may be flawed or inaccurate. If you notice errors that I have made, or facts that were taken from inaccurate sources, please let me know at my email address (above) so that I may make appropriate changes.This piece of writing has not been authorized by, nor is it connected with, the Libera/St. Philip's organization.
Also, since the size of the Timeline makes it impossible to police all video links, some may have ceased to function or be unavailable. In this case, go to your search engine and enter "YouTube" and the name or subject referenced in the link. There will usually be a duplicate video available.
• †rack List for Japanese Edition of Upcoming CD Forever
• Video (in Korean) Announcing Upcoming Tour
• Tour Venues
• Photo Gallery from the Making of "Lighthouse" Video
• Video Greetings from Younger Singers & Song List for the Korean Tour Program
• Second Japan Tour Announced
• KOREAN TOUR CONCERTS, PHOTOS, BLOG AND REVIEWS
• Announcement of Venues and Ticket Sales For 2023 US Tour
• Release of Music Video of "Love Shine a Light"
• Release of "God Only Knows" With Montage of Korean Tour
• "Introduction to Forever" Video Released
• Reviews of Forever CD
• Ten Libera Members in Japan for the Hibiya Music Festival and TV Appearances
• Instagram Journal from the Japan Tour
• Release of "Ave Verum Corpus" Video
• Release of "Kizuna Forever" Video in Japan
• General Release of Both the UK and Japanese Versions of Forever
• Release of "The LightHouse" Video
• 2023 Summer US TOUR Begins
• Concert at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Washington DC, July 25th
• Concert at Riverside Church, New York City, July 28th
• Concert at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, July 31st
• Concert at Bel Air Church, Los Angeles, California, August 3rd
• “Eien no Kizuna” [as performed by Libera] selected as the ending theme for the film “Phoenix Eden no Sora”
• Creative World Interviews from US Tour
• 2023 FALL JAPAN TOUR
• Concert in Osaka Festival Hall
• Concert in KT Zepp, Yokohama
• Concert in Line Cube Shibuya, Tokyo
• Soundtrack for Film Crazy Cruise
• December 2nd CONCERT AT ST. JOHN'S SMITH SQUARE, LONDON
• Concert Reviews
• YouTube Release of "Sing For Our World/Nusantara" with the Resonanz Children's Choir of Indonesia
• December 16th CONCERT AT ARUNDEL CATHEDRAL
************
This is the 16th year of the Libera Historical Timeline,which is now read in over 95 countries.
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 (Fan_de_LoK) 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, wnen the group appeared as the St. Philip's Boys' Choir, and then, post-1987, as "Angel Voices." • "Staff"— Staff members (often Libera alumni) and their roles with the group. • "Liens" — Family groupings of brothers/cousins/parents who have been members of Libera or part of its touring team.
You can click on each boy's photo to see additional photos and statistics (if available) on that singer. The site also hosts an active fan forum (in French) with reviews, photos, and discussions.
The Libera Passion Site also provides 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.
Another evolving resource, instituted in 2019 by a fan who goes by "Dinedorelle," is theLibera Member Timeline,in the form of a spreadsheet which traces the careers of over 200 boys (including early singers and miniboys who never toured or recorded with the group).
The site includes the ages of the boys when they joined Libera (if known), their present ages (the earliest identified singer, Andrew Hopkins, apparently turned 50 in 2019), photos, and a separate staff spreadsheet.
(Note: as with "The Furby," "Fan_de_LoK," "Bamboo,"and "Dinodorelle," many Libera fans use "handles" or special names online.)
PART 16
In early January, fanluckdragon posted an update, on the Libera Dreams Fan Forum, (here translated; Libera is known in some Asian countries as "Rivera" for easier pronunciation) from Korean fan "cantabileboys" on the as-yet-unannounced spring South Korea tour:
The Boys' Choirs performance schedule in Korea is updated. It's been quite a while since the last update….Rivera's visit to Korea has been announced by Seoul Arts Planning, so you can think of it as a worry-free decision. Following the Seoul performance, the Sejong performance was announced, and I am very curious about where the next performance venue will be to please the fans. Can we look forward to Iksan and Incheon, where we tried to invite Rivera last year?—cantabileboys
Also in January, Libera soloist Freddie Mushrafi appeared inThe Magic Flute at the Royal Opera House, London, as one of the trio of little boys who comment on the action and advise the principals.
Freddie Mushrafi at left in the sky
Freddie at right
The Korean tour schedule is beginning to take shape.
Libera appears to be confirmed for the Seoul Arts Center on 5 April and the Sejong Center on 11 April. We can expect there to be some concerts between those dates, and one Korean choir fan is speculating that they could be in Iksan and Inches where Libera was invited to go last year.—Luckdragon
On January 5th, Libera Offical posted a short New Year's greeting video that included the announcement of a fall tour in Japan.
Nathan Slater, Thomas Mushrafi and Morgan Wiltshire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwWSD7cVhhs(New Year’s greeting and announcement of a fall Japan tour in 2023/with Nathan Slater, Thomas Mushrafi, and Morgan Wiltshire/:21)
On January 22nd, Patrick Fandelok posted (on the Libera Dreams Forum) A photo of all 2022 Libera members (taken on the occasion of the Ely Cathedral concert that year) with ID chart, obtained from the Seoul Arts Management site. At this point, no official announcement of a spring concert tour to Korea had been made by Libera Official.
Seoul Arts Management also shared these two posters, apparently the result of a design competition:
Oscar James, Leon Clarke, Cameron Birmingham, Daniel White and Joseph Hill
Leon Clarke, Julian Heitmann, Cory Agyei
On January 25th, a post on Libera Dreams from bachmahlerfan:
On February 4th, a post from Libera
Korea Tour 2023
We have announced a tour to the Republic of Korea in April 2023. We are delighted to be able to visit Korea again and we are very much looking forward to renewing old friendships and making new ones.
As per postings shared on social media and originating with a post by Libera Records in Japan, we have the track list for the new album Forever.
As in the past the track order will likely vary from the international release and the Japanese edition will include the last track. From this list it seems that we know two things for sure: that Takatsugu Muramatsu has continued collaborating with Libera, and that a number of former members are continuing to write and arrange music for the choir too.
The track order is as follows:
Faraway Light 2023 (Takatsugu Muramatsu/Robert Prizeman) Lighthouse (Joshua Madine) Ave Verum (Albinoni's Adagio) God Only Knows (The Beach Boys) Anima Christie (Marco Friggina) Come My Way (Robert Prizeman/George Herbert) Sing For Ever (Robert Prizeman) Blessings to All (Raul Neumann) Trinity (Robert Prizeman) Guidance of the Sea (Joshua Madine) Be Still My Soul (Sibelius "Finlandia") A Grateful Heart (Mary Plumstead/George Herbert) Love Shine A Light (Katrina And The Waves) Eternal Bond (Takatsugu Muramatsu) Eien no Kizuna Piano Solo Version (composed and performed by Takatsugu Muramatsu) [Japan edition only]
From the CD description on the Japanese site (translation):
Libera's founder, Robert Prizeman, left for heaven in September 2021, but the Libera sound and spirit created by Robert Prizeman have been handed down to Libera alumni along with their deep love. Rivera (Note: Libera is often written and pronounced "Rivera" in Asian countries) is also a symbol of "eternity" that never ends, and this album contains the thought that the bond between Robert Prizeman and Rivera, and the bond with all the people who have supported Rivera, is eternal.
The songs included are two new songs written by Robert Prizeman, and two former members of Rivera, Joshua Madine and Raul Neuman, who were active as popular soloists when Rivera first performed in Japan. The CD includes the works of Japanese composer Takatsugu Muramatsu, who has collaborated with Robert Prizeman on many of Libera's hits, "The Light Beyond," "The Gift of Angels," and many others, created a new song for the album, "Eternal Bonds." ” was written down.
Josh Madine
Also, the Japanese version only includes the piano version of "Eien no Kizuna" performed by Mr. Muramatsu himself. For the Japanese edition booklet, he also wrote the handwritten score of "Eien no Kizuna". This is a present from Mr. Muramatsu who wants everyone to play and sing.From the works of Joshua Madine, Raul Neumann, and Takatsugu Muramatsu, you can feel their feelings for Robert.
Raul Neumann
And since it was announced as the theme song for the 2005 NHK Saturday drama "Hyokabe", "Kanata no Hikari", which continues to be loved in numerous tie-ups and TV programs, is recorded in a new version by the latest members.
Libera's ever-evolving harmonies warm the heart, and Mr. Muramatsu's piano brings the album to a comfortable conclusion.
This is an album that I want to deliver to your heart because I want to cherish the invisible "bonds" now.
Interesting snippets...rudimentary translated via Google Chrome.
in 2016, when performing in Korea, [Libera] beat the New Year's Concert by the Vienna Boys' Choir and Imujichi to record first place in the reservation rate.
The album contains songs composed by Robert Prizeman but unfinished and completed by the new music director with Rivera's philosophy. Fans around the world are paying attention to this album, which will show the choir's new direction, and Rivera's new leap can be seen for the first time in Korea.)
On February 25th, it was announced that a new concert had been added to the Korea tour.
Luckdragon wrote (on the Libera Dreams Forum):Concert added on April 6 at the Church of Love (https://sarang.org/) in Seoul.
It's also known as the SaRang Community Church. According to Wikipedia, it's a Presbyterian "megachurch" with 60,000 members.
On March 8th, the ever-resourceful Patrick (of Libera Passion) posted an update on the upcoming tour in South Korea, including an Instagram post featuring Nathan Slater, Daniel White, and Morgan Wiltshire speaking in Korean.
Nathan: "Hello" Daniel: "It's Libera" Morgan: "Sarang Church 45th anniversary....Congratulations" Daniel: "One soul to Christ" Nathan (repeating): "One soul to Christ" Morgan (repeating): "One soul to Christ" Daniel: "Thursday, April 6, 2023..." Morgan: "In the parish of the Embracing...See you!" Nathan (repeating): "See you!" Daniel (repeating): "See you!"
THE VENUES
Wednesday, April 5, 7:30 p.m. - Seoul Arts Center
Thursday, April 6, 5:00 p.m. - SaRang Church
Saturday, April 8 3:00 p.m. - Iksan Arts Center
Sunday, April 9 5:00 p.m. - Incheon Cultural & Arts Center
Tuesday, April 11, 7:30 p.m. - Sejong Arts Center
On March 18th, the Official Libera site posted 20 photos taken at the shooting of an as-yet-unnamed video:
Libera has posted new photos on their website. Since the title of the gallery is "Video Filming Spring 2023" we can surmise a new music video is on the way, and from the photos it looks as though the song "Lighthouse" is a likely candidate.
This song has not yet been released on a recording, but has only come up in live concert.—surpinto
Luca Brugnoli in the lighthouse
On March 23rd, two new Instagram posts appeared, featuring:
1. Nathan Slater, Oscar James, and Morgan Wiltshire speaking about the upcoming tour:
...and 2., an eight-year-old miniboy named Ben, who had appeared on the 2022 Christmas Greeting video, but had somehow slipped under the radar of those making identifications:
Also released on the 24th: the concert program (on which "Wayfaring Stranger" has somehow become "Waring Stranger.") The song list held no surprises, as even the newest songs were performed in the December 2022 concert.
On March 25th, another little newbie, nine-year-old Federico, appeared in what seemed to be a series of countdown videos leading up to the Korean tour:
Om March 28th, a tweet from Hybiya Music Festival in Japan. Though not officially announced by Libera, it became probable that they would appear in Japan after the Korean tour and before the US tour.
Left to right: Mitchel Guy, Freddie Mushrafi, Frederick Howarth, Laurence Davey, Jack Spicha, Morgan Wiltshire, Ethan Barron, Luca Brugnoli, Ethan Hutchinson, Daniel White, Lewis Quinn. Cameron Birmingham.
Thomas Mushrafi, Nathan Slater, Oskar Handsveit
SONG LIST (Program photos courtesy of Patrick)
SINGERS
STAFF
(Seven staff members are former Libera singers, and Liam Connery [2005-2011] is conducting.)
Final checks - I’m pleased with the way the tour is going. #Libera#Korea2023
Co-Director Sam Coates photographs fans as the boys enter for an autograph session (Photos by Justin).
Notes from Patrick (more coverage to come Photos by Patrick and Justin):
Concert on
April 4th at Seoul Arts Center
Some notes from Seoul (SAC) concert:
List of the boys, as captured OCR from the program (sorry for the capitals)
ETHAN BARRON CAMERON BIRMINGHAM LUCA BRUGNOLI LAURENCE DAVEY MITCHEL GUY FREDERICK HOWARTH ETHAN HUTCHINSON ALEXANDRE MENUET MATHIAS MONTORO FREDERICK MUSHRAFI THOMAS MUSHRAFI LEWIS QUINN KOJI SHINOKUBO NATHAN SLATER JACK SPICHA DANIEL WHITE VICTOR WIGGIN MORGAN WILTSHIRE HAL AVERY ORLANDO BENEDICT LEON CLARKE OSKAR HANSTVEIT BENJAMIN HILL JOSEPH HILL OSCAR JAMES THOMAS SANDOVAL HERRERA FEDERICO VERGANI PIETRO VERGANI SAMUEL WHALEY
Note that you might see two forms of names. Depending on the program, some have been corrected with the application of a large sticker on the list of boys. Same thing on the staff members page, also with a correction sticker. A first for me in a libera program. The list above is the final and correct list.
April 5th at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall
A premiere: Liam Connery as conductor. The title given to him on the credits is 음악조감독/지휘자 , meaning 'Assistant Music Director/Conductor'.
Liam as a Libera singer in 2006
When the boys entered the stage from both sides, it was supposed to be in silence while the usual welcome message recorded by a boy was played. But as soon as the boys entered the audience erupted in applause and shouts as one would expect from the final applause. So loud to the point that the recorded message was totally inaudible, drowned out by applause. I saw quite a few concerts and such an enthusiastic reception on stage while not a single note was played yet is a premiere for me. Talk about putting pressure on the first boy to sing!
01: Vespera, solo by Luca Brugnoli, descant by Oskar Hanstveit (from the back right corner of the stage), which is a premiere for him.
Luca Brugnoli
The boys were scattered isolated all over the stage, looking to various directions, in the same shape as for "Voca Me," for those who know. Luca Brugnoli was located in front of the stage, in the center. Very nice performance.
At the end, surprise: no applause! Nothing. Total silence from the public (a premiere for me I think). The boys did not show any particular trouble and after a few seconds of silence, on a movement from Liam, "Sanctus" was launched.
02: Sanctus (Luca Brugnoli having the long highest notes) They started from their position from "Vespera." then moved along the song, to form the usual wide arc for "Sanctus," everyone facing the center of the arc.And this time lots of applause and shouting at the end.
Then a 1st talk by Lewis Quinn and Pietro Vergani. They introduced themselves to the audience using Korean words, prompting applause. They continued in English with the translations in Korean text projected on the back wall of the stage.
Lewis Quinn
They mentioned Mathias Montoro, at the back of the stage, waving an arm, as being now 15 and being 8 last time libera came to Korea. I checked on LP and indeed Mathias was on the Korean tour 2016. The only one among the 2023 group of boys. They also introduced the youngest on stage and this time it's Benjamin (Hill), standing on the right side of the stage. Both he and Mathias got lot of applause.
Benjamin Hill
03. Salva me. Bathed in yellow light, they divided into four groups of 6, with a line of low voice at the back of the stage. Isolated on the top right corner was Joseph Hill, doing (very nice) descants. The boys raised slowly their hands on the 'Salva Me' words. They started and ended the same way, with their heads bowed as Joseph launched his "Salva" in high notes. One could describe it as if Joseph's calls of the beginning awaken the group, which raises slowly the head and sings in chorus with energy, before returning to the quietude on the end, always with the calls of Joseph.
Joseph Hill and Orlando Benedict
(Personal feeling, the percussionist in the background with the musicians was playing drums way too loud. Perhaps it was my position near the stage...)
Again, no applause after the song. Unusual but it allowed a smooth and short transition to the song next.
04. Stay with Me They lined up in two rows facing the audience, with the big boys at the back. In the right corner was Laurence Davey for descants, here again very nicely done.
Laurence Davey
I have to check for it on the next concerts but I think Thomas Mushrafi was standing a step before the others of the 1st row of boys. I did not notice any particular solo from him, so I may be wrong about his position.
The song got long applause.
05. Wayfaring Stranger. Eimear McGeown, the flutist, is back with the group after a break. She walked from the musicians row to the center stage, and played a long slow introduction of "Wayfaring Stranger." She then moved to the right side of the stage, still standing in the front.
The boys formed the traditional "V" shape for this song, the V being open at the center for the start of the song. At the center, very back, was Frederick Howarth bathed in white light, in the position that was occupied by Sam Wiggin nearly 10 years ago. Frederick sung the solo first verses from his position. Then he walked very slowly to the front of the stage while the others performed the next verse. Then both side lines walked to Frederick to close the V formation and sing with the power of the whole group. Great performance from Frederick, a first solo role from him. They got long applauses.
