Libera Unbuttoned, by Jimmy Riddle
Last updated November 19th, 2021 |
More changes/photos/videos/links/updates to all parts may appear at any time. As sites are continually being updated/revised, please excuse any small errors caused by imported material. Outdated video links (because of the length of this undertaking, it's impractical to verify all links) can usually be found by Googling "YouTube" and the subject matter. Notes, corrections and suggestions can be submitted to aahill@sonic.net
For Part One (introduction to Libera and to the Timeline, extensive overview & 1981-2007), please go to: http://liberatimeline.blogspot.com/
For Part Two (2008-2009) http://liberatimeline2.blogspot.com/
For Part Three (2010) http://liberatimeline3.blogspot.com/
For Part Four (2011)http://liberatimeline4.blogspot.com/
For Part Five (2012)http://liberatimeline5.blogspot.com/
For Part Six (January-May 2013):http://libera-timeline-6.blogspot.com/
For Part 6A (May-December 2013)http://libera-historicaltimeline6a.blogspot.com/
For Part Seven (January-July 2014)http://libera-historicaltimelinepart7.blogspot.com
For Part 7A (August-November 2014)http://libera-historical-timelinepart7a.blogspot.com
For Part 7B (December 2014)http://libera-historical-timeline-part7b.blogspot.com
For Part 8 (January-March 2015)https://lib-erahistorical-timeline-part-eight.blogspot.com
For Part 8A (January-March, 2015)http://liberahistorical-timeline-part-8-a.blogspot.com
For Part 8B (August-December,2015)http://liberahistoricaltimelinepart8b.blogspot.com/
For Part 9 (January-July, 2016)http://liberahistoricaltimeline-part-9.blogspot.com/
For Part 9A (July through December, 2015)http://lib-erahistorical-timelinepart9a.blogspot.com/
For Part 10 (January 1st, 2017 August 11th, 2017) https://li-berahistoricalt-imelinepart1a.blogspot.com/
For Part 10A (August 12th to December 31st, 2017) https://lib-era-historic-altimelinepart10a.blogspot.com/
For Part 11 (January 1st, 2018 – Present, please go to: https://lib-er-ahistorical-timelinepart11.blogspot.com/
For Part11A ( October 21st to December 31st, 2018) https://li-berahistoricaltime-line11a.blogspot.com/
For Part 12 (January 1st to August 17th, 2019)https://liberahistoricaltimelinepart12.blogspot.com/
For Part 12A (August 18th-Present, 2019: https://lib-era-historicaltimelinepart12a.blogspot.com/
For Part 13 (January 1st – December 31st, 2021: https://liberatimelinepart13.blogspot.com
For Part 14 (January 1st – July 5th, 2021: https://liberahisttimelinepart14.blogspot.com/2021
For Part 14a (July 5th - Present, 2021: https://histtimeline14alibera.blogspot.com
For Part 15 (January 1st - Present, 2022: https://15libhisttimeline.blogspot.com
LIBERA TIMELINE: PART FIVE
(LooseMoose)
(Creating that Libera Sound On Tour)
(Recording Trivia)
(Angel Voices 2012 CD)
(Pre-Singapore-Japan Tour Activities)(Recording Trivia)
(Angel Voices 2012 CD)
SINGAPORE-JAPAN TOUR, APRIL 2012
ARUNDEL CONCERT, May 2012
CHANNEL ISLANDS MINI-TOUR: Jersey and Guernsey
NORTHERN IRELAND MINI-TOUR: ARMAGH AND BELFAST
ST. GEORGE'S CATHEDRAL CONCERT, November, 2012
(A few Holiday Activities)
(Libera 2012: A Work in Progress)
2012 WINTER ACTIVITY/ODDS & ENDS
As usual, the beginning of 2012 brought a well-deserved respite for the Libera organization after the intense schedule of holiday appearances. In the second week of January, however, five of the group's oldest members, obviously the best of friends offstage as well as on, released what were apparently the first of a series of ambitious videos on their own YouTube channel.
The "Loose Moose" guys: Jonathan Barrington, Alex Leggett, Sam Leggett, Liam Connery, Josh Madine
(Loose Moose Channel) Around the same time, Lexi, of the Chicago-based Mini-Angels site, posted the following relevant announcement:
If you go through Libera's Amazon link, Libera gets a commission
on anything
you buy (not just their CDs), but we only had links for UK and USA. Now
Libera has updated their website shop
page to include links to the Canada, France, Germany and Japan Amazon
sites! Just go to the page, click on the country's flag and then the "Shop
Amazon" button. This will take you to your selected country's Amazon page.You can
buy electronics, toys, clothes, jewelry, beauty products, food,
office supplies, even your magazine subscriptions, and Libera will get a
commission on ALL OF IT!
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• I've seen Libera
live on three occasions. I think that it's only this year (2011) that they
started using "our own string quartet" and percussion. Before that,
it was mostly Fiona Pears playing the violin. I think that a lot of the
orchestral sounds are pre-recorded by an orchestra in Europe (there is a credit
on one of their CDs).
Steven Geraghty and Robert Prizeman record the flute and/or
electronics, then the boys record the vocal in studio listening to a mix of
the two previous recordings. Some of the later tracks use the "string
quartet" instead of the orchestra. In this way, with the correct mix
selected, they can sing accurately at concerts with Steven, R.P. and the boys
all live.
I spent a number of years involved in theatre sound and I
know that this was the way Libera did their presentation in Buffalo, 2008.
