Angel Voices: Libera In Concert

Par for Libera

Libera's live performance at St. Peter's Church in Leiden, Holland, showcased a broad cross-section of their work. Despite the similarity in titles, the track listings for this live CD and the studio "Angel Voices" (the white cover) are not exactly the same.

The fleet-footed, dexterous opening, "Adoramus" (first heard on "Free"), is almost the only number of its kind; immediately afterward, "Going Home" (based on Dvorak's "Largo" from the New World Symphony) slows the ambience down to spotlight the serene warmth of the soloist's (Joshua Madine) voice. The music for the Leiden concert is weighted toward Libera's meditative, even more melancholy work. "Lacrymosa," first heard on "Luminosa," is based on the "Aquarium" from Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, and is a remarkably mature piece--the shimmering, twistingly chromatic textures of the top voices contrast strikingly with the almost desperate pleading of the soloist's line.

The group's eponymous "Libera" is given a rousing, powerful performance that's as good or better than any of their studio cuts of the piece; the popular "Salva Me" and "Sanctus" are also sung with verve and energy. The best of Libera's solo talent is put on display in "Going Home," "Salva Me," and the closing "I am the Day," which alternates between gentle lullabying for the soloist and the full power of the ensemble.

The recording at Leiden was made live, and includes all the trademarks of a live performance: applause especially, and a few passages where the singing wavers. The benefit of the live nature, though, is the spontaneity and human quality that can be felt throughout the whole disc. The "Adoramus" begins almost tenatively; as the concert progresses, everyone is audibly becoming more secure, leading to a rousingly uplifting ending on "I am the Day."

And finally, for skeptics (or those pesky "ultrapursists") who have parroted their line about the "Libera sound" being more the product of very clever sound engineering and manipulation than the ensemble's talent, here's definitive proof to end that debate.

First timers would be better to start with "Luminosa"(Luminosa) or the studio disc "Angel Voices" (Angel Voices), as these are just slightly superior in terms of balance (the live disc trends very distinctly toward the melancholy and meditative). However, the magnificent performance at Leiden is definitely par for Libera.

Once again, Robert Prizeman and a group of English schoolboys prove, beyond any doubt, that the human voice is the greatest instrument of them all. God bless Libera! May 24, 2008

Let them touch your soul

The music is an amalgamation of classical church music with a New Age approach. Many musical notes are approached ever-so-softly with a quick crescendo; it's an idiosyncratic style that can be pretty annoying when you first listen. I don't feel that any one soloist voice distinguishes itself from the others, indeed, often I find it hard to tell who is singing the solo parts in any given number. So why do I find myself listening to this album, and a number of its predecessors time after time, maybe a hundred times or more by now? Well first it's the blend. True, no one voice from the group stands out as spectacular (like Jean Baptiste Maunier from "The Chorus"), but the blend is absolutely perfect. Then there's the musicianship--they're always in tune, indeed perfectly in tune, and they hit notes that can take your breath away. But that still really fails to explain the irresistible magnetism of this group. Seeing the boys, learning the little bit about them that they share in their DVD and online, and then listening to them sing, makes me laugh with them and forget that as children they will need to deal with a big, confusing, and scary world. The sound of Libera ensconces us, and them, in a sanctuary: a world in which, for a short time, there are no bullies on the playground, there are no tears. In my world, for the twenty or so minutes commuting to and from work, I am lifted to a place where there is no pain or misery that is a normal part of my job: for a brief time I might convince myself that none of the babies whose lives I have been entrusted with will suffer that day, and for a few minutes I can almost believe that I will not need to talk to parents, or have spoken to parents, about their children's irreversible damage or deaths. So for me, their music is an experience that is calming and transcendent. Listen to Libera, allow their sound to penetrate your soul and for a few evanescent minutes, your cares just melt away. I will be forever grateful to Mr. Prizeman (the choirmaster, arranger and composer of much of their music) and these boys of south London for the many precious moments of tranquility they have given me. Buy the album. April 23, 2008

Like voices from heaven!

Unbelievably gorgeous harmonies and melodies. I also got the DVD for a gift for my father & he loved it. The boys are adorable & their voices are truly angelic. April 20, 2008

Totally Speechless!

I've been playing this inspired album repeatedly...obsessively and have no idea when I'll finally be able to tear myself away from it.

I wish the whole world could come to a sudden standstill, open its collective heart, and receive the divine gift of peace and serenity these wondrous voices bestow upon their listener.

Without doubt, this music is the expression of humanity's eternal yearning to unite with its own godliness.

Don't miss it for the world!!

Joel Kovacik
JoelBklyn@AOL.com

March 24, 2008

music to live by

Angelic is truly the only appropriate adjective. Sweet sounds to live life by. I listen to these cherubs while cooking, reading, or just relaxing after a long day. A glass of wine in the backyard with Libera reminds me why life is good. March 15, 2008

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