Frederick Howarth
06. Sing For Ever Solo by Joseph Hill and Nathan Slater alternately, with behind them support from Luca for high notes, and... I think Victor Wiggin and Frederick Mushrafi (will confirm after tonight's concert). The 5 of them were centred front stage while all others formed a large arc around.Joseph's voice fits perfectly on this sweet song.
Nathan Slater and Oskar Hanstveit
2nd speech, from Daniel White and Laurence Davey about Robert Prizeman and the new album Forever.
07. The Lighthouse The boys lined up in 4 columns, arranged in each by increasing height. Before them stood Luca Brugnoli, who had the solo. I guess it was on this song that I started noticing that Mathias Montoro, Koji Shinokubo, and Alexandre Menuet left the stage on some songs that don't have low parts to sing.
Koji Shinokubo, Victor Wiggin and Matthias Montoro
During the song the four lines slowly part and the boys disperse on stage, much like the waves disperse after touching the lighthouse Luca Brugnoli that remains still. At the end Luca is joined front stage by Victor Wiggin, Daniel White, and I think Morgan Wiltshire(will confirm tonight).
Looking forward for the video of the song that they recorded recently.
08. Voca Me The boys are spread a bit everywhere on stage; Luca Brugnoli is located upper right corner, doing the descants. It is still the second version of "Voca Me," which I regret. The original version was much better IMHO. In addition I felt that a voice from the right was not blending rightfully with the others (perhaps just a local perception due to my position near the stage).
09. Beati Quorum They arranged themselves in groups of 6 as for "Salva Me," but with Nathan and Pietro isolated stage front.
Pietro Vergani
I can not describe much more, sorry. I don't like and don't understand that song. Each time I hear it confirms me my feeling of confusion for both the tune and for the numerous moves on stage.
Speech by Nathan Slater (I think) and Daniel White, announcing the intermission to come. Daniel led the demonstration on the various groups of voices that compose Libera, using "Sanctus" as example.
09. Libera Frederick Mushrafi and Mitchel Guy went center stage, facing 3/4 each other. The others formed lines on the sides and the back and they move during the song, ending all in the large arc as for Sanctus. Freddy and Mitchel sang the English parts together.
Thomas Sandoval-Herrera and Freddie Mushrafi
The first part ended with long applause and shouting while they were leaving stage for intermission.
Ethan Hutchinson and Mitchel Guy
10. I Am The Day
Solo by Morgan Wiltshire, alone front stage, with the others in groups as for "Salva Me." They entered the stage under another round of long applause.Very nice performance from Morgan. The two small roles of the high and low voices which call and answer each other towards the end were held by Oskar Hanstveit for the treble and... Daniel White for the low. I was surprised for the first, I was looking at Mathias Montoro, but it wasn't him. Then I saw Daniel at the end. I'll try to confirm this evening but I'm pretty sure.
Morgan Wiltshire
11. Orinoco Flow (I'll keep posting but time lacks, and not easy having only my mobile)
On April 7th, Cameron Birmingham and Lewis Quinn began writing a blog about the Korea 2023 tour - here's Part 1:
Review by @cantabileboys on IG. Translated to English by ChatGPT...
I went to see the performance of Libera at the Seoul Arts Center and Love Church. It was a pleasant and exciting time. Luckily, I was able to watch the performance on the left side of the stage at the Arts Center and on the right side of the stage at Love Church. For me, the performance began when Josh Madine came up on stage and Liam Connery walked right past me and took his place at the conductor's stand. I clapped briefly when Liam walked past me, but unfortunately, he didn't notice.
It had been seven years since I last saw Libera, and they played many beautiful songs. The surprise was when Freddie Mushrafi sang "Ave Verum." At first, I was confused because it was completely different from what I had expected from Robert's song. However, when Freddie's countertenor voice rose with "Ave Verum Corpus," I couldn't help but focus on his powerful and captivating voice, forgetting everything else.
Ethan Barron and Freddie Mushrafi
For boy sopranos, going through the period of voice change can be a difficult time, and many lose their voices before the transition, but it seemed that Freddie didn't have to worry about that. His voice effortlessly went from low to high, and it was so beautiful. I later found out that the original song was by Albioni's Adagio when I listened to the Forever album. (It was wrongly labeled as Robert's song in the program book.) This song surprised me at the Arts Center, but it made me cry at Love Church.
As I read the lyrics on the screen, the pain of the faithful who sympathize with the suffering of Jesus in his passion struck me. The Love Church worshiper next to me was so moved that they said they had to attend church and couldn't believe that I had lived my life without becoming a believer. That's why I could easily answer the question about my favorite song of the day without hesitation.
After the Sarang Church concert, groups of children came onstage to be photographed with Libera, creating a wide range of facial expressions in response.
When Mitchel Guy sang "Smile" at the Love Church, I felt like it was a song for me. I cried and laughed, wiping away tears and smiling again, listening to the story about how we have to keep trying even when a single tear tries to form. But by the end of the song, my face must have been a mess.
Mitchel Guy and Luca Brugnoli
When a friend asked me which song was my favorite at the Arts Center performance, I hesitated but eventually answered "Smile," because of the beautiful lyrics, Mitchel's voice, and Victor, who had previously sung the solo for this song, supporting Mitchel strongly from behind that I liked. But it wasn't until the second day that I was emotionally drawn to the song.
In fact, Luca Brugnoli and Joseph Hill were the soloists who received the most attention from the audience. Luca took on many solo songs, showing what the voice of Liberas' soloist was like, including "Vespera", "Lighthouse", "Voca me", "Far away", "God Only Knows", etc. I had heard the solo songs on Liberas' album, and I had even supported him with crowdfunding last year, so it was amazing to see him singing in front of me.
There was a part of me that thought he might feel burdened by his position, but he overcame it and showed the best of his voice. Even his voice, which is mind-boggling when he pours out "Libertatem" in "Sing for our world", is attractive. Other people who go to other concerts should listen carefully. Maybe because of the seat or the sound setting, but I was disappointed that Luca's voice was drowned out by other sounds when he sang this part at the Church of Love.
Joseph Hill not only had solo songs like "Sing For Ever" and "The Prayer", but also caught the audience's attention with his cute appearance. But it wasn't just that he caught the audience's eye. This child kept rhythm throughout the concert, even shaking his body when he lowered his arms or put his hands together. And his contagiousness was so strong that every time I listened to music, I shook my body 100% because of Joseph! Especially in "Sing for our world".
Korean fan art
The lyrics of this song ask you to feel the rhythm while dancing and feel the heartbeat. Even if you just say the lyrics like that and sit all the audience down, how can you dance to the rhythm? If it was going to be the last song anyway, it would have been fun to let the audience stand up and shake their bodies.
I'll have to post my remaining thoughts next time because the article got cut off. Thank you to those who read this far, I wrote too much.
April 8th Concert at Iksan Arts Center
Director Liam Connery is front and center.
Notes from Patrick:
According to the tour organizer SAM (Seoul Arts Management), the Moose key-ring created for the Korean tour 2023 is already sold out·
Two little changes in songs at Iksan concert:
- Thomas Mushrafi is solo alone on "Stay With Me." Previously there were four or five others singing together
Morgan Wiltshire, Thomas Mushrafi and Frederick Howarth
- On "Beati."the intro is now sung simultaneously by PietroVerganiand Nathan Slater, rather than one after the other. The result is much better.
Pietro Vergani and Leon Clarke
April 9th Concert at the Incheon Cultural & Arts Center
The "Band." Libera alumni Josh Madine and Liam Connery are 3rd and 4th from left; flautist Eimer McGeown is 5th from left.
USA Tour 2023
We have announced a tour to the United States in the Summer of 2023, in conjunction with Libera of the US. We are delighted to be able to return at last to the USA for the first time since 2019, and we are very much looking forward to visiting some familiar people and places, and meeting some new ones.
Tickets will soon be available from our official ticket website. In the meantime please do not contact the venues.
Concert Schedule:
Date
Time
Venue
Venue Website
25 July
19:00
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C.
5 concerts in just 7 days, it's a very appreciable concerts density for the public.
The boys express their appreciation to Patrick following the Sejong Concert.
On April 13th, the "Bigs," lower-voiced singers from Libera's back row (formerly known as "the big people in the back," or the "Tenor Section" before the addition of baritone/bass voices) published their own hilarious blog from the tour of Korea:
"Bigs" Mathias Montoro, Alexandre Menuet, Koji Shinokubo, Jack Spicha (?), and Victor Wiggin, with youngest singer Benjamin Hill after a raid on a costume shop.
In mid-April, short previews of the CD Forever became available on the Official Libera website. Fan Surpinto posted on Libera Dreams:
What excites me most about this album is just how many brand-new songs there are, including some that haven't even appeared in concert. I'll highlight the ones that have never been recorded before (I'm including the pre-release songs as well).
1. Beati Quorum 2. God Only Knows 3. Far Away 4. Ave Verum 5. The Lighthouse 6. O Beata 7. Anima Christi 8. Come My Way 9. At Sea 10. Sing For Ever 11. Be Still My Soul 12. A Grateful Heart 13. Love Shine A Light
On April 25th, Patrick posted information (on the Libera Dreams Forum) about Libera's upcoming June appearance in Japan:
Following a series of tweets posted today, we know a bit more about Libera participation at the Hibiya Music Festival.
Libera will perform on Saturday June 3rd, on the 'YAON' stage. There are 12 different artists announced to perform on that stage on June 3rd. The time schedule says the show will start at 18:30 and will end at 20:30.
With 120 minutes to be split among 12 artists, it is now sure that Libera will not perform a full concert of 20 songs.It is still unknown how large the Libera group will be.
A look back to May 2nd, 2021, and the Creative World TV coverage of the memorial service for Robert Prizeman. This segment features interviews with then-current Libera singer Koji Shinokubo (2016-2023) and Libera Alumni Daniel Fontannaz (2008-2014), Peter Kielty (2017-2020), Taichi Shinokubo (2014-2020), Michael Horncastle (2002-2008), Ben Phillip (2007-2011), Camden Stewart (2012-2018), Ben Crawley (1999-2005 and Staff), Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey (2010-2017), and Josh Madine (2005-2013 and Staff).
Libera Records has published on its site and on socials a 46 seconds long extract of '永遠の絆' - 'Eternal Bond' , which is track #1 on the Japanese version of the 'Forever' album. This track will not be present on the Western version of the album.
Reminder of release dates: Japanese release: 17 May International release: 23 June USA Release: 7 July
...and more:
A post on Instagram by Liam Connery reveals that a performance is on the way this Monday, May 8, 2023 aboard an ocean liner anchored in Greenwich.
According to specialised tracking sites, it is the liner 'Neptune' from the Viking cruise company.
No details yet on songs and participants.
Let's hope that official information and photos will be published.
It's the 4th time that Libera has performed a mini-concert aboard a liner from this company, see this topic (on the French forum) about previous performances.
This concert is the first post-Covid.
May 5, 2016: Viking Sea - Baptism of the boat
May 5, 2018: Viking Sun- Farewell party after a 141-day cruise
July 5, 2019: Viking Sun
May 8, 2023: Viking Neptune - Farewell party after a 137-day cruise
Viking has been a sponsor of Libera for several years. Among other things, Viking had been sponsor of the 2017 USA tour.
Just a confirmation: the internal newsletter 'Viking Daily' of Monday, May 8, 2023, announces the Libera performance "An Evening With Libera" to be held at the Star theater at 6:00 PM. Sadly, no more details.
On May 11th, a photo taken at the Viking Cruise Lines performance:
From left to right : Federico Vergani, Frederick Mushrafi, Thomas Sandoval-Herrera, Ethan Hutchinson, Frederick Howarth, Ludwik Kowalczyk, Ethan Barron. Daniel White, Cameron Birmingham, Luca Brugnoli, Mitchel Guy, Samuel Whaley. Laurence Davey, Leon Clarke
On May 16th, an update from Patrick on the group's upcoming appearance at the Hibiya Music Festival in Japan and related events:
A small update was released today by Libera Records regarding Libera's participation in this June performance in Japan.
We know that Libera is going to participate in the outdoor concert on Saturday June 3rd. They will have 2 hours of stage to share with 11 other artists. For the moment we do not know yet if the group on tour will be complete or partial, nor how many songs they will be able to sing.
Today's news from Libera Records is the announcement of Libera's participation in a 'ceremony' and a press conference to be held on Wednesday, May 31 at 11:45 AM (Japan time) somewhere in Tokyo. The press conference will be dedicated to the new album '絆 FOREVER'. No details on what the 'ceremony' will consist of. The set will last 30 minutes, during which Libera will sing two songs.
Access to the ceremony and press conference will be open to the public but in very limited numbers : 15 people. 10 people will be chosen by draw among those who will have bought the Japanese CD and who will have completed a registration procedure sending a postcard with a coupon present in the CD box. There will also be a draw of 5 people among the members of the Japanese Fan Club who will have registered.
Since it's going to be a press conference, there will certainly be a few photos circulating.
Left to Right: Freddie Mushrafi, Thomas Sandoval-Herrera, Daniel White, Ethan Barron, Mitchel Guy
On February 17th, another post on the Libera Passion site by Fan_de_LoK (Patrick) and Furby (Quentin). This graph, using information from the Japanese edition of the new CD Forever, showed the composer, lyricist(s) and soloists for each song. The first and last tracks on the Japanese CD, which feature the work of noted composer Takatsugu Muramatsu, do not appear on the UK version.
...and more from Patrick (note: in Japan Libera is known as "Rivera" to make the pronunciation easier for speakers of Japanese):
The Japanese site Usen posts today an extensive interview of Sam Coates, mainly about the new album 'Forever', which is released exactly today in Japan.
Translation: 2023.05.17 Rivera's 'Kizuna FOREVER' special commentary - the second chapter that begins with 'Kizuna FOREVER'.
Rivera lost its founder Robert Prizeman. However, Sam Coates, who followed in his footsteps, and former soloists Joshua Madine and Raoul Newman joined the band as songwriters. Takatsugu Muramatsu, who worked on Beyond the Light 2023, also wrote a new song, 'Eternal Bonds'. Kizuna Forever" was completed as a result of these "bonds". Based on a rare interview with producer Sam Coates, Rivera author Noriko Hattori gives us an insight into the latest work.
Between the last [CD] in 2021 and the new one, Rivera went through a great ordeal. It lost its founder, Robert Priestman, who had given his undivided love to Rivera. The new album Kizuna Forever was produced in the absence of a general director, but his successor, Sam Coates, has played a major role. Starting with 'Kizuna Forever', written by Takatsugu Muramatsu, which opens the Japanese edition, the album includes songs left behind by Prizeman and a new song composed by alumnus Joshua Madine. Rivera's music is appealing because of the harmonies woven by the pure voice of the boy sopranos. Sam, who sang in Rivera's early years and, in his work, in Libera and Luminosa, says: "I loved singing the harmony parts. The beautiful, fragile exuberance of the harmonies brings a hint of hope. It gently purifies the listener. The new album has a pop feel to it, and the colours emitted from the songs are bright and light-hearted. This is the new appeal of the album".
The Rivera group was founded in South London and seems to date back to the 1980s, if its predecessor groups are included. Even so, it is one of the newer boy soprano groups. London has boy soprano choirs in prestigious churches, including Westminster Abbey, the venue of the recent coronation of King Charles. There are also historic groups around the world, such as the Vienna Boys' Choir.
In this context, Rivera seemed to be unique at the time of its inception. The members were children recommended by local schools, not the elite selected through national auditions. When I first interviewed Prizeman in 2004, I was impressed by this policy, which I found both appealing and promising for Rivera.
On the other hand, the boy soprano is doomed to have to leave when he reaches the age of change, but his life afterwards is longer. Do they leave music at that point? When I asked Prizetman about this, he told me that there are graduates who stay on with the group as basses, or support the production behind the scenes while furthering their musical studies, and that person is Sam Coates.
'I wasn't a great soloist, but I was a bit of a music geek, and after I went through my transitional phase, I started singing bass parts and getting more involved in recording. For the last ten years, I have co-produced and co-arranged all the albums and have toured with the band. So it was a natural progression for me to take on my current role. Priestman's wish was for Rivera to survive, so ......"
According to a Japanese representative who saw the Korean concert in April, all positions at the concert, from conducting to keyboard and piano playing, music director, stage manager and mixer, were all held by Rivera graduates, and the quality of the concert was never compromised, giving it a special sense of family and cohesion. This cohesion is also a credit to Prizeman.
Sam also commented, "Prizeman left behind a number of unfinished songs. The few songs we took over and completed became the starting point for the new album. The album was produced by a cohesive team, including the composer and arranger, as well as Takatsugu Muramatsu, who once again provided the music, with clear ideas", referring to the teamwork.
He then added: "If it had been produced by Prizeman as usual, it might have sounded a little different, but I'm sure he would have been happy with it." I think this 'a bit more different' part shows the team's youthful sensibility and the lightness and lightness that comes from it.
Now, touching on the specific songs on the record, two songs left behind by Prizeman are M7 'Trinity' and M9 'Come My Way'. In addition, M11 'Sing For Ever' from the old repertoire has been newly recorded for this release. Of these, it is still 'Sing for Ever' that captures the spirit of Prizeman.