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I had a chat with Sam Coates, who was running the sound. They
had a large multi-channel mixer which belonged to the concert hall and Sam had
"the box" which they had brought with them from the U.K, feeding into
it. The top of his "box" was a mixer which was controlling the boys'
radio microphones and the feeds from Steven and Robert Prizemanwith the soloists' names above each slider. Any
special orchestral and or other effects are all in the "box" so they
can make a concert sound just like on their CDs anywhere they go in the
world.
The soloists get the orchestral backing fed to them through earpieces (which many singers use now instead of feedback speakers on the floor at the front of the stage). Sam Coates usually has a credit on their CDs for "mixing" (see The Christmas Album). I believe that for the Canadian tour in 2011, the "string quartet" were local Canadian musicians rather than "our own string quartet," it would be less expensive that way (flights, hotels, etc.) –Keith W
The soloists get the orchestral backing fed to them through earpieces (which many singers use now instead of feedback speakers on the floor at the front of the stage). Sam Coates usually has a credit on their CDs for "mixing" (see The Christmas Album). I believe that for the Canadian tour in 2011, the "string quartet" were local Canadian musicians rather than "our own string quartet," it would be less expensive that way (flights, hotels, etc.) –Keith W
• In their latest concerts (Canada and US,
2011) Libera had a string quartet; then Robert Prizeman playing piano and
electronic keyboards; they also had an excellent percussionist... and Steven
Geraghty playing a separate keyboard... AND recorder... AND clarinet.
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Maestro Prizeman directs the boys from his place at the
keyboards. He does NOT stand in the middle, with his back to you during the
concert. As a matter of fact, if you do not know him you will miss him
completely.
The electronic keyboards give the "extra" rhythm and reverb necessary. In all the concerts I've seen there were no "pre-recorded" tracks. This is good, because you can tell this is new and live. The boys most certainly are NOT lip-synching, and every missed note or tempo is there for you to see (hear)—Roberto
[In Singapore] there were some pre-recorded tracks being played on the concert. It wasn't a "minus-one" track being played—just several instrumental tracks (including percussion, e.g. "Stay With Me"). Steven Geraghty, Simon and Robert Prizeman played their instruments over those tracks. The boys were definitely not lip-synching. — Observation in response by Ellensi
Libera Ensemble, minus Robert Prizeman, at Arundel Cathedral, 2012 |
The electronic keyboards give the "extra" rhythm and reverb necessary. In all the concerts I've seen there were no "pre-recorded" tracks. This is good, because you can tell this is new and live. The boys most certainly are NOT lip-synching, and every missed note or tempo is there for you to see (hear)—Roberto
[In Singapore] there were some pre-recorded tracks being played on the concert. It wasn't a "minus-one" track being played—just several instrumental tracks (including percussion, e.g. "Stay With Me"). Steven Geraghty, Simon and Robert Prizeman played their instruments over those tracks. The boys were definitely not lip-synching. — Observation in response by Ellensi
• The boys are very much conducted by Robert
Prizeman. He always stands or sits at the side of the choir, and as they move,
they do not always see him, but usually out of the corner of an eye they see
him. I think with the earpieces they can also get additional instructions from
Sam Coates.—Johan
During the [Singapore] concert, from earpieces we all listened to the pre-recorded tracks (as mentioned above), plus "clicks" (tempo guidance). That's why they could keep their tempo exactly the same as their tempo on CD recordings. And that's why they could start singing a song on-pitch (e.g. "Glory To Thee"), start a song altogether (e.g. "Dies Irae"), and finish a long-note ending altogether with the accompaniments (e.g. "How Shall I Sing"). No verbal instructions came from the earpieces during the concert. Utilizing the earpieces, we could play/sing properly without seeing Robert at all.—Ellensi
With the new year, enthusiastic supersite Libera360º announced its aims to provide regional bases for fans on all seven continents, and issued an invitation to bloggers and webmasters to contribute links and feeds for syndication on a corresponding regional site.) NOTE: This overambitious site was suspended around 2012.
Ben Crawley (aka Ben See) in 2012 recording session (photo from Ben See MySpace site) |
In early January, the ever-remarkable Ben Crawley (See Part One and throughout), former Libera soloist and current staff member/music maven, released a fascinating YouTube video in which he literally created and performed a musical arrangement on camera. For this enterprise, he adopted the nom de video of Ben See.
Ben Crawley at age 12 in 1997
http://youtu.be/GaRkoXDiM1U (Ben Crawley music video, performing as Ben See//Moment.Sound.Blur )
http://www.youtube.com/user/BenSeeMusic
(Ben Crawley’s site)
http://vimeo.com/34790289 (Libera’s vote
for the 2012 Classic FM Hall of Fame/Barney Lindsell, Cassius O’
Connell-White/Kavana Crossley)
And if you wondered, after viewing the above, how Pachelbel's Canon could be termed "really bouncy!", take a look at this 2002 version of "Sanctus II," shot December 8, 2002 during Songs Of Praise: Advent 2: Journey into Christmas. (To view other versions videoed from 1999 through 2009, see "SANCTUS: A Diversion" in Part One of this Timeline) http://youtu.be/g2lZHTvZfF4 (Sanctus II/2002)
On January 12th, a new poster appeared for the upcoming concerts in Japan.
And if you wondered, after viewing the above, how Pachelbel's Canon could be termed "really bouncy!", take a look at this 2002 version of "Sanctus II," shot December 8, 2002 during Songs Of Praise: Advent 2: Journey into Christmas. (To view other versions videoed from 1999 through 2009, see "SANCTUS: A Diversion" in Part One of this Timeline) http://youtu.be/g2lZHTvZfF4 (Sanctus II/2002)
On January 12th, a new poster appeared for the upcoming concerts in Japan.
During a recent AngelVoices website forum discussion, webmaster and Libera scholar Craig M. responded to a topic on possible future choices of songs for the group by trotting out some interesting statistics from the past:
Every year they pull out another song from the first album; they have [that] album over half re-done. I would expect them to [do the same this year], possibly with "Beata Lux" or "Lux Aeterna." For those who don't have the first album from 1999, I highly recommend it. The re-emergence of "Jubilate" in 2011 and again in the Christmas Album was a stroke of brilliance by Robert Prizeman; a great song and an excellent opening to the 2011 shows!
If
you're keeping score: [tracks] #1, "Salva Me," #2, "Sanctus," and #4, "Libera," [from 1999] are fixtures
at all shows now. 2009 brought back track #5, "Mysterium," which has also been
used ever since. 2010 brought back #3, "Agnus Dei," and 2011 brought back #6, "Jubilate," and #9, "Te Lucis." The show I saw in Chicago [during the 2011 summer US tour] featured six of these songs (all but
Agnus Dei), and Ralph Skan sang a
modified version of "When a Knight Won His Spurs," not yet re-recorded. (Editor's Note: "Dies Irae," from 1998, and "Grateful Heart [1999] were the revived songs for the 2012 spring concert tour)— Craig M.
On January 23rd, the LiberaOfficial website announced that the group's upcoming Singapore concerts had been accepted onto the Singapore National
Arts Council's Arts Education
Program, meaning that the Council would be funding attendance at Libera concerts by school groups. The Council's informational site: <http://www.nac.gov.sg/aep/about_aep.aspx>
http://youtu.be/GDxmt1F2lCI (Singapore 2012 promo video/long version)
The Esplanade, Libera's 2012 Tour Venue in Singapore |
Around the same time, two somewhat disturbing events occurred. A video called “No Light, No Light” by the popular group Florence and the Machine surfaced, containing luridly graphic erotic voodoo imagery intercut with the innocent faces of the Trinity Boys' Choir (including Libera members Stefan Leadbeater and Orlando Woscholski), dressed in priestly cassocks and singing backup inside a church. One wondered just what the directors of the Trinity Choir were thinking when they agreed to this.
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In early February, it was revealed that the tirelessly versatile Stefan Leadbeater would take part in a skit on a new TV sketch comedy show called "VIP," on England's Channel Four.
Stefan Leadbeater photographed in uniform at Trinity School, where he is a star music pupil. |
In mid-February, EMI Japan posted a song list (see below) and cover photo for the Japan commemorative-edition CD, Angel Voices 2012, to be released on March 14, 2012 as a tie-in to Libera's concerts in Japan in April. Except for two cuts from the 2004 Free CD, it was not known whether these recordings would be new or taken from earlier albums. There were five "revived" songs (not included in 2011 tours), but no new songs listed. (See below for CD selections and soloists)
Several days later, a brief and charmingly offbeat video Valentine greeting to Japan appeared on YouTube. It was obviously shot during a pre- or post-concert flurry, and was especially notable for the absence of some of the older boys, and glimpses of four small "newbies," without, however, putting names to faces.
A Few Timeline Notes
As of the end of April, thousands of readers, from 71 countries, protectorates, republics, and dominions, had logged on to this Timeline. The consistent daily top four were (in no particular order): the US, Russia, UK, and the Philippines, but the list also included such unexpected places as Qatar, Iceland, Macau, Guam, Slovenia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The tracking software on the blogsite also allowed a glimpse of the keywords people entered that led them to the Timeline. Many were simply boys' names and obviously intentional. Others displayed previous knowledge (references to "backwards jackets" are frequent), but one can only imagine the perplexity of the surfers who entered "Mouse Timeline," "Blue Shirts,"" Japanese/Korean History Chronology," "Stray Boy Jackets,""History of Binyan Folk Dance," "Choir Robe Company in LA" and "Korean Informal Shirts for Women." Perhaps some of them became Libera fans.
(L to R): Kavana Crossley, Jude Collins, Sammy Moriarty, and Ben Philipp wearing "backwards jackets" to keep from spilling pre-concert snacks or drinks on white robes. |
On 2/22, The British Council of Singapore sent out a large e-blast and review, heralding Libera's upcoming concerts, and describing the group as "a charitable organization, enabling young boys from all social backgrounds to experience the joy of music."
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On March 5th, the following photo and article appeared on the Singapore Showbiz online site, advance notice for the April 5th and 6th concerts.
http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/blogs/singapore-showbiz/lauded-london-boys-cho\ir-perform-singapore-054223281.html
The new Japan concert commemorative CD, Angel Voices 2012, appeared in that country in mid-March, featuring songs that have been Japanese favorites at concerts over the years. All of them are taken from seven years' worth of previous CDs, going back as far as Free, originally released in 2004, and all of these versions are available for viewing/listening elsewhere on this Timeline.