From its inception to its international fame, Rivera must have had a difficult time financially managing the organisation. When I first met him in Japan, he seemed, don't get me wrong, he was down-to-earth and frugal. How could he be so passionate about Rivera? I think the honest answer to that question can be found in 'Sing for Ever'. The lyrics, 'I will sing for you forever', must be at the root of Prizeman's passion. And I think the reason why Sam picked it up again this time was because he wanted to dedicate it to Prizeman with the thought that 'Rivera will always keep on singing'.
Then, alumnus and co-producer Joshua Madine composed M6 'Lighthouse' and M10 'Guidance of the Sea' this time. The latter, 'Guidance of the Sea', was inspired by Josh's listening to many of the songs left behind by Prizeman, and Sam says it's "like a pastiche of Rivera", and what you can sense from the lyrics, including its imitation, is a tribute to his mentor Priestman. And of 'Lighthouse', he says: "It's a tune that hasn't been done before, but it's an exciting new world of sound, and I think it's perfect for the boys". True to these words, it is one of the new songs that marks the beginning of the second chapter of Rivera's career.
Other songs include M3 'God Only Knows', a cover of the Beach Boys, and M14 'Love Shine a Light', a cover of Katrina and the Waves. These two songs were a surprise, so I asked him about them and he replied, "We're not afraid to try new styles and have tried to cover a wider range of genres since Rivera's songs started reaching the world. We've featured Brian Wilson's song 'Love and Mercy' before, and I think the melody and harmonies he writes are a great match for Rivera, and this one, 'God Only Knows', I thought the lyrics were beautiful and could bring new meaning to the song.
The other song, 'Love Shine a Light', has a special place in the UK as it was the song with which Katrina and the Waves won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997. 'When we were looking for a bright and breezy song to sing at the festival last summer, we found out that the UK would be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest this year, replacing last year's winners Ukraine, so we decided to sing it,' she says.
Another important song is M1 'Eien no Kizuna', a new song written by Takatsugu Muramatsu, the composer of M4 'Beyond the Light', the theme song for the NHK Saturday drama 'Ice Wall', which is also included in the 2023 version of the album. 'Takatsugu Muramatsu wasn't sure what kind of song he was going to write at first, but the song came to him naturally as he thought about Rivera and Prizeman. The original title of the new song is 'Forever', but our Japanese contact suggested 'Kizuna' [meaning 'bond'] as a word that captured our intention. We thought that the new album was indeed a testament to the bond that connects Rivera, Prizeman and listeners, and reflected our feelings themselves, so we wrote the lyrics to "Eternal Bonds" on the theme of "Kizuna" and the album's Japanese title will also have "Kizuna ' was added to the album's Japanese title."
Sam spoke like this, along with the thoughts behind the title. And throughout the album, the presence of excellent soloists is felt. At the time of its inception, the group was [composed of singers] recommended by schools, but now that it has become a success, the number of applicants has increased dramatically. Among them is Luca Brugnoli, who won first prize in a British boy soprano competition and is also a soloist.
The second chapter began with the new album Kizuna Forever, and with much anticipation, the group is scheduled to perform in Japan in October for the first time in four years. (End). Interview and text by Noriko Hattori
On May 18th, a post by GlennJalmas:
A few photos of the Libera boys relating towards the release of the new album were posted by Encore on their Twitter page.
Cory Agyei, Oskar Hanstveit and Orlando Benedict
From R: Freddie Mushrafi, Hal Avery, and Oscar James
On May 20th, Libera published a delightful YouTube video that combined "God Only Knows" with scenes from the 2023 Korean tour:
Also on May 20th, fan Surpinto posted (on the Libera Dreams Forum) a review of the Japanese edition of theForeverCD:
A quick review of the Japanese version of the album which includes the exclusive first track that isn't on the international release.
Eternal Bond – while I originally thought this song was nothing but an amalgamation of the other Muramatsu songs, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that in fact there was in fact some originality to this piece in terms of the melody. Obviously, it's a Muramatsu song and his distinctive melodic structure cannot be denied, including the use of previously used cords and themes from songs like “Far Away”, “Angel”, or “Home”. Like many of his songs, I find it pleasant enough and well suited to Libera's style; and though it won't be one of my personal favorites hearing it in concert would be completely welcome.
Beati – It starts out as a calm song but then the energy picks up with the drum and more forceful singing which elevates with the descants and acquires an ongoing theme. Then about 2/3rds of the way through the song the lower voices enter front and center, and the song adds another little nuance. The crescendo at the end makes the song sort of punchy and fun! I like it.
God Only Knows – A perfect Libera adaptation of a Beach Boys song with excellent solos. I really like how they arranged this song and I have nothing much to say except to compliment the soloists on a piece well-done. A solid Libera arrangement if ever there was one!
Far Away – This is sort of a Libera classic at this point having debuted over 16 years ago now! Seeing as I was already a fan of the choir when the song came out I have heard it so many times now that it had grown sort of stale on me. Having the opportunity to listen to a fresh studio release – although it is one which does not have any new elements or any arrangement differences – allowed me to enjoy the song afresh for the first time in many years.
Ave Verum – Wow, wow, wow! A more operatic piece with a huge demanding solo for Freddie. I hope that pieces in this style, much like “Cum Dederit” on If, continues to be a part of Libera’s repertoire. The song has a sort “Mysterium” feel to it which I feel is an extra bonus. At the minimum, and for those who don’t care for it, this song is nevertheless a cool showpiece.
Lighthouse – Luca Brugnoli's voice is perfect for this at the beginning. Even though the melody isn’t one that would be categorized as stemming from traditional religious music (as some of Libera’s music), the lyrics are undoubtedly religious/spiritual in nature. As they talk about a “sweet deliv’rer” and “the one who’s always there” we come to realize that the lighthouse in the song comes to signify the light of God. This was an interesting move on the part of the lyrics which seemed to start the song off in a more secular direction but then make the song's intention quite clear and are effective in that poetic structure. And just when I thought I had the song figured out the melody shifts into a different key, then shifts again with more voices, and then abruptly ends. I do not believe that any Libera song has ever had this kind of musical structure and it's the sort of song that needs to be listened to multiple times to really get a feeling for it both lyrically and melodically. Bravo!
O Beata – As already mentioned this is in keeping with Libera’s style of song with Latin verse and a more new age feel. While the song doesn’t really break new ground for them musically, it is perfectly enjoyable. As mentioned already the ending is very powerful and in my view this song would be excellent in a live concert.
Anima Christi – Similar to “O Beata” this song is emblematic of the new age and classical mix which has always drawn many to Libera. So while this song also doesn’t break new musical ground for the group, it’s one I can see myself returning to over and over again. It’s more dynamic than “O Beata” and the solos by Joseph Hill elevate the song further. An excellent piece!
Come My Way – An adaptation of a hymn I believe, the song is a wonderful demonstration of the Libera style we all know and love. Daniel White nails the solos.
At Sea – Getting some first-album vibes here with that more synth and mysterious sound that made the first album more new age than anything they have done before or after. In fact this style is so emblematic of that Libera, and to a lesser extent, Luminosa sound, that I'm wondering how much inspiration for this song was drawn from those two albums. A really cool song!
Sing Forever – A redo of a classic from before even the Angel Voices albums. Top marks to the soloists.
Be Still My Soul – Another redo of a classic which predates the Angel Voices albums, and one which captivated me from the first time I heard it on Free. The soaring descants and the beautiful melody can’t be beat, though I notice a few notes and phrases sounding different (darker?) than in past recordings (2:37 – 3:00). Maybe I’m just used to the older versions, but I don’t care for this at all.
A Grateful Heart – The first time this song has been recorded and released for an album. Very nicely done!
Love Shine a Light – Obviously I like this song, though as we know it's not without its detractors. I like when Libera takes a pop song that I would normally have no interest in and elevates it with its special sparkle. I put this song in the “Sing for Our World” category, and that’s a compliment. At the very least it’s the biggest earworm on the album.
In summary, this is a wonderful album with a little something for everyone. I have so many songs that I like on it that I may have to return later to post which ones became top favorites because I just can't decide right now.—Surpinto
On May 21st, fan Luckdragon provided access to a series of recordings featuring Angel Voices/Libera great Liam O' Kane in his treble prime, singing both traditional and modern pieces, including the exquisite "The Lark in the Clear Air" and "All the Love in the World:"
In Mid-May, long-time fan Yorkie posted (on the Libera Dreams Forum), and incisive look at the Forever CD from a socio-historical point of view.
EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION?
So, thanks to a hefty layout and a bewilderingly fast delivery by Fed Ex I have had the opportunity to spend some time with the much-awaited album. I will say that for people who were a little questioning of the post-production added to ‘Love Shine A Light’ then you may have to come to terms with a new sound under Sam Coates and his team. I must admit that at first I was hesitant. Not about the quality of singing which is exemplary from everybody and have we ever had so many soloists on an album (somebody add them up for me, I’m thinking 10)? But after multiple plays through I’m settling into it and it is growing on me. Personally, I prefer a more natural ‘choir-like’ sound but I guess that has never been Libera’s sound really has it and it never put me off them and this new style won’t. I hope you'll adjust to it too.
Eternal Bond – This has the unmistakable Takatsugu Muramatsu composition ‘sound’. It is immediately familiar even though we have never heard it before. Lovely opening from Morgan Wiltshire and Joseph Hill. I like the part when they duet the song particularly and this is a strong opener.
Beati Quorum – Heard this a few times live since its debut last summer and a studio production has really made it is shine brighter (it was my favourite between this and Lighthouse when I first heard it because I think the chorus lends itself to Libera’s style more than "Lighthouse" but more people sided with "Lighthouse" as their favourite at the first hearing). Nathan Slater and Luke Batteson-Dalpiaz sound very good and I like it when the ‘bigs’ voices kick in.
God Only Knows – Clearly you have all heard this one so there isn’t much I can add. Sung by three voices they really hit that Beach Boys harmony and they will be missed (hopefully Luca Brugnoli has a few more Treble concerts left in him and if Daniel White and Victor Wiggin are destined for the back row in the near future then what a back row that will be.)
Far Away – Who hasn't had a go at this one? One of my Faves, as sung by Michael Horncastle; Tom Cully; Ben Philipp and Ralph Skan; Ralph Skan and Kavana Crossley; and Isaac London. Well, Luca Brugnoli is as polished as any of them. In fact, his voice is very polished and measured on every single one of his tracks on the album (and don’t forget to get a copy of his solo album which I know you will enjoy). There is a second voice that comes in towards the end for a duet – is that an uncredited soloist or is Luca singing that part as well?
Ave Verum. This was mind-blowing live when we heard it at St John’s last Christmas. If you have yet to hear it Freddie Mushrafi is going to blow you away. His voice on this track has been given free rein and so it has more of a Soprano feel to it (think Aksel Rykkvin’s more operatic style from his solo album) than the more traditional Treble style of English boy choirs. Worth the price of the album alone. What a voice. What a performance. Wow.
Lighthouse – Like "Beati Quorum" I think the studio version has unlocked this track a bit more. It isn’t at all the normal Libera sound. If you are familiar with Josh Madine’s work then it will be instantly recognisable. This track could have been written for Luca Brugnoli, who is able to translate the song beautifully, showing great expressive singing throughout and that isn’t easy because it does change direction a few times. Luca has been at the front of Libera for a few years now and has given us a lot of songs. I honestly think this is perhaps his best work for Libera because he is able to put such depth and emotion to it. But of course it is a group song and all the vocalists are fantastic and gel so well together, so a shout out to Morgan Wiltshire, Daniel White and Victor Wiggin for their great work too.
O Beata – Oh boy, it’s beautiful. Classic Libera (no surprise as it is from the great man himself). Another banger of a vocal from Mitchel Guy and I love Victor Wiggin’s supporting role on this one. This is certainly a more traditional style of song for them, but watch out for that slight twist at the end. Love it.
Anima Christe – back to back bangers. Joseph Hill is really blossoming and with Freddie Mushrafi and Luca Brugnoli, the vocals are on point here, crystal clear and resonant.
Come My Way – I know it, you know it, the world knows it – DW has been a fantastic servant to the choir and given us some great songs. Another Robert Prizeman composition that just exudes Libera. I love the little staccato counter-points that pop up around the 58-second part.
At Sea – Hmmmh, well well well. A few people were interested in hearing this one from the snippet we were given. Does it live up to the expectation? Let me think about it….just teasing, I love it. Very different from Josh Madine’s "Lighthouse," not at all similar in style. The mood it creates puts me in mind of "Three Ravens." Not that they sound alike, but it has that air of mystery and slightly olde worlde vibe. Freddie Mushrafi knocks it out of the park with his vocal line that weaves its way through the song, gets built upon by the choir which lifts it up and then they let it fall back to Freddie’s line. It definitely gives me the feeling of waves breaking on the shore. One of the absolute stand out tracks for me but I suspect others may not be as enamoured because it is different and pushing new boundaries (or shores).
Sing Forever – I know Big Ben Crawley did it solo but I prefer it as a duet and Joseph Hill and Nathan Slater really get to work on this one. What’s not to love. A little less muscular than the Jamie Bandtok/Sam Harper original I think the youth and vibrancy of Joe and Nathan works really well here.
Be Still My Soul – A classic song which has always suited Libera in my opinion; they are able to make it shine more than any other group I have heard sing it. I think the first time I heard it live was in Northern Ireland over 10 years ago. It wowed me then and I still find it moving and a bit teary to this day. Great singing from Joseph Hill, Morgan Wiltshire and Frederick Howarth. Like previous versions it starts with just voices and then later on very soft supporting instruments come in.
A Grateful Heart – Luca Brugnoli carries the song with just a very little harmonising from Daniel White, most notable towards the end. From memory it is very similar in sound and arrangement to previous versions which I would have to listen to again to compare but suffice to say nothing new here.
Love Shine A Light – I know what you’re thinking, Yorkie won’t like this one. Too pop-like. Too lightweight. A bit sweet and over produced. You’re wrong, it makes me smile. Firstly, I just love Mitchel Guy’s voice and for those that say it isn’t enough to save a poor-quality Eurotrash song I think you are wrong. He’s fab on this. Secondly, I think that the lyrics do go well with the Libera ethos. It has a bit of similarity to "Sing for Our World" in my eyes. In fact you’re all so wrong I’m playing it for the second time as I write this. In all seriousness, I do see why some people think it is lightweight but actually in the context of the album I think there is room for a fun piece like this. Do I want a whole album of ‘Libera Goes Pop’? No, absolutely not but is there room for a little bit of a fun track out of the 14/13 tracks? Of course there is.
So evolution or revolution? You tell me. — Yorkie
On May 27th, Libera posted a video introduction to theForeverCD. Speakers included Sam Coates, Josh Madine, Nathan Slater, Luca Brugnoli, Victor Wiggin, Freddie Mushrafi, Oscar James, Morgan Wiltshire, Mitchel Guy, and Joseph Hill.
Libera performing in Korea
Nathan Slater
Oscar James
Joseph Hill
Josh Madine
The video was accompanied by a written message from Musical Director Sam Coates:
‘Forever’ is the first album recording without Libera’s founder, Robert Prizeman, at the helm. The Libera sound was conceived by Robert and was first truly realised in recorded form in 1999. Since then, the sound and repertoire have evolved as the group has gained popularity with audiences across the globe. In the early days the music was mainly based on Robert’s compositions, taking influence from ancient plainchant and the great choral repertoire, as well as contemporary production and instrumentation. The boys’ voices, however, have always been front and centre.
Where to start with this record then? Robert left a couple of unfinished pieces, which provided the starting point for this album. Other tracks look back at Libera’s past, some are covers with a Libera spin, but, most excitingly, some are new compositions by members of the Libera family who grew up singing for and making music with Robert.
The team working on this record is testament to the strength of Robert's rich musical legacy. However, his legacy is more than just the music he gave us; Libera is a family, which is managed and guided by a small team of generous volunteers. Without them, along with the support of families, schools, churches, and friends, we would not be able to sustain Robert’s vision to bring this unique music to listeners around the world, whilst providing the singers with the very best musical training and experiences.
It is the work of all these people, but even more so, the commitment, musicianship and good nature of the singers that gives us great hope that the future of Libera is in safe hands.
— Sam Coates 2023
Libera Records posted on the socials a short video of 9 boys. Very likely the group that will perform at the Hibiya festival.
Joseph Hill, Frederick Mushrafi, Mitchel Guy, Daniel White, Thomas Mushrafi, Luca Brugnoli, Nathan Slater, Frederick Howarth, and Morgan Wiltshire,
It's a reduced group, so it is now clear that they will perform only few songs and not a full concert. With only two-hour show to split among 12 artists, there was no real question about it. Perhaps four or five songs. I guess.
The post from Libera Records also says they will be on TV tomorrow Tuesday at about 09:20 Japan time. Meaning they are already arrived. Likely they flew this weekend. They will perform two songs from the Forever album: "Kizuna" and "Far Away."
Screenshot from brief greeting video on Twitter. (L To R): Joseph Hill, Freddie Mushrafi, Mitchel Guy, Daniel White. Thomas Mushrafi, Luca Brugnoli, Nathan Slater, Frederick Howarth, Morgan Wiltshire.
A big smile on the traditional Japanese Kagami biraki
On May 31st, more news from Japan:
ORICON NEWS
LIBERA expects to come to Japan for the first time in four years "I want to experience various things" A big smile on the traditional Japanese Kagami biraki
an on the 17th).
On May 31st, the British soprano unit LIBERA attended a press conference in Tokyo to commemorate the release of their latest album "Kizuna FOREVER" (first release in Japan.
LIBERA is a boy soprano group formed by auditioning boys aged 7 to 18 living in South London, England. In addition to the main theme of the movies "Hannibal" and "The Merchant of Venice", they have also attracted attention for their participation in the albums of world-famous artists such as Björk, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, and Aled Jones.
At the press conference, 10 members represented the unit. At the beginning, Daniel said, "Hello. We are Libera," in fluent Japanese, and thanked us, "Thank you for giving us this opportunity today." Nathan continued, "It's my first time in Japan, so I want to experience various things during my stay," with a twinkle in his eye.
The group was founded in [1990] by Robert Prizeman, who passed away. The Japanese edition of this work includes two new songs that have become Mr. Prizeman's posthumous works, as well as a new song written by Mr. Takatsugu Muramatsu, a Japanese composer who has produced many works with Mr. Prizeman in the past. ”
In addition, the 10th Japan tour "Angel Voices Tour 2023" will be held in October. The group has frequently performed in Japan since 2005. They were scheduled to perform the "Angel Voices Tour 2020" in Tokyo in October 2020, but the tour was postponed [because of Covid] and then canceled. This will be their first visit to Japan since 2019, and they will also appear at the "Hibiya Music Festival 2023" (held on June 3).
To celebrate the release of the new album and the decision to hold a tour, a kagamibiraki ceremony was held at the press conference. Together with Mr. Masaki Tachibana, President and CEO of Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing, the tour's title sponsor, and Mr. Eiichi Sekiguchi, Director and Executive Officer.
This is the press conference video for the newLibera album,Forever
The singing and interviews of Libera:
Victor and Mitchel energetically swing their wooden mallets, cracking the lid of the sake barrel with happy smiles.
After that, the 10 members performed their representative song "Kata no Hikari" (Far Away} and their new song "Eien no Kizuna". Delivering beautiful harmonies called "the supreme angel voice." The fans who came to the venue responded with thunderous applause.
On June 2nd, Libera released the latest audio version of "Far Away," with Luca Brugnoli bringing a lovely polished sound to this much-recorded Libera Classic.
Also on June 2nd, a pair of tweeted photos of the ten Libera boys in Japan, 1. standing in front of a festival sign and 2., being conducted in rehearsal by Josh Madine, who appears to have taken on the role of conductor for these appearances.
Libera performed three songs, with Daniel White introducing the group in Japanese :
Far Away
For the Future We know the soloists, thanks to Yumiko-san: "Morgan [Wiltshire] started the 1st verse, then followed by Joseph [Hill], Luca [Brugnoli], and Mitchel [Guy]"
From a Distance This one was unexpected. It was last performed four years ago, by Victor Wiggin, on the 2019 Japan tour. Yumiko-san says: "Beautiful backing harmonies could be heard on "From a distance" collaborated with musical actress Niizuma Seiko. Audiences gave them "Huge applause" at the end"
On June 4th, two delightful promos for the 2023 US tour by young Broadway-musical actor Benjamin Pajak appeared on Instagram.
On June 8th, an individual review of the Forever albumwas postedby fan Celticon the Libera Dreams Forum:
Forever is a super opener, I think Joseph Hill's vocal quality really lends itself to emotive expression and I love his voice. I would say, in terms of vocal qualities he would, in my ears, be the natural replacement for Daniel White, going forward. (but DW's voice isn't a Norwegian Parrot yet, so back off with your predictions of its demise!!) This song has all the requisite Libera components; thoughtful and thought provoking lyrics sung captivatingly by a talented treble with soaring choral responses and with a uplifting and captivating finale.
Joseph Hill
Beati Quorum is a fantastic song, at least in my view. I was firmly in the Raoul Neumann camp in those early polar discussions of the two new songs from him and Joshua Madine. I love the broad array of typical Libera styles, memorable solo passages, choral harmonies, insistent rhythm and upbeat tempo and the joyous collective expression of voice that this song brings. It was a favourite of mine when I heard it in concert, and it remains so in album format.
Libera alumnus and composer Raoul Neumann
God Only Knows: the Beach Boys are a bit before my time, so the original isn't that familiar to me, although obviously, I had heard it before. I had already heard the Libera version as a single and I loved it. It is a thought provoking song with strong lyrics, but with a playfulness to the melody that manages to make it upbeat anyway. The three soloists on this are absolutely perfect. Luca Brugnoli, Daniel White and Victor Wiggin. Their individual vocal qualities are so different and just make the solos absolutely captivating and the harmonies are fantastic. I really like this.
Daniel White and Luca Brugnoli face off in "God Only Knows."
Far Away is a retake of a classic Libera song and I heard this in concert last year. This album version is fantastic, and a huge component of that is Luca's voice. There is a depth to Luca Brugnoli's voice in this that is just super. In fact, his voice across the whole of the album is for me the best I've heard (so far!) from him for Libera. This might be a reflection of how his voice has developed over the last year, particularly as a result of his solo projects. A great song, sung fantastically.
Ave Verum Corpus. Well, what can I say? I've mentioned it enough already, that for me, Freddie Mushrafi's solo performance of this at St. John's Smith Square is the best solo I have ever heard live at a Libera concert....The album version? Fantastic and wonderful, but for me, not quite as good as when I heard it in concert. Maybe I was lucky and was sat in the sweet spot aurally, but there was just a captivating quality about that live version that drew me in like tunnel vision. The album version is great, but I feel like I can still spot the fire-escapes in my periphery. (I know, I know, terrible analogy). That being said, it is my absolute favourite song on the album.
Freddie Mushrafi (center) solos in the video of "Ave Verum Corpus."
The Lighthouse is the second of the pair of new songs introduced last year and when I first heard it I wasn't that enamoured. But the weird thing is, I am no longer sure entirely why. Yes, OK, I know the musical style informed my opinion at the time, but I think having heard it more since, that objection has faded and been replaced by a new appreciation for its qualities. It is a calming, light and open song, and actually contrasts perfectly with the powerful expression of Ave Verum Corpus in the previous track. I therefore withdraw any previous comments about this track and instead state that, I quite like it! Luca's voice in this is great and carries the sentiment of the song perfectly.
Luca Brugnoli in the actual lighthouse.
The boys as fishermen in "The Lighthouse."
O Beata Trinitas is opened wonderfully by Mitchel Guy, who is really showing his talent on this album. His vocals in the opening are crystal clear and both penetrating and haunting at the same time. The lyrics are in that traditional Libera style, a thoughtful expression with a liturgical background. But the ending is a surprise with very contrasting emotions crammed into a finish that is not expected but makes for a very memorable and enjoyable song. This passed me by a bit on the first play through, but not anymore!
Mitchel Guy
Anima Christi is a difficult one for me to comment on. Its general the theme is a bit underwhelming for me, but it is punctuated by shining solos which elevate it beyond its subdued base. I really cannot tell you how exactly I feel about this one. The solos are fantastic and draw me to it, but as a whole song, I'll need more time to buy into it.
Daniel White records "Come My Way."
Come My Way is one we heard last year, and I couldn't really comment on this one truthfully without coming across as a fawning Daniel White fan-boy, but I'll try anyway... It has a wonderful melancholy sound, and heartfelt lyrics which Daniel's voice naturally suits perfectly and his voice in this, especially in that final refrain, just makes my eyes water....Touching, emotional, a Robert Prizeman song, sung by a fabulously emotive voice. I couldn't ask for more.
Freddie Mushrafi records with Oscar James and Hal Avery in the background.
At Sea is a second new one from Joshua Madine. I love Freddie Mushrafi's voice of course and that haunting background choral, and then the occasional lilting or piercing voice cutting through it. I think this one will be similar to Lighthouse for me, in that I initially found it challenging, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it and appreciate its qualities. Current status: Haunting, interesting and very enjoyable.
Libera alumnus, composer, and co-producer Joshua Madine.
Sing For Ever, a classic Libera song remixed, is a nice return at this point to something familiar. Lovely solos from Joseph Hill and Nathan Slater in this. Not overdone, and keeping most of the song at subdued volume building a bit towards the end before closing out perfectly. A great song in a lovely new rendition.
Nathan Slater and Joseph Hill
Be Still My Soul is another classic, which I think last appeared in 2015 on Libera in America? It has all the Libera traits and is delivered perfectly by the current cohort. But, there isn't anything I can really point to in this as a standout quality, rather just a well sung repeat of an old song, rooting Libera rightly in the music that made them who they are.
Grateful Heart is a lovely penultimate song, with a memorable solo by Luca Brugnoli, whose voice shines brightly in this one and really pulls you into the song and keeps you interested until the end. This is another reflective and emotive song and is thoroughly enjoyable and captivating with perfect vocals from Luca.
Boys in front of green screen for "Love Shine a Light."
The finished video image, with soloist Mitchel Guy front and center.
Love Shine A Light, by contrast, is a more upbeat and light song to end the album with and I think the song selection here is a perfect way to end. Mitchel Guy again shows he is a soloist who deserves more attention with a sparkling and engaging opening. The choral passages are smile-inducing and joyful and the lyrics make it absolutely clear, if you couldn't work it out from the voices, exactly how you should be feeling. A joyous and fun end to a fantastic album.
An absolutely fantastic album, which I feel manages to remain true to Libera's style, pays tribute to Robert Prizeman's music and at the same time opens the door to, and showcases wonderfully, some fantastic music by the people who will be the future of the choir's repertoire.—Celtic
On June 17th, Libera posted a lovely new video of "Ave Verum Corpus" (Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso Albinoni), with a poised and perfect solo by Freddie Mushrafi.
On June 29th, a video and note was posted on Libera Dreams by fan Mercurial909:
A Bangkok based voice coach called William has done a glowing review of Ave Verum Corpus. He gives us some ‘controversial’ history regarding who really composed the music. But most pleasing is his very high praise of Freddie’s voice…
William also had high praise for the musical arrangement of the piece, though not mentioning Sam Coates by name.
Also on June 29th, an announcement from Libera:
UK Concerts 2023
We have announced two new concerts in the UK in December.
St John’s Smith Square:
Once again we are pleased to return to our regular London venue. This concert will take place on Saturday 2nd December 2023, at 7.30pm. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday 10th July.
Arundel Cathedral:
After a break of a few years we will be back at another of our favourite concert venues. This concert will take place on Saturday 16th December. Tickets will be available on 17th July through our online box office – in the meantime please do not contact the cathedral.
On July 1st, Libera released the last and most ambitious of four videos of songs from the Forever CD. "The Lighthouse" is beautifully composed, with an appropriately luminous solo by the ever-reliable Luca Brugnoli.
I'd like to congratulate Freddie and the rest of Libera on "Ave Verum" surpassing 255K views in just 4 weeks, easily surpassing all the recent videos since "Cum Dederit," released in November of 2021!
On July 17th, Libera Director Sam Coates, along with Nathan Sater and Daniel White, was interviewed about the upcoming tour by TV host Donna Drake. The interview was followed by "Ave Verum," from the Forever CD.
On July 21st, the singers, staff and musicians of Libera left for the US, where two additional New York City appearances were planned
Arriving at JFK Airport in New York
This Saturday, July 22, St. Malachy's - The Actors' Chapel welcomes LIBERA to sing at the 5pm Mass. Come and support this internationally acclaimed boys choir as they continue their world tour. Choral prelude will begin approximately 10 minutes prior to Mass. All are welcome! St. Malachy's - The Actors' Chapel 239 West 49th Street (between 8th Ave & Broadway)
Per a member of the congregation at tonight's service, the music is:
Ave Maris Stella Veni Sanctus Spiritus Ave Maria (Caccini) Ave Verum Anima Christe Deep Peace
Libera Members on Tour. (The boys are listed beginning at the top row
left of the photo grid below, then from left in each succeeding row. Thanks to 수진.)
01. Mathias Montoro
02. Koji Shinokubo
03. Victor Wiggin
04. Alexandre Menuet
05. Laurence Taylor
06. Dominik Clarke
07. Ludwik Kowalczyk
08. Julian Heitmann
09. Tadhg Fitzgerald
10. Ben Bywater
11. Frederick Mushrafi
12. Daniel White
13. Morgan Wiltshire
14. Cameron Birmingham
15. Mitchel Guy
16. Ethan Hutchinson
17. Frederick Howarth
18. Lewis Quinn
19. Federico Vergani
20. Samuel Whaley
21. Orlando Benedict
22. Benjamin Hill
23. Oskar Hanstveit
24. Nathan Slater
25. Thomas Sandoval-Herrera
26. Thomas Mushrafi
27. Pietro Vergani
28. Hal Avery
29. Cory Agyei
30. Leon Clarke
31. Joseph Hill
32. Oscar James
33. Laurence Davey
34. Luca Brugnoli
35. Ethan Barron
36. Jack Spicha
37. Moose (mascotte)
It was notable that four sets of brothers were part of the group: Dominik and Leon Clarke, Freddie and Thomas Mushrafi, Pietro and Federico Vergani, and Joseph and Benjamin Hill.
On July 24th: Out and about in Washington DC; Photos by 수진
July 25th Concert at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Washington DC, USA
(Steven Geraghty conducting)
SONG LIST
Vespera Sanctus Wayfaring Stranger Ave Maria (Caccini) From a Distance O Beata The Lighthouse Voca Me
Beati Quorum Libera --- Lux Aeterna The Prayer Total Praise Ave Verum Corpus I Am the Day Love Shine a Light Once an Angel God Only Knows Sing for Our World
Encore: Smile
On July 26th, a summary of the Basilica concert by Patrick (Photos by fan Mercurial909):
Very nice concert. Everyone was in perfect control. The deep voices were present, with six boys in theback row and novelty, ambient microphones located in front of the six bigs.
A lot of echo in the huge basilica.
01) Vespera Solo: Luca Brugnoli. Couldn't see who was doing the high solos. It should have been Oskar Hanstveit like in April in Korea, but he wasn't on stage the whole concert. He was present at the rehearsal and signings.
02) Sanctus High Notes by Luca Brugnoli
03) Wayfaring Stranger Solo: Frederick Howarth
Identifiable from left: Lewis Quinn, Freddie Mushrafi, Mitchel Guy, Daniel White, Morgan Wiltshire, Nathan Slater, and Hal Avery.
04) Ave Maria Solo: Luca Brugnoli
05) From A Distance Solo: Nathan Slater
06) O Beata Solo: Mitchel Guy, with Victor Wiggin behind him.
07) The Lighthouse Solo: Luca Brugnoli, joined at the end by Daniel White, Morgan Wiltshire and Laurence Davey.
08) Voca Me High Notes by Luca Brugnoli
09) Beati Solo (at the start): Nathan Slater and Pietro Vergani
10) Libera Solo: Frederick Mushrafi and Mitchel Guy
11) Lux Aeterna Introduction in plainsong, in procession in two rows, from the back of the stage, to the left and to the right. Then solos by: Morgan Wiltshire and Hal Avery.
Particularity: at the end, the boys got into position for the next song ("The Prayer"), with Joseph Hill standing in the front center and all the others kneeling behind him. Surprising to see them take the positions of the next song while still singing the previous song. The audience was unsettled and there was no applause after Lux Aeterna. There was, however, a gap between the two songs.
12) The Prayer Solo: Joseph Hill
13) Total Praise New: a compact triangle formation, with Joseph Hill at the forefront. Solo: Joseph on the first lines, then joined by Thomas Sandoval-Herrera and Pietro Vergani on subsequent lines, then joined by several others, a cappella. Then everyone with music.
14) Ave Verum Solo: Frederick Mushrafi. Small changes in the voice. He no longer makes certain long sustained notes at once but twice, beginning and end.
15) I Am The Day Solo: Morgan Wiltshire. At the end, the call between high and low notes: Thomas Mushrafi and Daniel White.
16) Love Shine A Light Solo: Mitchel Guy
17) Once An Angel Solo: Nathan Slater and Frederick Howarth. 18) God Only Knows Solo: Luca Brugnoli and Daniel White
19) Sing For Our World Ensemble
20) (encore) Smile Solo: Mitchel Guy with Victor Wiggin behind him
Then a more personal review by Surpinto:
First of all, it was great to see so many fan friends, and making some new ones. I haven't seen Libera since 2019 so being able to (re)connect with people after both the pandemic and such a long absence from the US certainly made things much more fun.
So after such a long hiatus, I was by no means disappointed. I can't remember them ever being so much in top form on their first concert of a tour. They sounded amazing!
As always I'm unable to offer the type of review that others can in going song by song in detail as my memory isn't adequate to the task, however I want to offer my personal highlights and impressions. “Vespera” in concert has always been a dream and I'm so glad that I got to hear it live. I wasn't able to see who was doing the high note descants but it was confirmed to me by other fans, as well as by Nathan Slater himself, that it was in fact Nathan doing the descants. He did an amazing job both on these high notes and on his solo on “From a Distance”. He has a very pleasant voice that I really enjoyed hearing.