1. Jubilate Deo - solo by Jakob de Menezes-Wood (The Christmas Album, 2011)
2. Libera - solo by Liam Connery (Angel Voices: Libera in Concert, 2007)
3. Song of Life - solo by Ralph Skan (Miracle of Life [Japanese release] 2010)
4. Sanctissima - solo by Ben Philipp (Peace, 2010)
5. Sanctus - solos by Tom Cully, Ed Day, and Sam Leggett (Angel Voices: Libera in Concert, 2007)
6. I Vow to Thee My Country - solos by Ed Day and Josh Madine (Angel
Voices: Libera in Concert, 2007)
7. Eternal Light - solo by Stefan Leadbeater, second voiceby Ralph Skan (Peace Deluxe, 2010)
8. Salva Me - solo by Joe Snelling (Angel Voices: Libera in Concert, 2007)
9. Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep - solo by Tom Cully (Angel Voices: Libera in Concert, 2007)
10. Exultate - solo by Ben Philipp (Peace, 2010)
11. Orinoco Flow - (New Dawn, 2008)
12. Gloria - (New Dawn, 2008)
13. The Fountain - solo by Ralph Skan (Peace, 2010)
14. Stay with Me - solo by Ed Day (Angel Voices: Libera in Concert, 2007)
15. Ave Verum - (Free, 2004)
(This last piece, not seen elsewhere in the Timeline, was written by Robert Prizeman and Ian Tilley, and has been a concert staple on and off for years. One of its highlights in recent times has been the dramatic finale, with the boys lining up in V-shape from tallest to smallest, literally providing a living growth chart as they gain inches and years and move up the line.)
http://youtu.be/vL4F4T3aCT0 (Ave Verum/music by Robert
Prizeman/words by Robert Prizeman and Ian Tilley/from South Korean TV program Classic
Oddysey/2005/includes interview section at end)
16. Far Away - solo by Tom Cully (Angel Voices, Libera in Concert,2007)
17. How Shall I Sing That Majesty - solo by Stefan Leadbeater (Peace, 2010)
http://dearlibera.wordpress.com/libera_photos_videos/messages-from-libera-angel-voices-2012/ (Messages from Libera boys to
Japan, pre-tour/March, 2012)
Around the same time, a post-tour concert was announced, to take place in the venerable Arundel Cathedral on May 5th, 2012, Libera's first concert appearance there in two years.
Odd Bits
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On March 22nd, the Angel Voices 2012 CD entered the Japanese charts at 5th place.
Several days later, Adrian Jeens, of the libera-fans-uk site, announced his self-publication of a book on Libera called The Journey: From Choir Boys to Little Stars, through a company called Authorhouse. It was announced that the book would not be made available on any official Libera site, nor was the name "Libera" allowed to be used on the front cover.
Various sources posted that Orlando Wolchovsky had left Libera, probably due to the many commitments of his formal music studies. The continued non-appearance of soloist James Mordaunt indicated that he had left the group without any formal announcement. It was later learned that he had left because of conflicts with schooling.
Several days later, Adrian Jeens, of the libera-fans-uk site, announced his self-publication of a book on Libera called The Journey: From Choir Boys to Little Stars, through a company called Authorhouse. It was announced that the book would not be made available on any official Libera site, nor was the name "Libera" allowed to be used on the front cover.
Various sources posted that Orlando Wolchovsky had left Libera, probably due to the many commitments of his formal music studies. The continued non-appearance of soloist James Mordaunt indicated that he had left the group without any formal announcement. It was later learned that he had left because of conflicts with schooling.
James Mordaunt
On April 1st, Libera was featured on a Songs of Praise Palm Sunday program, with Stefan Leadbeater and Eoghan McCarthy as soloists.
L to R: Isaac London, soloist Stefan Leadbeater, Jonathan Barrington, soloist Eoghan McCarthy in Songs of Praise presentation of "How Shall I Sing That Majesty."
http://youtu.be/f4il-NWAHvw (How Shall I Sing that Majesty/ Solo/second part by Stefan Leadbeater and Eoghan McCarthy/Songs of Praise, 4/1/12)
Singapore-Japan Tour 2012
Singapore On April 4th, 24 boys, including four newbies
(starred) arrived in Singapore with their
entourage. Boys on this tour were:
Stefan Leadbeater
Ralph Skan
Kavana Crossley
Carlos Rodriguez Villegas
Luke Collins
Henry Barrington
Matthew Rangel-Alvarez
Matthew Jansen
Cassius O’Connell-White
Barney Lindsell
Dylan Duffy
Jude Collins
Eoghan McCarthy
Matthew Madine
Thomas Delgado-Little
Ben Fairman
Michael Ustynovych-Repa
Isaac London
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
Jakub Neidermaier-Reed
*Oscar McFall
*Michael Menezes
*Lucas Wood
*Adrian Sheard
(All photos of new boys below are by Lauren from the Mini-Angels site)
Lineup with Isaac London, newbie Michael Menezes, Dylan Duffy, newbie Lucas Wood, Kuba Niedermaier-Reed,
Barney Lindsell and others.
Adrian Sheard was a total newcomer to fans (Oscar McFall, Michael
Menezes, and Lucas
Wood had appeared in a recent concert at St. George’s Cathedral, London). During this tour, it was confirmed that young Michael M. is in fact a sixth member of the tuneful Madine-Leggett-De Menezes-Wood clan of cousins that has so enlivened Libera since 2004. Lucas Wood, however, is unrelated.
It was especially noted by fans that all singers on this tour were 14
years old or younger, a radical departure from recent group composition and tour appearances. In a lively TV interview the day after their arrival, interviewees explained that the older boys “were busy with school exams” at this time. This information came out on a December 5th televised interview with Libera members Kavana Crossley, Cassius O’ Connell-White, Ralph Skan and Isaac London on amLive–TV in
Singapore. The video is no longer available.