I have nothing but the highest praise for Luca Brugnoli who delivered his solos and high notes absolutely flawlessly. It's one of those things where everything he did was perfect as he's totally indefatigable. I feel like he can sing simply anything. Obviously “Lighthouse” and “Ave Maria” were songs where he had an especially major role, and especially with the latter it was absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to hear it again!
Speaking of “Lighthouse”, this song was definitely one of my favorites at this concert. While this may seem like an unexpected choice the music itself is very unique, and in a positive way, as I commented on my review of the song when it came out as part of the album. I thought at the time that I would love to hear it in concert to see the full effect of it in a live setting, with the lighting and all of that. Well the song and its performance certainly didn't disappoint me at all. The song leads to a climactic finish where the choir is illuminated in a bright light mirroring the lyrics - beautiful!
Another highlight was “Ave Verum”. I cannot even describe how much I enjoyed this performance with Freddie Mushrafi’s solo. A few of us had speculated that his voice might not be up to the task at this point given his age and obvious growth spurt, but he executed it with utter perfection. Of course you can hear that his voice is in the process of changing but his level of vocal control allowed him to sing that piece with an undeniably wonderful execution. You could see on his face how much vocal control he was exercising, both in general for this piece as it's exceptionally demanding, but also because of the changes in his voice which required even more effort to control. Bravo!
Morgan Wiltshire on “I am the Day” was wonderful, as he has that pure-as-a-bell voice that is really enjoyable.
Sound check
Finishing off discussing soloists we come to Mitchel Guy. While there have always been a few soloists who do a good job of putting emotion into a song (Daniel White comes to mind for instance), I don't think I've ever seen in a live concert a boy put that much emotion into a song as he did with “Smile” which was the encore. Don't get me wrong, I get it, these are young kids and their focus is primarily on singing the proper notes and using the correct intonation and hearing each other; I don't expect the kind of emotional or expressive performance from a 12-year-old as I would from an adult singer.
Yet here we had Mitchel both vocally, and with his facial expressions, conveys this very sweet message asking and pleading “what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile”. I was really and truly touched by a song which usually does not affect me whatsoever and which I have heard live and recorded plenty of times, so no small feat for him! He also did a great job on "Love Shine a Light"and “O Beata”.
In summary the concert was a complete success with many songs from the new album as well as some old favorites. While I may have focused here on the soloists, as this is the variation we experience most acutely as fans, the choir as a whole did a wonderful job staying together, the lighting was fantastic, and the reverb in the cathedral was amazing allowing notes to linger for several precious seconds at the end of every song.
Practicing bows
I can't wait to hear them again in New York!—Surpinto
On July 27th, an online article about the NewYork City concert was posted at:
The article contains the information that "Their newest recording FOREVER is this week’s number one download on Amazon."
Although nothing new, [posted Jimmy Riddle] there's a few brief audio clips from some of the boys at the end of this article. It also reminds us that touring the US is expensive for Libera and something they cannot do it every year.
July 28th Concert, Riverside Church, New York City
Conducted by Steven Geraghty
On July 29th, fan Surpinto followed his earlier review of the Washington DC concert with another enthusiastic recounting of the New York City performance:
Riverside Church
Oh how I wish that I was joining them in San Francisco and Los Angeles after the amazing performance that I witnessed last night in New York. Sadly finances don't allow such travels but the concert was so incredible I must write a second review to convey some of the differences in the performances. As usual these will just be my personal highlights rather than an extensive detailed review of all songs.
This time we were in a smaller space and unlike the basilica there was no large area for them to move around. A small stage was constructed in front of the altar and choir stall area. Riverside Church, NYC is a large church to be sure but smaller than the massive basilica, and the pews are situated much closer to the front. Had they been singing from the choir stalls for a service there would have been some, but not much, distance between us in the audience/pews; but due to the fact that they were singing from a small constructed stage we were exceptionally close to them. This allowed us to not only see them better but also to hear their natural voices and not just through the amplification equipment.
This was especially notable with Nathan Slater, who has such a beautiful voice! I could hear him quite distinctly as he sang right in front of me in various songs. I'm not even referring here to his solos by the way!
Highlights this time for me included, unexpectedly, "Sanctus". I've known this song for so long it's not one that ought to impress me but, when the sound is really working in a space, you can hear all of the different voice parts in in a way that is by no means apparent in the recording. In the recording everything is nicely blended together and the song is a classic Libera song for a very good reason. But on stage, and if the audio conditions are just right, you can actually see them duetting back and forth between the higher trebles and the lower trebles. Yes for sure you can hear this on the album but it's more distinct in concert when seeing it. I was really moved and impressed by this piece, pulled in musically speaking.
Now in writing this review I was hoping to add new commentary about songs I didn't write about previously but I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention Luca Brugnoli on "Ave Maria" again. He sang it even better than in DC and I didn't think that was even possible. His execution was not only good but absolutely flawless, his voice is like cutting through slightly melted butter. That buttery soft and smooth quality coupled with his impeccable delivery was beyond reproach. Absolutely beautiful!
I'm further compelled to mention "Ave Verum" again which probably was the most impressive piece in New York as it was in DC particularly for the uninitiated. One can see real operatic type training with Freddie Mushrafi, based on how he was moving his body and mouth so as to maintain vocal control. I've only ever seen that kind of body movement (to that extent anyway) with professional adult classical singers.
Next we come to "O Beata". While I liked this song in DC it somehow sounded better this time. Mitchel Guy and Victor Wiggin have a wonderful duet on this song, singing the solo parts together at the same time. I complimented Mitchel's voice in my prior review, but the second time around I really heard him on this particular song. His voice has a certain lightness to it, a certain sweetness, like a feather on the wind that might float away at any moment, and yet doesn't. Yet his singing isn't all light and air, as he entices and beguiles you into the song with him.
His performance this time on "Smile" was also incredible. As mentioned in the previous review, I've never heard so much emotion added to a song from a singer who wasn't an experienced adult performer. When I wrote that other review I had wondered if perhaps it was a fluke of some sort, a one-off. No way! This was absolutely intentional and he did it again this time. Incredible
Group photos by Asami Kitsutaka
Another interesting highlight this time that I didn't discuss before is Daniel White on "God Only Knows". This song was done as a duet with him and Luca Brugnoli. Luca does a commendable job on this piece but I want to focus on Daniel here. Daniel has a very interesting range at this stage of his vocal development. It's like a staircase rather than a slide. In one verse he climbs to a higher stair to sing in the more alto register, and then on the next he steps down a few steps to sing in the tenor range. It doesn't appear that he can easily "slide" along the entire spectrum of that vocal range at this point if that makes sense. But he seems to be able to access particular sub-ranges within his vocal capacities. Absolutely amazing that he can maneuver between these different rungs on his vocal ladder.
Then we come to an unexpected descant singer Oscar Handstveit who didn't sing at the DC concert but was apparently doing the high notes on "Vespera" I was told. I didn't see it myself because from my vantage point I couldn't see that part of the stage, but if so we have a strong voice from a fairly small boy. We'll see what happens with him as time goes on!
An interesting tidbit: Dominik Clarke may have been (if I'm not mistaken) the only individually mic'd older lower range boy in the group. I could definitely make out his nice lower voice during some of the lower parts.
With all of that said, the choir as a whole sounded absolutely brilliant once again. I didn't hear any notable flaws in the execution of the group as a whole and it seems that they do better with a slightly larger compliment of singers as is the case this time.
I know that I'm failing to mention so many songs and so many soloists who did a phenomenal job at this concert. There's so much more that could be said about this performance but I want to just focus on my own personal highlights and the things that moved me and which I can easily express here. For those of you seeing them in San Francisco and/or LA please keep us posted because you're in for an unforgettable performance.—Surpinto
These photos of an autograph session clearly show the differences in age and size of Libera singers. Above are Thomas Sandoval-Herrera, Thomas Mushrafi, Oskar Hanstveit, Ethan Barron, and Alexandre Menuet.
On July 30th, a post by Luckdragon:
What a day they had today!
Staten Island Ferry (presumably to pass by the Statue of Liberty)
9/11 Memorial
Top of the World Trade Center
NYC Subway
Central Park
Also on July 30th, a live YouTube video of "Ave Verum," with Freddie Mushrafi in top form:
San Francisco Concert at Grace Cathedral, July 31st
On July 30th, Libera fans responded to an unforeseen shortfall in funds for the tour:
On August 2nd, a mini-review and photos from fan int2www:
I made it to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and the concert was incredible. I have seen them in California back in 2019, Christmas in London at SJSS 2019 and 2022, and now this, being my 4th concert attendance.
With Sam in charge, the group is much more energetic and loud. They really let their voices fly, and in the cavernous cathedral, it's glorious to hear. I really hope they continue to make it back to the US in the future.—int2www
(Photo by int2www)
(Photo by int2www)
In a review of the Riverside Church Concert, fan henrylonghorn summed up the character and highlights of all the concerts to date:
1. The impeccable solos by Luca Brugnoli (four in total, plus descants) and Freddie Mushrafi were worth the trip alone. I would have loved to hear "Far Away" by Luca also, but I understand it's yet another demanding piece.
2. Nathan Slater, Joseph Hill, Mitchel Guy, Morgan Wiltshire, et al. each delivered memorable solos in their own styles, making them new soloists to watch.
3. The encouraging showing of the (relatively) new boys gave confidence in the group’s continuity.
4. Seeing the “Bigs” again—Daniel White, Dominik Clarke, Alexandre Menuet, Victor Wiggin, Lawrence Taylor, Mathias Montoro—after four years. Even Tadhg Fitzgerald as stage staff—he was quite visible.
5. Daniel White's demonstration and leadership potential.
6. Spotlights shining on the stone church structure and moving mostly vertically. The movement encouraged one to look up and appreciate the combined audiovisual aesthetic only experienced at a live concert.
It’s also worth mentioning that the general level of preparation appears to have exceeded the past few US tours. Coordination among the various parts and physical movements on stage both seem to have improved, for example. No more boys getting lost during stage transitions!—henrylonghorn
Orlando Benedict, Benjamin Hill and Oscar James with Moose and friends. (Photo by Mercurial909)
Nathan Slater soloing in Grace Cathedral (Photo by Mercurial909)
On a San Francisco cable car.
On August 3rd, fan raycmusic posted a mini-review of the Grace Cathedral concert on the Libera dreams Forum:
I've been a fan of Libera for many years now, but only recently had the opportunity to follow a US tour. It was so lovely to meet many fans this summer, in person in DC and NY!
Seeing as some fans were only able to attend the east-coast concerts, I wanted to give some insight into the SF concert for those who weren't able to make the journey to California. My memory also isn't up to par to provide a full review, so I hope you'll enjoy some highlights from the show!
As with every Libera concert, the boys, staff, and musicians all performed their parts spectacularly. Particularly for this concert, I was impressed how quickly everyone was able to adapt to the smaller, more cramped stage, especially after such a tiring journey from New York to California. This was particularly evident with Frederick Howarth in Wayfaring Stranger, where he needed to carefully time his descent down the altar steps while singing such a delicate solo line.
Following Wayfaring Stranger, Luca Brugnoli delivered what I felt to be the best rendition of Ave Maria so far on the tour, clearly enunciating each of the descending eighth notes, which sounded so clean in the audience. As usual, he also sang the really high notes in Voca Me, but this time, receiving his own individual spotlight while standing in the pulpit. I'm in awe he's still able to reach such high notes at 13. Really hoping his treble career can last at least a few more years!
Daniel White gave a speech before the interval which included the usual jest about "not spilling any drinks down our nice white robes." New for this tour, however, was a showcase of how the song Libera divides into seven different parts for the first few notes, with Daniel directing each part to start after the other, so each individual voice can be heard. Daniel seems to be a natural born conductor and choir leader. Makes me wonder if he'll be doing Sam Coates' job in a decade or two?
The second half of the concert began with the boys again walking down the side aisles, singing the unison plainchant part of Lux Aeterna, before taking their places on stage. Speaking with Dominik Clarke after the concert, he let me know they decided to forgo kneeling here for this concert, due to the smaller stage. I was so pleased to hear Morgan Wiltshire singing the solo (and later again for I Am The Day), as I believe the only solo recording of him so far is for Kizuna (please correct me if I'm wrong here)? His voice has a timbre similar to that of a smaller child, but very mature in terms of pitch, dynamic, and articulation control. Reminds me a lot of James Threadgill's solo in Deep Peace many years ago. Similar can be said about Joseph Hill, who went from miniboy, to fantastic soloist in Prayer and Total Praise in just a few short years.
Freddie Mushrafi's Ave Verum solo was probably the most technically impressive piece for me, with such an operatic voice that can rival that of professional adult singers. Once again I'm amazed at the sheer range that he can achieve, along with Daniel White, who sang both the higher and the lower part (originally sung by Victor Wiggin in the album recording)on God Only Knows . Both of their voices still blend seamlessly with the treble parts, despite them joining "the Bigs" pretty soon!
Frederick Howarth leads in "Wayfaring Stranger"
(Photo by Mercurial909)
The concert ended with the energetic Sing For Our World, and an emotional encore performance of Smile by Mitchel Guy. Even though there was a slight mishap in starting on time with the orchestra, Mitchel recovered incredibly well, and any small mistakes were overshadowed by the immense passion he puts into his singing. While he may be one of the newest members of the group, he's become one of the star soloists, and I can't wait to hear more from him in future albums and concerts!
Overall, the SF concert was sensational, and appeared to have the best attendance (almost a full house). As I'm unable to attend the final LA concert, I'm so happy my journey on the 2023 US tour concluded on such a high note, with such brilliant music and new friends made! For anyone who can make it to the final concert in LA tonight, please keep us posted!—raycmusic
Concert at Bel Air Church, Los Angeles, California, August 3rd
Boys heading for the church (Photo by Fercho Rivera Oliveras)
(Photo by Sujin Kim)
(Photo by Sujin Kim)
Josh Madine at the piano (Photo by Fercho Rivera Oliveras)
(Photo by Sujin Kim)
Final bow (Photo by Fercho Rivera Oliveras)
On August 8th, Sujin Kim posted on the Libera Official page:
We are thrilled to share photos from the final night of our US tour, this time from the beautiful Bel Air Church in Los Angeles
A whirlwind two weeks have given us the most amazing moments, memories, and stories, and we have been humbled by all the support, kindness, and hospitality we encountered along the way. THANK YOU so much for being part of it!
On August 10th, an update on the fall Japan tour from Patrick:
A little update about the next concerts to come, in 10 weeks in Japan.
Tuesday 24 October - Osaka Festival Hall The hall can seat 2,700 people Today it remains 169 seats available, all on the back of the ground floor or on the 1st balcony.
Thursday 26 October - Yokohama KT Zepp Yokohama The hall can seat 1,251 people Tickets are sold out
Friday 27 October - Tokyo Line Cube Shibuya The hall can seat 1,956 people Tickets are sold out
Not a concert but another official event is scheduled during the tour:
Saturday 28 October - Fan club event Location TBA If the organization is similar to that of 2019, participants will be limited to 120 people, chosen by lot among the fans who have applied. To do this, you have to register online from the fan club site using a serial number printed on a mini-flyer distributed with the first edition of the Japanese 'Forever' CD.
At the end of August, Libera soloist Luca Brugnoli announced two solo concerts in Japan on November 19 and 20, three weeks after the Libera tour in Japan.
UPPER TEXT:
"A boy soprano that can only be heard now."
"A boy's singing voice before his voice changes resonates for a limited time. Please enjoy the excitement of his songs along with the clear tones. Don't miss this chance to enjoy a precious moment surrounded by the magic of music."
LOWER TEXT:
"The Japan Boys Choir Association has invited the British boy soprano soloist Luca Brugnoli to give a concert in Japan. Luca, who is a member of a famous British boy's choir and is very active with other projects including the release of the long-awaited solo album 'Rise Up' in May, will come to Japan in November and hold a solo concert. Incorporating his song and dance, there is no doubt that he will break new ground. After winning the BBC Young Chorister of the Year award, he has continued to perform at numerous music concerts."
On September 2nd, Los Angeles TV show Creative World posted a brief teaser for an upcoming show that featured Libera. The boys are saying "Thank you for watching Creative World."
Around this time, a video of ten Libera boys singing "For the Future" at the Hibaya Music Festival surfaced on YouTube.
Josh Madine conducts "For the Future."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNzV3RnbSis (Libera performs “For the Future” at Hibaya Music Festival/6-3-23/solos by Morgan Wiltshire, Joseph Hill, and Luca Brugnoli/4:35)
Around this time, Libera alumnus (2005-2011) and occasional conductor Liam Connery began releasing singles on his YouTube channel.
On September 4th, an announcement, courtesy fan Steve Walker:
“Eien no Kizuna” [as performed by Libera] has been selected as the ending theme for “Phoenix Eden no Sora”, which will be exclusively distributed on Disney Plus “Star”.
"Firebird Eden no Sora"
Worldwide exclusive distribution on Disney Plus from September 13th
Original work by Osamu Tezuka x Studio 4°C production x Rie Miyazawa starring
A story of one woman's timeless love and adventure
"Phoenix" is a timeless masterpiece that is the life work of Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Manga", who repeatedly revised and revised throughout his life.
A total of 12 episodes, including the past, present, future, and not only the Earth but also the universe, which depict the essence of life, include "Nostalgia", "Tekkonkinkreet" (2006), " STUDIO4℃, which has worked on detailed and dynamic works such as "Children of the Sea" (2019), is making its first visual!
Around September 7th, an article praising Libera's video rendition of "Ave Verum" appears on the church-based website Aleteia. The musicologist/writer Brian McBrearty refers to the group as "the premier boys sacred choir."
On September 8th, the second anniversary of Robert Prizeman's passing, Libera soloist Luca Brugnoli offered this touching tribute:
Between September 9th and October 3rd,, the Los Angeles TV program Creative World aired a short Q & A with Libera singers Oscar James, Daniel White, and Nathan Slater:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAOtJ6ESlSU&t=780s (Creative World interview #1 with Libera singers Oscar James, Daniel White, and Nathan Slater/Los Angeles 8-3-23/also contains brief segments of “Vespera,” “Sanctus,” and “Ave Maria”/ segment begins at 27:40)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytU_ykdQuYY&t=842s (Creative World Interview #2 with Oscar James, Daniel White, and Nathan Slater, with concert segments of "O Beata," "Beati Quorum," "Voca Me," and "Libera"9-23/Segment begins at 28:04)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlzY7XlXySk&t=3s (Creative World Interview #3 with Oscar James, Daniel White, and Nathan Slater, with concert segments of "Lux Aeterna,""The Prayer," and Total Praise"/9-23/4:04)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R5V5ytRCbM&t=760sCreative World Interview #4 with Oscar James, Daniel White, and Nathan Slater, with concert segments of "Love Shine a Light" and "Sing"/9-23/begins at 25:59)
On September 25th, Libera fan Su Jin created a photo grid of Libera alumni and their younger selves. adult photos were taken from interviews done by Creative World TV at the May 2nd, 2021 Memorial Service/9:19)
Cory AGYEI, Hal AVERY, Cameron BIRMINGHAM, Luca BRUGNOLI, Leon CLARKE, Laurence DAVEY, Mitchel GUY, Oskar HANSTVEIT, Julian HEITMANN, Benjamin HILL, Joseph HILL, Freddie HOWARTH, Ethan HUTCHINSON, Oscar JAMES, Gabriele MARINI*, Frederick MUSHRAFI, Thomas MUSHRAFI, Lewis PEARSON*, Lewis QUINN, Thomas SANDOVAL HERRERA, Edward SARGEANT*, Koji SHINOKUBO, Nathan SLATER, Federico VERGANI, Pietro VERGANI, Samuel WHALEY, Daniel WHITE,
Victor WIGGIN, Theo WILSON*, Morgan WILTSHIRE. * NEW
On the US tour but not listed for the Japan tour: Ethan BARRON, Orlando BENEDICT, Dominik CLARKE, Ludwik KOWALCZYK, Alexandre MENUET, Mathias MONTORO, Jack SPICHA, Laurence TAYLOR.
An update on the ticket sales :
Tuesday 24 October - Osaka Festival Hall The hall can sit 2,700 people - Today just 56 seats remain available, all in the balcony.
Osaka Festival Hall
Thursday 26 October - Yokohama KT Zepp Yokohama The hall can sit 1,251 people - Tickets were already sold out
Friday 27 October - Tokyo Line Cube Shibuya The hall can sit 1,956 people - Tickets were already sold out
On October 7th, a post on Libera Dreams by Patrick:
Libera Records has published the crew members for the Japan tour 2023.
Sam COATES : Music Director & Sound Joshua MADINE : Piano Liam CONNERY : Conductor & Assistant Music Director Kavana CROSSLEY : Sound Matthew JANSEN : Lighting Ben BYWATER : Stage Manager Tadhg FITZGERALD : Stage Manager
This prompted some observations by fan Luckdragon:
Everyone knows Sam Coates, who has succeeded Robert Prizeman and is currently leading LIBERA. This will be the first performance in Japan for LIBERA under the leadership of Sam Coates.
Sam Coates
Josh, who was the conductor during the visit to Japan from May to June this year, will appear on stage as a pianist and keyboard player this time.
Josh Madine
Liam, who first conducted a LIBERA performance at the Korean show, will also be the conductor in Japan. His conducting style in the Korean performance, where music seemed to overflow even from his back view, was very charming. Please look forward to it!
Liam Connery in 2007
Kavana and Matthew, who have been active as staff in domestic and overseas performances, will finally be in charge of sound and lighting at the Japanese performance.
Kavana Crossley
Matthew Jansen
Ben and Tadhg, who were on stage in 2019, will be active as stage directors.
Ben Bywater
Tadgh Fitzgerald
So, this year’s performance in Japan will be created by the LIBERA family, both on and behind the stage. Sam and Josh, who were on stage during the first performance in Japan in 2005, and other LIBERA alumni continue to help with LIBERA. It’s an era that would make Robert deeply emotional and smile down from heaven. I believe that the form of LIBERA that Robert aimed for is right here.With the fans who have always supported them, LIBERA will continue forever. A new step that proves this, just two weeks until the 10th performance in Japan! We are really looking forward to the atmosphere that can only be created by former LIBERA members!
This year marks a significant milestone for LIBERA. Not just because of the decade-long history of performances in Japan, but also because it represents the evolution of the group. It's heartwarming to see former members return in new capacities to contribute to the group's legacy. The deep-rooted connections between the fans and LIBERA are evident. The unwavering support has been a driving force, propelling the choir to new heights. This synergy between the performers and the audience is palpable during live performances, where the mutual admiration and love create an atmosphere like no other.
One cannot help but reflect on the journey of each individual member. From the early days when they first joined as young, enthusiastic singers, through the years as they honed their skills and became the face of the choir, and now, as they return as accomplished professionals and mentors, bringing with them a wealth of experience to pass on to the next generation.The legacy of Robert Prizeman, the visionary behind LIBERA, continues to thrive. His dedication and passion for music, combined with his ability to bring out the best in every choir member, are pillars upon which the choir stands today. His dream of creating a space where young voices can shine in harmony, unburdened by the weight of the world, has become a reality that continues to inspire millions.
As we count down to the much-anticipated 10th performance in Japan, fans eagerly await the harmonious melodies and ethereal performances that LIBERA is known for. But this year, with the infusion of the old with the new, it promises to be even more special. It's not just about the songs or the performances; it's about the journey, the bond, and the story of perseverance, growth, and love. As we gear up for another unforgettable show, one thing is clear: The spirit of LIBERA, with its deep-rooted history and promising future, will resonate forever, touching hearts and souls across the world.—Luckdragon
It's well known to Libera fans that the St. Philip's Boys Choir, from which Libera evolved, appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops in 1985, singing backup to Sal Solo on "San Damiano." On October 3rd, TullyBascome dug up and posted (on the Libera Dreams Forum) a video from that era, again featuring Solo and the St. Philip's boys in a murky video that appears to be heavily influenced by the film Oliver! The song is eminently forgettable, but the video provides another look at the singers of that era.
(Forever Be/Sal Solo and the St. Philip’s Boys Choir/BBCTop of the Pops/1985
A NOTE FROM OCTOBER 21ST BY MERCURIAL909.
JAPAN TOUR FALL 2023
On October 21st, the Libera group landed in Japan. There appeared to be four new singers, With DanielWhite, Koji Shinokubo and Victor Wiggin as the only known "bigs."
On October 22nd, the boys were already out enjoying themselves at a bowling alley. Mercurial 909 noted that the coming week is half-term for most pupils in the UK.
The boys at the Cup Noodles Museum in Osaka, Japan.
At Osaka Castle on October 23rd
October 24th Sound Check in Osaka
On October 24th, fan Luckdragon posted the first photo IDs of the four new singers.
Clockwise from top left: Introducing Edward Sargeant, Theo Wilson, Gabriele Marini, and Lewis Pearson.
Fun in Japan
10-24th: CONCERT IN OSAKA FESTIVAL HALL
On October 24th, Patrick and Furby of Libera Passion provided a detailed chart of songs, singers, speakers and soloists for this concert, with comparisons to former concerts:
British boy soprano group "Ribera" performs 21 songs including "Eternal Bonds" on their 11th visit to Japan after four years October 25, 2023 04:00
On the 24th, the British boy soprano group "Libera" held their 11th performance in Japan "LIBERA Angel Voices Tour 2023 Kizuna FOREVER" at Festival Hall in Osaka, the first time in four years.
The show started with "Blessings to All," ["Beati Quorum"] which was written and composed by Rivera's alumnus Raul Newman. Member Pietro greeted them in Japanese, saying, "Hello. Welcome to our concert." Afterwards, the members took turns acting as MC and the only Japanese member, Koji Shinokubo, acted as an interpreter.
In the first half, they sang classic concert songs such as "Libera" and "Sanctus." The MC said, "Next is a special song for us. Composer Takatsugu Muramatsu wrote it for us this year. Muramatsu-san will be playing the piano tonight, so I'm happy." Afterwards, Mr. Muramatsu appeared and performed "Eternal Bonds" ["Forever"] with Rivera on the piano. Many people were moved to tears after hearing Muramatsu play the piano and Rivera sing live.
In the second half, member Daniel White, who studied Japanese through an app, acted as MC in fluent Japanese, which drew applause. For the encore, they sang "Tenshi no Kureta Kiseki," ["Angel"] a [2015] tie-in song for Universal Studios Japan®'s "Universal Wonder Christmas," which is a familiar sight in Osaka.
They performed a total of 21 songs, and a long line of over 800 people formed for the autograph session. After this, they will perform at KT Zepp Yokohama (Yokohama) on the 26th and LINE CUBE SHIBUYA (Tokyo) on the 27th.
A Note from Mercurial909:
Very interesting regarding the changes of soloists. It might be that they’re experimenting in anticipation of voice changes in the coming year. But I wasn’t expecting Mitchel Guy’s [transition away from]"Love Shine a Light," and a number of Luca Brugnoli's mainstays to have been switched up just yet.
That said, it’s reassuring to see the younger members becoming more confident soloists, including the Hill brothers [Joseph and Benjamin] who are coming into their own.
Out in front: Thomas Sandoval-Herrera, Joseph Hill, and Pietro Vergani.
A note from Surpinto:
Very surprised at Tom Mushrafi being given "Far Away" as his first main solo. That’s a song where there really is nowhere to hide if you make a mistake or sing any flat notes. He does have his big bro to help coach him, though.
Always amazes me how quickly those voice changes can occur. I remember Lucas Wood singing first treble on Libera’s summer tour in 2016, but by their Christmas concert that same year he was at the back singing tenor on what was his final concert with Libera.
Shouldn’t really have been that surprised at Mitchel Guy’s move to the alto range, he’s been growing like a beanstalk this year. Also noticed Laurence Davey’s speaking voice changing back in the summer. But Luca Brugnoli, whose "Ave Maria" in NYC was very impressive, is a surprise to me. Was sure he could sing first treble for at least another year, but…we’ve been spoilt by having Luca perform so brilliantly as a main soloist for as long as he has. I really hope he’ll stay around to mentor the younger ones until he ages out.
(On Freddie Mushrafi's "Ave Verum":)
I'm more surprised by this than the other changes. Even in the US you could tell that Freddie was working very hard to control his changing voice, so I'm positively gobsmacked that he can still sing "Ave Verum". Good for him though, because that kind of vocal control and range at his age is unusual to say the least!
Interlude: One of the songs on the program, "Kizuna Forever/Eternal Bonds" appeared as the ending theme song on the music video for the animated space adventure Phoenix: Memories of Flowers (a sequel to Phoenix: Eden17) that wasscheduled for release on November 3, 2023.
10/27: CONCERT IN YOKOHAMA
KT Zepp Yokohama
A Note From Libera:Day 5 of our Japanese tour, and we were starting to get excited for our sell out concert at the KT Zepp venue in Yokohama that evening. But first, we headed for lunch in Yokahama China Town, followed by a quick stroll through the harbour area to take in the sights before the entertainment for the night began.
Thanks to everyone who managed to join us; we had a blast.
10/29 CONCERT IN TOKYO
Line Cube Shibuya
Comments from Justin:
And that’s the end of the 2023 Japan tour, an enchanting evening of joyful music, with a rapturous standing ovation (finally!) from the audience to cap it off. The boys were brilliant tonight, almost every piece was performed without a hitch. If I had to pick my favourite song, "From A Distance" would easily be my choice. Nathan Slater’s solo was measured, heartfelt and quite emotional.
When the boys sang “From a distance, there is harmony and it echoes through the land. It’s the voice of hope, it’s the voice of peace, it’s the voice of every man”, I couldn’t help but agree. Yes, we do need more voices of hope and of peace. And certainly more Libera, please.
I want to commend Lewis Quinn for his enthusiastic singing today, and although he had a very minor mishap with his solo in ‘Libera’, he recovered quickly and sang well with Thomas Sandoval-Herrera. Also, it seems the boys—after the previous two concerts-—have found their groove today.
Notes from Patrick:
A Farewell note from Libera: We had a lot to pack in on Day 6 of our tour, so it was up early and out first thing to visit the Sensō-ji shrine, followed by a quick shopping trip in Asakusa district. It was the night of our 3rd and final concert, this time at the Tokyo Line Cube Shibuya - another sell out! - and we were honoured to be joined on stage by our friend Takatsugu Muramatsu, who composed "Kizuna" and "Far Away." The crowd was wonderful, and we were delighted to learn that Seiji Kameda - composer of "For The Future" - was in the audience, and he even visited us backstage.
1. Benjamin Hill, 2. Oscar James, 3. Thomas Mushrafi, 4. Julian Heitmann 5. Cory Agyei, 6. Oskar Handstveit 7. Gabriele Marini, 8. Joseph Hill
9. Lewis Pearson, 10. Nathan Slater, 11. Federico Vergani, 12. Hal Avery 13. Leon Clarke, 14. Edward Sergeant, 15. Frederick Howarth
16. Pietro Vergani, 17. Morgan Wiltshire, 18. Theo Wilson, 19. Thomas Sandoval-Herrera 20. Ethan Hutchinson, 21. Luca Brugnoli,
22. Lewis Quinn, 23. Samuel Whaley, 24. Koji Shinokubo, 25. Laurence Davey, 26. Daniel White, 27. Victor Wiggin, 28. Mitchel Guy, 29. Cameron Birmingham, 30. Freddie Mushrafi
In mid-November, a tweet from Libera Records Japan:
#CrazyCruise, a Netflix movie starring Ryo Yoshizawa & Aoi Miyazaki and written by Yuji Sakamoto, will be available for exclusive worldwide distribution on November 16th. #Ribera (Libera) sings the opening theme "In Love and Deep Water" This is a collaboration with Takatsugu Muramatsu, which follows [the CD] #Eternal Bonds/Forever. #LIBERA
The opening theme was recorded by the ten singers pictured below, during their stay in Japan for the Hibaya Music Festival earlier this year. The simple melody is embellished by some lovely high harmonies in the center section:
From Left: Mitchel Guy, Luca Brugnoli, Frederick Howarth, Daniel White, Miramatsu-san,
Victor Wiggin, Nathan Slater, Freddie Mushrafi (top), Thomas Mushrafi (bottom), Morgan Wiltshire, Joseph Hill
On December 1st, Libera soloist Luca Brugnoli released a sweet holiday video, ",Somewhere in my Memory," that showcased his growing skills in nuance and delivery, angering well for a post-treble singing career.
December 2nd CONCERT AT ST. JOHN'S SMITH SQUARE, LONDON
[Thanks to Patrick and Furby for program photos and statistics. More photos to come.]
Interval time at SJSS and there are a number of very noticeable things with the boys:
(Observations by Mercurial909)
Mitchel Guy sang his "O Beata" solo in a very low key.
Luca Brugnoli sang his "Lighthouse" solo in its normal key - couldn’t detect much of a change in his voice.
Laurence Davey is m.i.a. [Nothe from Mr W.: Lawrence D was in the audience sporting a shorter hairstyle. Ill? Voice changing? Obviously still supporting the choir so may reappear in the back row…]
Looks like Orlando Benedict has gone for good,
Most of the "bigs" from the US concert are back except for Dominik Clarke. Nathaniel Bates-Fisher also returns.
Ethan Barron, Jack Spicha, Laurence Taylor, and Ludwik Kowalczyk are back too.
Nathan Slater’s eight-year-old brother Caleb has joined Libera. Looked very assured.
Nathan gets gets better and better.
Cameron Birmingham has grown so tall since the summer and it was very noticeable, along with Mitchel and Freddie M.
Freddie Mushrafi: no solos so far, but he didn’t leave the stage with all the other lads with lower voices for one of the songs.
The Hill brothers [Benjamin and Joseph] are gonna dominate the soloing soon. Both are so accomplished.
Thomas Mushrafi - WOW, WOW, WOW!!
Caleb Slater, now the youngest member (Ben Hill is now nine), sang the end part of Carol of the Bells. This little one performed throughout the concert as if he’d been in Libera for quite some time. No sign of nerves, no missed steps and his little solo was so cute.
Caleb Slater
As for Ben Hill, he sang the last verse of “In The Bleak Midwinter” so sweetly. I can’t wait for him and his brother to hit the core age group because I’m sure they’ll dominate the soloing.