This
was, however, possibly a purposeful attempt to allow some of the (still
wildly popular)
15-17-year-old boys, many first discovered by fans in the 2007 Leiden PBS-concert DVD, to depart gracefully, heralding a return to the age-14-and-under tradition of previous eras. A radio interview on the same day provided other insights into the group dynamic.
http://soundcloud.com/jimmyriddle-1/libera-interview-on-92-4fm (Libera interview on 92.4FM
Singapore/4/5/12/ Kavana Crossley/Barney Lindsell/Jude Collins)
The
Singapore concerts, held in the impressive Singapore Esplanade, were a mixture
of old
and new favorites (* recent and new additions to the program are starred *) This rundown of selections and solos includes interspersed comments (in pink parentheses) by Lauren, of the Chicago-based “Mini-Angels” site, who flew to Singapore for the occasion.
Singapore
Concert 4/6/2012 The program began with the voice of Cassius ' O’ Connell-White, requesting people to turn off all cell phones and stating that that there would be no filming or photography allowed during the concert.
1. Jubilate – solos by Cassius O’
Connell-White and Barney Lindsell; introductory backing group: Eoghan McCarthy, Ralph Skan, Kavana Crossley, Matthew Jansen, Matthew Rangel-Alvarez and
Dylan Duffy. Segué into:
2. Libera – Solos by Eoghan McCarthy and
Luke Collins.
Speech by Cassius O’ Connell-White
& Barney Lindsell, welcoming the audience and introducing Libera.
3. Song
of Life —Trio
parts by Ralph Skan, Dylan Duffy, and Matthew Jansen,
4. O
Sanctissima —
Solo by Ralph Skan.
5.
Sanctus –
Final “Sanctus” solo by Luke Collins.
Speech
by Cassius O’
Connell-White & Michael Ustynovych-Repa introducing Moose, their mascot. Moose attends all
rehearsals and has been in the choir longer than anyone else onstage.
6. *I Vow To Thee My Country — Solo by Matthew Jansen, backup by Dylan Duffy and
7.
Eternal Light
—Solo by Stefan Leadbeater with Ralph Skan.
8.
Salva —Solo
descant by Matthew Rangel-Alvarez.
(There
was a large screen behind the boys and during this song it showed the video of boys in robes walking around.)
Speech by Jude Collins introducing the
instrumentalists: Simon Roth on percussion;
Steven Geraghty on recorder,
clarinet and keyboard; the string quartet from the NTU String Orchestra; and Robert Prizeman on piano and keyboard.
Leadbeater.
10.
Exultate — Solo by Luke Collins
Interval
11. *Orinoco
Flow
(The choreography was so cool! The
boys would turn to face opposite sides like soldiers in
a parade, quick and sharp. Then at other parts they'd flow and glide to the center and the back row would come forward much like on the "When Will I Be Famous" [actually "Last Choir Standing"—Ed.] version.)
12.
Gloria – High harmony by Matthew Rangel-Alvarez
Speech by Cassius O’ Connell-White and
Barney Lindsell about their white robes, the
difficulties of keeping them clean, and dealing with their large hoods. Much comic byplay. 14. *Dies
Irae – Solo by
Ciaran (pronounced “KEE-a-run” Bradbury-Hickey, with backing by Matthew
Rangel-Alvarez (“Dies Irae”was originally sung 13 years ago by Steven Geraghty on the Libera album. http://youtu.be/9sKTHP9SSJ0 (Dies Irae/1999 from Libera CD/adapted from traditional plainsong by Ian Tilley/soloist: Steven Geraghty)
A grown-up Steven Geraghty (At left) leads a dress rehearsal.
15.*Grateful
Heart — Solo by
Stefan Leadbeater.
(Editor's Note: This version of "Grateful Heart" song appeared in 1998, sung as a solo by
Liam O' Kane.
(Grateful
Heart/solo by Liam O’ Kane/Vision TV/1998)
16. Stay
With Me — Solo by Cassius O’ Connell White with
Dylan Duffy & Barney Lindsell
Speech by Ben Fairman (photo below) explaining his
“Nano Ben” nickname and explaining
how the big boys help the little boys learn.
17. Ave
Verum — Group
part by Matthew Jansen, Henry Barrington, Barney Lindsell,
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey with Matthew Rangel-Alvarez on the high notes.
(Shout
out to Kavana [Crossley], Carlos [Rodriguez Villegas] and whoever else is
singing the
low notes! This sounded REALLY good! Nice and strong! They did the "V" formation at the end, and Ralph [Skan] is the tallest! Stefan [Leadbeater] and Carlos were on either side of him. It's not as impressive (almost intimidating) as [6’4” Josh Madine] towering over you in the middle there, but it still looked good because the little ones are SO little.)
18. *Far Away – Solo/second part by Isaac London and Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
(Isaac
gave us a stunning performance! This kid doesn't even need a mic. You can
hear his
voice shining out in other songs, too. He has great stage presence, charisma really. And he's only 9. Now who does that remind you of? Hope we get to hear more from him. He has a great future in front of him!) (Editor's note: The reference here was probably to Michael Horncastle, who "owned" this song for years and displayed extraordinary charisma from the beginning of his Libera career in 2002 at age seven.)
19. Glory
To Thee —
Solo/second part by Eoghan McCarthy with Stefan Leadbeater
(There
used to be 7 sections of boys to sing the round part. Now there are 5, so they
go
around about 1 & 1/2 times.)
Speech by Michael Ustynovych-Repa
thanking everyone for coming.
Michael U-R: Photo by Lauren
20. How
Shall I Sing That Majesty? - Solos by Eoghan McCarthy
and Stefan Leadbeater.