Okay so here goes my best recollection of Libera’s SJSS 2023 Christmas concert [Mercurial909]:
Bigs - Nathaniel Bates-Fisher (welcome back dude), Alex Menuet, Mathias Montoro, Koji Shinokubo, Laurence Taylor, Victor Wiggin Other tenors - Ethan Barron, Ludwik Kowalczyk Tenor/Alto - Daniel White Alto - Mitchel Guy Alto and 3rd Treble - Freddie Mushrafi, Ethan Hutchinson - The rest are trebles, with Joseph Hill and Nathan Slater being the most notable 1st trebles.
- Hosting was brilliantly done by Oscar James, along with Pietro Vergani, Samuel Whaley, Daniel White, Lewis Quinn, and Theo Wilson. Conductor - Steven Geraghty
Oscar James, Daniel White, Nathan Slater
Beati Quorum - The opening part was sung by Nathan Slater and (I think) Pietro Vergani. This was one of the strongest numbers of the night. It seems the more intricate the harmonies, the better they perform.
Ding Dong Merrily on High - Full choir performance executed perfectly. You really hear the 1st trebles hitting the top notes with that bell-like quality in this one.
In the Bleak Mid-Winter - one of my favourites of the night, and Benjamin Hill’s solo on the last verse almost had me tearing up. His voice is so sweet and anytime you have a miniboy performing solos you know something special is coming in the near future. Imagine the Hill brothers next Christmas when Ben will be 10 and Joseph 12.
O Beata - Was very happy to see Mitchel Guy standing at the front of the stage ready to perform this song. Was very surprised to hear him sing his solo (his only one of the night) in a very low key, at least an octave lower than in the summer. He’s looking more like a mid-teen now and I’m pretty sure that if he stays with Libera into next year he’ll be among the Bigs.
Frederick Howarth, Mitchel Guy, Luca Brugnoli
Noël Nouvelet - Performed by Morgan Wiltshire with exactly the surety we’ve come to expect from him. The duet in the middle was sang by Morgan and Ethan Hutchinson. Ethan Hutchison's’s voice has hit that countertenor range now, sounding not too dissimilar to how Freddie Mushrafi sounded this past summer. This song is always enjoyable.
Total Praise - Joseph Hill starts us off with strong low notes and leads the line perfectly for this one, backed by Thomas Sandoval-Herrerra and Morgan Wiltshire, then the whole choir blends in. I’ve seen this one performed by other choirs and this version is right up there. It’s an easy one to mess up so total prise (npi) goes to the boys for perfectly executing this Richard Smallwood classic.
Kizuna - Joseph Hill and Morgan Wiltshire are a dab hand at this song now, and it sounds so much richer with the full choir. Morgan is as steady as always (interestingly I’m not detecting any different in his voice from earlier in the year despite him approaching 13 years old). Joseph employs vibrato whenever he holds a long note and his confidence is high. Cannot praise this kid enough.
The Angel Gabriel - This was definitely a favourite and performed so beautifully that I closed my eyes for much of it. I do remember now that it started with the lights down and Victor Wiggin performing what I can only describe as a stunning intro in which his showed his range. Then Pietro Vergani and Thomas Mushrafi sang solo parts, and I was absolutely blown away by how beautifully pure Thomas Mushrafi’s voice is. There is no tremor in his voice and he hits notes so true. Not sure why he isn’t given more to do, unless it’s a confidence thing. I hope Libera keep this carol among their Christmas selection.
The Lighthouse - Luca Brugnoli performed this as perfectly as you’d expect. He seems so much more relaxed and assured now that he doesn’t have to stretch his voice or sing too many solos. He was definitely one of the stand outs of the evening despite his reduced solo role.
Libera - And here comes Master Daniel White with his increasingly deep voice to conduct the choir to show the audience how many harmonies they can blend simultaneously. Every Libera choir has performed this one with aplomb since it was first performed, and rightly so!
INTERVAL
More to come?
On December 4th, a concert review by Yorkie:
A seasonal cold snap meant that most people were deterred from arriving at St John’s Smith Square early, so there were only two of us as rehearsal’s started and we tried to be first to name the song from the little we could hear through the door. It was my first chance to hear the group since their Christmas concert at SJSS last year and there were many changes since the last one but I guess that is nothing new for us fans. Whilst we are sad that some of the older boys are no longer singing solos (although there some glorious exceptions as you know), the flip side is we get opportunities for some of the other boys to step forwards. And didn’t they just.
Joseph Hill, Samuel Whaley, Caleb Slater, Gabriele Marini, Oscar James, Edward Sargeant.
So many of the boys were impressive and really stood out. Opposite me for most of the concert was Nathan Slater and he was spectacular, his voice being at its peak right now and it all seems to be so effortless for him. Let’s hope Caleb Slater has some of his big brother’s magic too (and he took his opportunity on COTB with great aplomb). Joe Hill was also on my side and he is really developing into a special performer with great confidence and technique and a great voice. Step forward Ben Hill who also seems to share his brother’s magic. Pietro Vergani had song after song that he shared the main parts on and very well he did too. As the third of the brothers group, let’s hope that Federico Vergani gets his chance soon. Pietro is an example of how much you can miss with so much time between concerts because last year he featured on one song and now he smashed four out of the park. Last of the brothers but in no way least, are Freddie and Thomas Mushrafi. Again, Freddie was located in front of me on the right of the stage so I could hear him directly and he still has his voice. Not as high as it once was but certainly he still could still sing the lower Treble parts. I don’t think I can refer to Thomas as the little brother because he is already picking up a lot of major parts and sounds to be the equal of Freddie.
Caleb and Nathan Slater
I started with the pairs of brothers because that was a nice new (for me) speech in the concert where they paired them up on stage but don’t think they were the only guys making their marks. Thomas Sandoval Herrera picked up a lot of parts and was great, Mitchel Guy was excellent on "O Beata," Morgan Wiltshire and Ethan Hutchinson on "Nöel Nouvelet" both fantastic, as was Cameron Birmingham. No Mitchel on "Love Shine A Light?" No problem. Oscar James, Morgan Wiltshire and Hal Avery covered it with ease.
Finally, what of some of the previous major soloists? Well, Luca Brugnolihad far fewer solos than we have been used to but his voice is still there, and it has a golden quality to it. His major song tonight was "Lighthouse" but, as you would expect, he was flawless. I actually think that "Lighthouse" is the best song he has done for Libera. It changes direction a few times, but Luca brings it together and sells the story with a lot of emotion and colour. It also seems like they just can’t retire Daniel White. His Treble days are behind him, but he can still perform on stage and "God Only Knows" with Luca Brugnoliand Joe Hill made me smile.
Talking of retirement, Victor Wiggin may be relegated to the back row with the ‘Bigs’, but I think my favourite song of the night was "Veni Veni Emmanuel." I haven’t heard them sing it since Josh Madine sang it at St George's back in 2011 and it was one of the great tracks on that 2011 Christmas album (although sung by Daniel Fontannaz on the album). I think Josh must have been 15 or 16 back then so a bit older than Victor and from memory Josh’s was in a higher key but Victor’s voice was just as special in his new range and when the other ‘Bigs’ joined in it was #chef’s kiss#—Yorkie
Conductor Steven Geraghty signals his appreciation. Joseph Hill is out front.
On December 6th, an excellent review by padmachou, with additional details:
FIRST PART
I was a bit surprised with the concert beginning sort of in a hurry… The boys rushed on stage, the audience did not seem focused yet, I thought for a minute they would start without even playing the usual introduction recorded by Oscar J. But they played it while the boys stood on stage patiently. Though I have to say, both parts started a bit “weirdly” in my opinion and lacked a bit of mysterious atmospheric staging.
The first song was Beati Quorum, which I really like and is a good one to start a concert I guess. I enjoy hearing it and seeing it. They move a lot on stage, and at the end they get in half a circle, which gets them exactly where they need to be to…
Start Ding dong Merrily on High. Which is a Christmas must-have song. It really suits them, puts you in a good mood. I would love for “something” to happen on stage, but I guess it is too much asking as the song must be difficult enough.
Then there was a little speech by Theo (which I saw for the first time as Edward, Gabriele and Lewis) and Pietro, welcoming us. I think they did the usual joke about having surprises in their large sleeves. Theo looks super focused while talking or singing, it is cute. Might be the speech where Caleb was introduced as the youngest on stage ? He is 8 if I remember correctly.
Next was In the Bleak Midwinter, which I have been constantly playing in my head both before (I blame the weather) and after (I blame the outstanding performance) the concert. I was glad it was performed. I did not expect the excellent solo by Ben Hill. His voice is young but very strong, and there was meaning in the way he delivered it. Sort of like Joseph before… So I guess Ben might grow into a talented soloist like his brother. Loved it, best song of the first part in my opinion. Do not remember the staging…
… nor the transition to O Beata, except Mitchel standing in the middle, of course. I was a bit disappointed not to hear Cameron’s voice on this one (this happened only once in Japan I think ?), but it IS Mitchel’s song and he was fantastic. His voice, while lower, is still very bright. It was very moving and I like the fact that he gets to perform it while differently from the album. I also really like the chorus part, which reaches my heart and lifts me up. I wished I could have heard the song back when Mitchel still sang as a treble, but this one was just as special and moving.
Next was Noel Nouvelet, Morgan performing the introduction solo. He was in the middle front, with Ethan H not far. I think the rest of the boys were in half a circle. I really like his voice, but Victor really used to do quite the job with his French accent The second solo was Morgan and Ethan, but I was surprised that the high part was actually performed by Ethan, in a sort of counter-tenor range. It was really lovely.
The next song was Total Praise. The boys did a sort of triangle. At the top were Joseph H, and on each of his sides, Thomas SH and Pietro. Joseph started alone, then he was joined by the two other boys, then by the whole choir. I really like this piece, and I think Joseph’s rendition is my favorite so far. Right now he is doing most of the high notes with Nathan, and his voice is wonderful as well as his technique, you can tell he is comfortable within his range. I am not sure whether it was after this one, but after some song he had a solo for, I spotted Joseph looking inside his hand intently, like, maybe, the order of the songs was written inside… ? Mysterious though funny. Not sure if the speech was now or after the next song ? I remember Samuel doing a speech, but not exactly what he said.
Kizuna was a good surprise. I thought it would only be performed in Asia. Joseph and Morgan’s voices sound very well together. I like the lyrics of this song, it suits Libera. Also to me “Kizuna” sort of sums up what I find special about Libera and the way they carry their religious beliefs with and through all humankind. Though this song was a difficult time for me, trying to repress a cough.
Next was The Angel Gabriel, which I have also been humming since the concert. The intro was by Pietro, which sings in a gentle way a bit like Morgan, without opening his mouth a lot. I enjoyed Thomas M’s solo a lot, during the second half of the song. His voice is a special crystal-clear and moving one, and he now has it very steady. I do not remember much about the staging. Though, it must be said : there were 38 boys on stage, which is a lot and does not give much space to move.
But of course for the Lighthouse Luca stood in the middle, the boys in 3 or 4 lines behind, deploying during the chorus part. Luca did not sing many solos, though his voice is still so smooth and beautiful. He sings a lot of 2nd treble parts now, but he could still sing 1rst treble. Apparently they are trying to record an other album and of course he has his own tours and concerts now, so he needs to preserve his voice. This piece was still a wonderful moment, and I am a bit disappointed we do not get to enjoy his solos more. At the end of the song, I think it was stated before on Libera Dreams that Luca was joined by Morgan, Daniel (still able to sing pretty high !) and Pietro, but I wonder if the 4rst one was not Freddie H ? I totally love this quatuor at the end. It was the best Lighthouse I have seen live so far.
Before Libera, Daniel and Lewis did the now famous speech about the “lovely white robes” (of course Daniel already had a spot on his) and the things monks would not have, like synthesize and percussions, and the seven different parts which they demonstrate. I wish everyone to get to hear it someday, it is enlightening. Thomas SH and Lewis Q get to do the solo part on this one, joined by Joseph H for the very high notes at the end. It was great, though their microphones could have been a bit stronger. Classic song, I always love to hear it.
SECOND PART
The second part started in an even weirder way than the first. I don’t know if it was because they wanted the kids to go to bed early, but the interval was quite short, and the boys got on stage while half of the audience was not seated. With Steven, they waited silently for a minute or so, to give people time to find their seats. Then the boys bowed their heads, and the music started.
Victor Wiggin did a solo on Veni, veni Emmanuel which was a “surprise” not listed on the program. He was at the back of the stage with the other big boys. Started with “Gaude”, then the lyrics. His deep voice is wonderful. Then all the big boys joined him, and Thomas Mushrafi, front stage on the right with other boys, did high and very precise little “Gaude”. Then the whole choir joined them and suddenly the blue and discreet lights were very bright. It ended with powerful “Gaude” from Victor and Thomas. It was definitely a highlight, I feel so lucky to have been there for such a special moment. I could see Victor very well, too. The atmosphere was of a mystic and quiet Christmas time.
The music blended in Carol of the Bells, which was a genius move in my opinion. You find out that everyone was already positioned for the song. The boys did not move as much as usual, and there was a little mayhem about when they were supposed to turn for a few boys, which made them smile and I was glad to see that they were laughing about it. The little solo “aaah” at the end were beautifully done by Thomas Mushrafi and Cameron Birmingham. Then little Caleb Slater confidently walked from the left of the stage to the middle to deliver the final words. Very well done. I remember green lights on this one.
I was not particularly happy to see that The Prayer was on the setlist, having heard it many times, and it is not one of my favourites. Well, Joseph Hill sure changed my mind ! He is impressive and (do I say that too often ?) very moving. I can’t describe exactly why, but he looks so sincere. Also I think it is around this moment I started hearing Freddie Mushrafi’s voice very well. He was on the left side of the stage for the most part of the concert, and I could so clearly hear his fantastic changed yet still high voice. His voice is super powerful right now, he does not need a microphone to be heard. And he is so focused and expressive while singing. Even if not a soloist, I could not stop watching him and enjoying his presence just like he was enjoying been there. About the staging, I remember the boys kneeling at the start, but they stood around the middle of the song.
The speech by Hal Avery and Oscar James was quite fun, and you have seen photos of it. They told us there were many pairs of brothers in Libera, four pairs on stage this night. They mentioned some of the boys had brothers who used to sing with Libera as well. Then they said Libera is like a family… so basically Steven or Sam are “elders,” Josh Madine or Liam Connery are “grandparents”, and some others like Tadhg Fitzgerald or Ben Bywater helping them backstage would be “the funny uncles”.
From a Distance was great. I was hoping to hear Nathan Slater on this one, which has been performed during the tours. I was not disappointed. Nathan is having the best time of his life right now, everything seems so easy and smooth. You can see he enjoys himself while delivering the high notes. The harmonies on this song are great, and the lower voices did a great job.
How happy I was to see Cameron Birmingham standing in the middle for Sing Lullaby ! For some time now, he has been ready to step up, doing small parts. Well, it was flawless and it was not easy to have a go with that song after Dominik Clarke. He sang in a very different style and made the song his own. I loved it. Quiet piece growing on me ever since the album got released. I hope Cameron will get other solos, his voice is very nice and very precise. The balance between the voices, and especially the lower voices and the high ones, was great.
Voca Me was soooooo ever special. I could not see Joseph Hill doing the high notes, so I spent some time with my eyes closed, just enjoying the sound. His vocalizes were flawless. My, my… this was amazing. Again, Freddie Mushrafi has played a great part in the harmonies. They are everywhere on stage, like half-turned towards the audience. The sound seems to hover around and above...
There was a speech about Moose after that. I think they did the usual publicity about the Christmas presents you can buy from Libera.
Love shine a light was a nice one, starting with Hal Avery, Morgan Wiltshire, and Oscar James as a trio. I did not enjoy the trio particularly, but I was glad to get an opportunity to hear their voices. I would like to hear just one voice clearly and better, but maybe they need experience before they get to do solos on their own. I really loved the high notes around the end, by Joseph Hill and Nathan Slater. The last line was Morgan, very nice.
First time hearing Once an Angel by Nathan Slater and Freddie Howarth. They were up to the task. I really liked this version. I still can’t hear this song without thinking of Robert Prizeman. It was moving and touching.
God only Knows was a “surprise,” not that I did not expect it to be performed. But from reading reviews I did not understand that Luca Brugnoli totally switched his part with the one that used to be Daniel White’s. So, Joseph Hill is doing the main part of the solo. I am glad I got to hear Daniel’s deep voice.
Oscar James did an awful speech after that I always know it’s going to be awful when he gets to do a speech all on his own. It means this is the end of the concert !!! Stop doing this, Oscar! With his “Hello, it’s me again”, it is terrifying ! He also mentioned that there will be a new video of “Sing” with the Indonesian choir that originally sang “Nusantara”. Still wished us Merry Christmas, but he already had told us the terrible news of the concert ending…
Sing is still wonderful to hear and see. The boys seem to be EVERYWHERE on stage, sometimes watching each other, sometimes facing the audience. They are very lively and they move (dance) a lot on this one. Lots of smiles, too.
The encore was I Saw Three Ships, nice one. They waved goodbye. THE END
It was a wonderful concert, with many soloists. If some people were worried about Libera’s future when Daniel White, Freddie Mushrafi, and Luca Brugnoli will not be soloists anymore… Well, rest assured, the Hill brothers are making it their choir. Morgan Wiltshire’s voice, as mentioned by someone before me, does not seem to be changing at all. And there are so many talents among these boys. I missed Laurence Davey’s smile, but Pietro Vergani smiles a lot, as well as Lewis Quinn, Freddie Howarth, Cory Agyei and Julian Heitmann. You can’t see him so easily at the back but Victor Wiggin still Is the smile of Libera. Noticed Nathaniel Bates-Fisher smiling a lot too. I am ever so impressed they are able to perform so many songs perfectly and they always know where to go, what to do… I was glad to see the older boys, the middle-aged ones the young ones... There were no newbies on stage, but we noticed a few of them with the chaperone (4 or 5 ?).
Not sure if I forgot anything of matter. My highlights were In the Bleak Midwinter, Veni Veni Emmanuel, and Sing Lullabye. I really really hope there will be a Spring concert, because a full year between two concerts is WAY TOO MUCH.
On December 9th a video appeared on YouTube, combining Libera's performance of "Sing For the World/Nusantara" with that of the group who originated it, the esonanz Children's Choir of Indonesia. There was no new footage of either group, but it was a skillful mash-up of the two versions, preceded by a Twitter/X intro by Pietro Vergani and Nathan Slater.
Pietro and Nathan
From the YouTube notes:
We are delighted to present a collaboration between Libera and The Resonanz Children's Choir from Jakarta, Indonesia. In this special video East meets West with both choirs singing the same song in their respective languages. The underlying theme of our joint production is "unity in diversity" with music being a way of bringing together people from opposite sides of the world, especially at this turbulent time.
A special thanks to Mrs Giok Hartono for her guidance and dedication to the conception of this special project.
CREDITS
Audio: The Resonanz Children’s Choir (Directed by Avip Priatna)
Libera (Directed by Robert Prizeman and Sam Coates)
Music composed by Elwin Hendrijanto. Lyrics: Jesslyn Juniata, Robert Prizeman, Dominic Ferris, Neysa Ayu, Elwin Hendrijanto
Orchestral arrangement: Elwin Hendrijanto, Sam Coates
Choral Arrangement: Elwin Hendrijanto, Sam Coates, Fero Aldiansya, Robert Prizeman.
Mixed by Dominic Ferris. Mastered by Tim Debney at Fluid Mastering
Produced by Dominic Ferris & Elwin Hendrijanto
Original Resonanz Video produced by Nicholas Saputra & Mandy Marahimin, and directed by Aditya Ahmad.
Original Libera Videos from a live performance, filmed by Amy Ryan Media and from a studio shoot, produced by Scott Jaeger.
Video collaboration re-edited by Roberto Perkasa.
The Libera 2024 Calendar became available for sale in Mid-December.
December 16th CONCERT AT ARUNDEL CATHEDRAL
(Photo by Patrick)
(Photo by Patrick)
Singers
Song List
Musicians and Staff
(Program photos by Patrick)
On December 18th, this Facebook exchange appeared:
..and these comments from fan Andrew Hall (pnut) on the Libera Dreams Fan Forum:
Also on December 18th, a review by veteran fan Yorkie that deftly managed to be both detailed and emotional.
'Tis the season to be jolly! And it is certainly more so when you have the chance to see not one but two Libera concerts just a few weeks apart. So, it was off to Arundel for the second of the two concerts and well worth the journey it was (although I’m always in awe of those fans that fly for thousands of miles to attend which makes my 500-mile round trip seem somewhat inadequate in the scheme of things).
Speaking of fans, I was eavesdropping on the rehearsal (well, you never know if there is to be a surprise (I hate surprises) and in this case there was as you know so that paid off) when a couple arrived at the venue and we started to chat. They were from Vancouver and had found Libera on YouTube and had decided to fly to the UK for a few days just to see the concert. I told them about the forum and hopefully they will join us and perhaps tell us of their impressions. Just shows that Libera can reach out to people in a way that few other groups can, certainly more so then any other choir I can think of.
The noticeable difference between this rehearsal and the one a few weeks earlier is that they didn’t have to sing the whole of the song. They would just perform part of the song and if Sam Coates was happy they would move on to the next. That is until Sing for our World came along. As the song started we heard somebody shout out (Sam we guessed) that they needed to be louder and encouraging the boys to give it more oomph! He had to do it a few times until he got the response he wanted! Just to reassure you, it wasn’t an angry shout and in this case the sound board where Sam was located was right at the back of the church where we were listening from, so he had to shout so they could hear him on the stage.
Rarely for me, I made a few notes during the show to aid me with my write-up. I have to say it does detract from the enjoyment somewhat as I tried to write down the lights and movements and so I’m not going to do it very often and probably not when there is only one concert to attend. Anyways, I probably can’t add anything greatly different to what Padmachou and Mercurial wrote about the SJSS concert. I would observe at this point that, to my mind, the boys were more polished at Arundel and that they were sharper. Not suggesting that SJSS was below standard or anything but the extra show had blown away the cobwebs and ring rust and they were on their top game on Saturday.
So, let me begin:
For Beati Quorum they started with Nathan Slater and Pietro Vergani in the centre with a group on the left (I could only count seven from where I was sat on the right), a group of eight on the right and the rest, including the bigs behind. The lighting for this song was a mix of pink and purple, and during the song the groups would start by first turning inwards and then outwards and finally they finished in an arc across the stage with Joe Hill having to walk from the far left to the far right. Nathan and Pietro got us off to a good start with their vocals and they both did great work during the whole concert, never putting a foot wrong.
They remained in their arc formation for Ding Dong Merrily on High which was our first carol of the evening and festively lit in green. Nice descant and harmonies with some percussion to give the bell sound to the songs. You will know how this sounds from the filmed concerts from past years at St John’s Smith Square because I’m certain the arrangement was the same.
We next got the speech from Theo Wilson and Pietro Vergani to welcome us to the concert and tell us a bit about Libera and their busy year of touring and that their parents must be glad not to have to travel thousands of miles to see them. They mentioned that normally Luca Brugnoli has to travel to them but today they had travelled to him.
In The Bleak Midwinter is one of the UK’s favourite carols and it is certainly one of mine. Sprinkle that Libera magic across it and it becomes something special. For this number the bigs left the stage. The lighting was a rather lovely pale blue and they formed two semi-circular lines. In the speech we were told to look out for Ben Hill’s part because he had just turned nine and had his first solo. Singing is a talent that runs deep in the Hill family and clearly where big brother Joe leads, Ben is perfectly capable of following, showing no nerves to deliver the final verse where he walked to the front (I think, didn’t make a note of that) and sang perfectly in tune, no mistakes, in a lovely strong voice. Big future just like big bro.
O Beata with Mitchel Guy’s maturing voice to start us off. To my mind Mitchel just appeared one day a fully formed soloist with a beautiful crystal-clear treble voice and after sharing his gift with us, the wheel of time has moved on all too quickly. I loved this song on the album, a great piece of Robert Prizeman writing to my mind and with Mitchel’s still beautiful, perfectly controlled but deeper voice there is an air of melancholy that really suits the song and is somewhat mezmerising before those high treble voices kick in to lift the song to a high. My hastily scribbled note suggests they formed up in two groups, one facing left and one facing right before they all turned to face forwards, with
Noel Nouvelet was bathed in a most luscious deep red light that was very fitting for the song. I always look forwards to this one, it must be the Francophile in me. Morgan Wiltshire starts us off perfectly with the opening verse. His voice is maturing from the last album and he is now approaching his peak as a treble soloist. Completely controlled and confident, a master of his craft. Ethan Hutchinson sings his part in a distinctly counter-tenor style which adds a fantastic new dimension to the song. I can’t really make my notes out re their formation for this one. I think they we were set up with Morgan and Ethan in the centre bigs behind and then four groups, two left of them and two on the right slightly staggered.
Total Praise started with no coloured lighting and first Joseph started to sing the first line alone. What a voice the boy has and he also possesses the confidence to deliver it to the audience without any sign of nerves. The enjoyment just radiates from him when he is on stage and he clearly loves it. He is joined by Thomas Sandoval Herrera and Pietro Vergani, and then the full choir comes in. The rest of the group have their heads bowed and as the song builds to the final high notes spotlights raise to the ceiling to flood the roof with light.
The second speech is by Samuel Whaley and Nathan Slater, and they tell us that Total Praise was performed to over a million people and they have returned from three sellout concerts in Japan. They said Koji Shinokubo was able to translate for them and also thanked Daniel White for his ‘linguistic skills’. At this point Dan, standing at the back with the bigs took a deep bow. This was obviously not planned because it certainly amused some of his fellow bigs (yes I’m looking at you Victor Wiggin!).
Kizuna, lovely lovely Kizuna. They formed two semi-circles around Joe Hill and Morgan Wiltshire and they were initially lit from the side with red lights while the roof above had a white light. Joseph has a more classic treble voice which matches well with Morgan’s softer tone.
The Angel Gabriel saw us back to the capable hands (voice?) of Pietro Vergani, who never disappoints. The stage was darkened and lit from the side with a ghostly blue hue which created beautiful patterns of light and shadow on the white robes. Thomas Mushrafi made his first solo contribution of the night and, as others have said, he possesses as great a voice as his brother so we can look forward to more Mushrafi masterpiece solos for some time to come yet.
The Lighthouse is a song that has grown on me and that is solely because of the absolutely masterful vocal performance of Luca Brugnoli. I said this to a number of people on the night, including his mum – I truly believe this is Luca’s finest Libera vocal performance.
I don’t mean i's my favourite Libera song that he has sung but that this is the song that demonstrates Luca’s complete mastery of his voice and the art of how to deliver a performance. He tells a story, paints a picture, and takes us on a journey.
Every note is perfect; he adds little embellishments and vibrato at exactly the right points emphasising here, softening there. He has matured so much as a singer since his first solo when he wowed us aged nine. We knew he was something special back then and this is his coming of age. He clearly retains his treble voice at this time but has taken a step back from being the major soloist of the group.
I hope he can gift us with more solos in Libera concerts next year if his workload allows it (and I’m sure it will) but I don’t think anything will top this stella performance. They form up at the start of the song in four lines abreast and behind Luca before spreading out as the song develops, finishing with Morgan Wiltshire, Daniel White & Fred Howarth forming a ‘V’ shape behind Luca.
The third and final speech of the first half sees Daniel White partnered with Lewis Quinn. Dan informs us that they mustn’t spill drinks down their ‘nice white robes’ which are like those that the monks would have worn in the past. Lewis then says that they like the mix of ancient and modern and their next song features ancient chant and synthesisers which monks wouldn’t have used. Dan then of course demonstrated the seven-part singing of Libera (although non-musical dunce that I am I can only ever pick out six!).
And here is Libera in its now familiar place at the end of the first half. Thomas Sandoval Herrera and Lewis Quinn were front and centre with the rest of the boys in three groups behind and to the sides. The lighting started gold and red before finishing in a bright white swirling pattern on the ceiling. Thomas and Lewis did great work on their back and forth calling parts and Joseph Hill really drilled those high notes for a spectacular finale.
Veni Veni Emmanuel started the second half with the boys forming up in five groups (including the bigs) across the stage heads bowed. Too long have we been denied this song at a Libera concert and how delighted I am that Sam Coates picked Victor Wiggin to reprise this in his lovely Tenor voice. Hard to know what Josh Madine thought about Victor singing the song that he was last to perform but I’m sure like me he enjoyed it immensely.
Robert Prizeman included lots of little surprise numbers to showcase deeper voices of the bigs (who I really ought to correctly call young men) and I’m very glad that Sam has looked to continue this. But of course this wasn’t solely a Victor piece.
Thomas Mushrafi threw his perfectly pitched high ‘Gaudes’ into the mix, which really heightened the drama of the song. After the final pair of tenor and treble ‘Gaudes’ the music blended seamlessly into Carol of the Bells which was accompanied by blue lights and a rather nice jangle of percussion sleigh bells, although the horn part was slightly assertive. The final call parts were of course by Thomas Mushrafi and Cameron Birmingham, with young Caleb Slater having the honour of the final line. Nathan Slater has been fantastic at both concerts and is giving his peak performances now as a soloist. Every sign is saying that Caleb will be joining him in future.
The Prayer was set to green lighting at first and then a pink light came in on the ceiling. The boys started in their customary kneeling position around the excellent Joseph Hill, fingers interlocked in front of them. As the song hits the floaty ‘Aaah’ part they rise to their feet.
Next was a speech by Hal Avery and Oscar James about the brothers in Libera where they pair up and the older brother puts his arm around his younger brother in a protective way. Very touching. The speech also touches on the generations of the various Libera members both on stage and off stage who are described variously as funny uncles, grandfathers and wise old elders.
From a Distance. As I was running out of space to write in my programme my notes become a little hard to read back at this point. Nathan Slater takes centre stage on this one with rest of the boys forming two semi-circle lines behind him. The lighting was purple on blue on this song but the real colour was given to us by Nathan. He appears so at ease and his voice is like the smoothest silk or the finest champagne. Simply wonderful. Love his hairstyle as well if I’m allowed to say that.
Up next we had Sing Lullaby. Again they formed two curved lines but this time the inner line was kneeling and illuminated with pink and purple lights. The song starts as a group piece with repeated calls of ‘sing lullaby sometimes by the bigs and sometimes by the trebles. Cameron Birminghamtakes over the song with the rest of the choir humming the background melody. Nicely sung by Cameron—clearly he will get more songs to solo given his performance here.
One of if not the favourite Libera song of mine now with Voca Me. If I’m honest I prefer the original version (sorry Robert) but I’m happy to have this newer one in any concert. The lighting was cold blue, letting the shadows play across the boys' robes and the stage. Behind and to each side of the stage were two pillars. On the left pillar was a banner which read ‘wait for the Lord’ and on the right one it said ‘His day is near’. In the darkness ab ove the stage they glowed in the reflected blue light and it seemed like the song was a an omen, a prediction if you will that the moment was near and His return was at hand. Joe Hill’s high notes rang out like crystal and as the song reached its crescendo the light became a brilliant white above the stage before fading back as the final notes of the song echoed in the air around us. And now we could breathe again.
Speech 5 has arrived with Pietro Vergani and Dan White, who introduce us to Moose and a nifty plug for the merchandise (for it is better to give than to receive). Then steps forward Luca Brugnoli to perform an addition to the set list that was performed at St John’s two weeks before. We learned afterwards that he had been asked to learn The Little Road to Bethlehem on just the Wednesday before. Well, nobody could have known from Luca’s iridescent performance where he sang the complete song alone from start to finish. What a gift to be there to hear him sing it. I’m finding it hard not to repeat my descriptions from The Lighthouse but suffice to say it was a compelling performance. If it matters the lighting was a pleasant orange and the rest of the boys formed up behind Luca facing left and right with their heads bowed.
(Note: Luca later posted a video of this song for those unable to attend the concert)
Bring me light and bring me love. Well, the fine trio of Oscar James, Morgan Wiltshire and Hal Avery brought us Love Shine a Light, with the boys in two rows illuminated with a rather nice violet lighting. Morgan has the final line and the high embellishments of the song seem to be by Joe Hill and Nathan Slater. It caused division when first heard on the album, but I like it.
Once an Angel is a favourite of mine from the album. Victor is replaced by not one but two voices in Nathan
Slater and Frederick Howarth. This is very much a song
that makeowarths me remember Robert when I hear it. To
be able to mah the feeling that Victor’s performance gave
is not an easy thing but they certainly did it. I didn’t note
the lights or staging but I can say that there was a nice
little percussion addition of a xylophone or similar. A
beautiful and moving performance.
God Only Knows was performed with no bigs on the stage, well, apart from Daniel White, who was joined by Joseph Hill and Luca Brugnoli to form a power trio of brilliance. Lit with green and purple light, we certainly knew great singing when we heard it.
And just like that Oscar James came back with the final speech to tell us that our enjoyment would soon be over and to wish us a Merry Christmas. Sing started with a red light shining on the boys from the side and then a pink light lit up on the ceiling above them before that turned into red. The boys were spread out across the stage facing outwards either left or right depending on which side of the stage they were on and at certain points would switch to face inwards before all taking a step forwards. They finished the song a single curved line across the stage. A happy and fun song that they clearly enjoy performing (and Sam Coates’ encouragement to inject energy certainly paid off because you could feel the energy bouncing off that stage).
I Saw Three Ships saw them move from the curved line into five groups – bigs at the back centre and then two groups in front and slightly to the side of them with the final two groups slightly in front and to the side of those. The lighting started gold and transitioned to green before ending in blue.
After the usual standing ovation, we left on a high, full of Christmas cheer. I hope Santa brings you something nice but I got what I wanted – another Libera concert. If we all promise to be good, perhaps we’ll get to enjoy more of them next year too.
On December 21st, a holiday greeting from Cory Agyei, Nathan Slater and Benjamin Hill.
The #members section of our database has been expanded to include all members we know by name of the pre-#Libera, St Philip's Boy Choir & Angel Voices era. Some 40 new profiles are now available !
You'll find a new link in the usual index 
libera-passion.exprimetoi.net/t1110-les-memb
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