Encore
- Exultate Reprise
The concert received a standing ovation. Another fan felt, however, that this was not the
strongest Libera group to embark on a major tour. He cited the soloists as not quite being up to Libera standard, and the general sound as a bit thin, between the evident approaching voice-change of Stefan Leadbeater and Ralph Skan and the relative inexperience of the younger soloists. (Exceptions mentioned were Eoghan McCarthy and Luke Collins.) The absence of the older low-voiced contingent, this fan felt, also contributed to the tentativeness of the performances, as did the presence of a number of youngsters who had never been on tour, and may have been overwhelmed by the vast Singapore Esplanade concert hall and unsure of how to pitch their voices.
http://youtu.be/sZp5ft2eOn8
(Meet and Greet video by Lauren of Mini-Angels site/ Singapore, 2012)
http://youtu.be/zAZxHPQ9kts
(Singapore 2012 Meet-and Greet/video by Inna of DearMadine/ 2012) "Sanctus" is based, came in at number 15 on the Classical FM Hall of Fame's Top 300. On Easter Sunday, Libera helped to celebrate a mass at St. Ignatius Church, Singapore, joining its choir for several selections and singing "Gloria." A video of this "Gloria" appeared briefly on YouTube, but was quickly withdrawn.
JAPAN
The boys and entourage flew to Japan on April 11th
for two concerts
in Tokyo, and blogged enthusiastically about their
experiences.
On April 12th, ten of the boys appeared on a NTV morning show called Sukkiri, where they sang an all-treble version of "Song of Life" (the rendition usually includes 13 more boys and tenor voices), composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu, with lyrics by Robert Prizeman This was the featured theme song of a 2011 TV show called Madonna Verde, a program concentrating on the theme of surrogate motherhood. The
Sukkiri show video is long and, except for the boys' contributions,
almost entirely in
Japanese, but gives a wonderful through-the-years- intro. Soloist Ralph Skan's voice was still sweetly treble at this point. The ice-skating footage is of Japan’s world figure-skating champion, Mao Asada.
http://youtu.be/_fegBbGzztY (Libera on Sukkiri Morning show/Song of Life/2012 )
Asada
selected a hybrid version of Ben Crawley’s 2006 rendition of the classic “I Vow
to
Thee My Country” to skate to during the 2011-2012 competition season, following the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011 in Japan. Libera has recorded several versions of this poignant and powerful song; the violin intro here is by Fiona Pears, from the 2007 Leiden PBS concert recording.
http://youtu.be/NxxUQH63Hsc Mao Asado skates in 2011 to a hybrid version of "I Vow to Thee My Country"/solo by Ben Crawley/violin intro by Fiona Pears/melody by Gustave Holst/words by Cecil Spring-Rice/arr. Robert Prizeman/from Free and Welcome to Libera’s World [Japan] CDs 2006) http://youtu.be/s8J6YIVkXeU (I Vow to Thee My Country/Josh
Madine Tribute/
solo by Michael Horncastle
(Optional)
http://youtu.be/BqU3ZfWhDr8 (I vow to Thee My Country/Leiden PBS
Concert/2007)
The boys' appearance on the Sukkiri Morning Show created a sensation and probably
accounted for both the sold-out tickets and the subsequent jump onto the top of Japanese sales charts.
The
two sold-out concerts in Tokyo were held in Bunkamura Hall. The program order
was basically the same as in the Singapore appearances, but there were several changes on the second night, probably due to the fatigue of touring and its
toll on young voices.
Stefan Leadbeater appeared at times to be
struggling slightly with his solos, though not to the overall detriment of his performance. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey did not sing "Dies Irae" as a solo, as in earlier concerts, but was accompanied by five other boys. Leadbeater assisted Ralph Skan with the solo on "Exultate," and Eoghan McCarthy took most of the former’s solo work on "How Shall I Sing That Majesty." The Meet & Greets in Japan followed a different
and more formal pattern from those in other countries. No photographs or videos
were allowed while fans went through the line. The 24 boys were divided up in
groups of six at a table, and each fan were allowed to visit only two
of the
tables.
On April 14th, it was announced that Libera
CDs were then occupying the top four places Eternal, The Best of Libera; a Japanese edition listed as Because You - Prayer; and Miracle of Life, a 2010 Japanese release on PolyEast.
During the months of April and May, four about-to-be-alumni, Sam Leggett, Liam Connery, Daniel Fontannaz, and Jakob de Menezes-Wood released collections of original performances and composition on Soundcloud. All show talent, and the orchestral compositions of Jakob Wood are remarkable for their maturity and beauty. Former Liberan James Threadgill (2008-2011) also recorded a "Techno tryout." Copy and paste to hear these. http://soundcloud.com/sam-leggett http://soundcloud.com/liamc http://soundcloud.com/dfontannaz http://soundcloud.com/jakob-wood CHANNEL ISLANDS AND NORTHERN IRELAND MINI-TOURSDuring the summer and early fall, the group went on two mini-tours that presumably involved minimal travel and expense and gave the many new members a chance to adapt without the rigors of a tour in Asia or the far reaches of Europe.Channel Islands Tour 2012 Archive
Date: August 1-2, 2012 / Location: Jersey Opera House, Jersey, Jersey, UK Date: August 7-8, 2012 / Location: St. James Hall, Guernsey, UK Time: 7:30PM Ticket Prices: £10 - £35 Member List: Henry Barrington Anthony Blake Tiarnan Branson Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey Jude Collins Luke Collins Kavana Crossley Jakob de Menezes-Wood Thomas Delgado-Little Dylan Duffy Benjamin Fairman Daniel Fontannaz Matthew Jansen Isaac London Joshua Madine Matthew Madine Eoghan McCarthy Michael Menezes Kuba Niedermaier-Reed Cassius O'Connell-White Matthew Rangel-Alvares Adrian Sheard Bertie Smart Michael Ustynovych-Repa Sam Wiggin Lucas Wood From right: Michael Ustynovich-Repa, Lucas Wood, Isaac London, Dylan Duffy, Ben Fairman, Cuba Niedermaier-Reed, Matthew Jansen, Matthew Rangel-Alvares, Eoghan McCarthy, Luke Collins. Song List: 1. Jubilate 2. Libera Speech - Nano-Ben Fairman and Cassius O'Connell-White 3. Song of Life (solo: Isaac London) 4. Sanctissima (solo: Eoghan McCarthy) 5. Sanctus (Last "Sanctus" by Matthew Jansen) 6. I Vow To Thee My Country (solo: Matthew Jansen) 7. Eternal Light (solo: Jude Collins and Thomas Delgado-Little) 8. Salva Me Speech -- Jude Collins 9. Faithful Heart (solo: Josh Madine and Matthew Jansen) 10. Exultate (solo: Thomas Delgado-Little) 11. Attende Domine (A Gregorian chant. a cappella by Eoghan McCarthy) 12. Orinoco Flow 13. Gloria Speech - Michael Ustynovych-Repa and Cassiu sO' Connell-White Speech - Josh Madine 17. Ave Verum 18. Far Away (solo: Isaac London) 19. Glory To Thee (solo: Eoghan McCarthy) Speech - Ben Fairman 20. How Shall I Sing That Majesty (solo: Eoghan McCarthy) Encore: Exultate (short version) Staff: Musical Director: Robert Prizeman Keyboards: Robert Prizeman, Steven Geraghty, Joshua Madine, Ian Tilley Clarinet & Recorder: Steven Geraghty Percussion: Simon Roth Lighting: Luke Avery Concert Producer: Ben Crawley Sound Mixing & Production: Sam Coates Stage Management: Jonathan Barrington Chaperons: Barbara Geraghty, Eleanor Lewis, Sandra Barrington Management: Steven Philipp, Andrew Winter
|
15. Dies Irae (solo: Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey)
16. Grateful Heart (solo: Thomas Delgado-Little and Michael Ustynovych-Repa)
Stay With Me (solo: Cassius O'Connell-White. Matthew Rangel-Alvares on high notes)
Cassius O' Connell-White (in glasses) and Matthew Madine charm passers-by. |
A few swims later, as well as some free time, it was time to
perform. We woke up, the lovely weather blinding us through the window, and
made our way to the main venue in Jersey – the Opera House. Today was a concert
day. We bypassed the sea and entered in the bright blue “stage door” - after
spending some time looking for it – before rushing in to get ready.
The first night went well, with lots of boys doing new solos and
harmony parts – so we were all raring to go for the next one the day after
which also ran smoothly.
We decided the next day to take a trip to Jersey’s best aMaizin Adventure park! We had fun with the mini golf, the various bikes and tractors we could ride on, even the huge “Big Drop” and “Jumping Pillow”. We then had a go at the amazing aMaizin Maze!
After that we tucked into lunch,
then had a go at the “Water Warriors”. That was fun too, drenching people with
hosed guns whilst you ducked for cover. A quick trip to the gift shop, and then
it was time to go back home. Well, “back to our hotel anyway”.
We were now ending our first part of
the tour. As well as being a tour though, it was still our holiday too: and so
we began packing for our next hotel, which wasn’t a hotel, but actually a
hostel packed with all kinds of fun.
A short drive (and I mean short)
across Jersey passed, and we arrived. The sea in the distance, bedrooms of 8,
the clear skies: we were sure this was going to be a great part of the tour. We
hauled our suitcases up the stairs, unlocked the doors and lobbed our suitcases
inside.. The food was nice too, and there was plenty of room in the nearby
field for games.
On the first day, we began our free
time in the games room. We played board games, cards, table tennis and whatnot.
Then we went for a walk, again seeing around our area. It was very nice, being
high on a hill, and interesting castle to our left and the lovely sea to our
right. We were out of breath as we came back for dinner, and ended our first
day with a movie night in, watching Disney’s Coraline.
The next day began with a wonderful
continental breakfast, complete with boiled eggs and cereal. Then came a catch
up on the Olympics afterwards, as we gathered round the TV in the games room.
Various cheers for various countries, all sorts. Afterwards though, was the
best aspect of the day by far: a trip to the Jersey-famous Durrell zoo.
We arrived there, and were privileged to listen to Lee Durrell, wife of Gerald Durrel (who of course founded the whole place) talk about the park and its main aim: ‘saving species from extinction’. We saw all sorts of animals, from Bears to Bats, Lemurs to Lizards, Chameleons to Chimpanzees, some animals we’d never even heard of! All in all it was an amazing day out. Then came the gift shop afterwards. Some of us even adopted some animals, giving money to a good cause, whilst others bought the most adorable looking cuddly toys, like bright purple snakes and orange frogs. We came back, and ended the day with another film: The Adventures of Tintin.
We decided to spend the last day
with a long day at the beach. We went on another walk, hauling all sorts of
beach toys and equipments down the road. The sand was crisp and soft, the tide
was going out, and more importantly the Speedboat rides were open. That was
great fun.
The rest of the day was spent mainly
building sandcastles: or in our case, sand villages, complete with a church
that had mass at 11:30 and a farm. Others began digging water systems with the
water left at low tide. More importantly though, we dug holes and buried many
people with just their heads above the sand. Ah, we didn’t want to leave the
beach.
But unfortunately all good things
come to an end, including our visit to Jersey. One movie night later (watching
Madagascar 2) and we woke up packing. It was finally time to leave.
We left to the port and boarded our
ferry to the next chapter of our journey: Guernsey. It’s time to go now though,
so more on that next time.
Liblog: Jersey and Guernsey pt 2; Continued from Part 1…….
We packed up from the Jersey youth hostel, and being in dorms of
8 meant it took a bit longer than usual to pack because certain people spread
their belongings all over the room. However, we were soon on our way to the
port, via coach. It was lovely weather –sunny as usual – but a bit too hot.
The ferry ride was fairly short, and eating on very bumpy waves
made it very interesting indeed. Seasickness aside however, we had made it to our
final destination: Guernsey.
I must say, on first sight the hotel looked spiffing. I say
‘spiffing’ as it looked quite posh, with lovely trimmed hedges and gardens
surrounding it. However we ignored the scenery and checked in to our hotel.
After checking in, we explored the field, playing a huge game of
hide and seek and 40-40 home. Some of us hid so well we weren’t even found when
we were told to come in! We had to spend the night outside, just to make sure
we won the game. Not really.
We had our first
dinner in the hotel, and ate some pretty amazing food. We were definitely
looking forward to our stay here, especially since we were allowed to use three
lounges and even a large chess set. The day ended with us watching
some ‘Horrible histories’.
Matthew Madine and the "wrecking ball." |
The next day began
with another lovely meal, this time at breakfast. We were all pretty excited as
well, as today was going to be our first concert in Guernsey. Not many of us
had been to Guernsey either, so we all found it pretty welcoming.
Before we had to leave
for the concert, we had some free time. In the rooms we set up some gaming
devices, and also some croquet outside. And yes, we do know how to play croquet properly!
We had a quick lunch,
and then prepared for our show at St James – which is a concert hall converted
from a church. On the way, we handed out some leaflets. Another
sound-check, as usual, and we were raring to go. St. James had a very nice
acoustic - it was very nice to sing in, and I sounded fantastic, if I say so
myself. A quick snack, and then we went on stage.
The
show went well, and we slept tight.
The next day began with another nice breakfast, and then
something we hadn’t done in a while: we were going bowling! I have to say, even
though the island is fairly small, it was quite a trek to the bowling centre.
However when we were there, it was fun. Various shouts were heard when strikes
and spares we played. We asked for the barriers, so no gutter balls. It was all
going well, until someone bowled to hard and knocked the barrier over…whoops.
After bowling it was time to go back to St. James for our second
concert. The usual routine occurred, with a sound-check before a quick snack
and then our last concert this tour.
Our next day was all a big surprise. We hopped on our coach and
took a short drive to our ‘mystery destination’. We definitely knew it was
going to be fun when we arrived: we saw bouncy castles – three of them – each
with different gladiator-style stuff. One had a wrecking ball in the middle,
with the aim to knock off another person off the 4 different podiums. Another
was a one-on-one battle with two ‘battling rams’. The final one, well, we were
unsure of exactly what to do, but it involved a long beam with a sword and a
shield. It was very hot weather, so we ran out of energy pretty quickly.
We split into two groups. Whilst one group was enjoying the
inflatable gladiator things, the other group was sent inside to do some
archery!
We ran through a quick
safety demonstration, and then let all arrows break loose. It was surprisingly
difficult. We even pinned down balloons, and try to pop them. It was great.
After the first
activities, we entered the main hall: to begin a Libera 7-a-side football
tournament! It was indoors, and we didn’t really bother with all the official
rules. Kavana’s team won, if you were interested.
After the football
came lunch: a selection of sandwiches, fruit and crisps. Then we changed into
our swimmers, because to end the day we were going to play all sorts of
water-based activities. I’m not even going to mention the excitement.
It started with a game
of disease: one person is a zombie and has to spread the disease throughout
everyone. Its very difficult, especially as hiding in a bush for a long time
gives you cramps. Cassius however managed to stay hidden, right until everyone
began playing ‘splat’: a shooting style game around the circle, except this
time with water guns and sponges. You need quick reactions for that, or you’re
soaked. Then came water-hose limbo; dodge the water, or you’ll get drenched. It
was all fun. But then of course came the all out water fight. 1 minute to
choose your weapons, then sponges begin chucking, water guns begin shooting,
and hoses, well, they spray everyone. It was a great way to end the day.
However, it was also a
great way to end the tour. We got back for dinner, watched two episodes of the
Simpsons and went quickly to bed. We woke up the next day, had some more free
time, and then packed. We said our final goodbyes as we boarded our coach to
port, went through the usual stages of boat boarding, and boarded our ferry
home.
Well that’s it. Our
Channel Islands tour is finally over. Thank you all for reading, and we hope to
see you soon!
Date: November 1, 2012 / Location: St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Armagh, Northern Ireland
Date: November 2, 2012 / Location: St. Peter's Cathedral, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Time: 7:30PM
Tickets: £15 (Concessions £10, Premium £25)
Members:
Henry Barrington
Anthony Blake
Tiarnan Branson
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
Jude Collins
Luke Collins
Kavana Crossley
Thomas Delgado-Little
Dylan Duffy
Benjamin Fairman
Daniel Fontannaz
Matthew Jansen
Anthony Kerr-Munley***
Stefan Leadbeater
Isaac London
Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti***
Joshua Madine
Matthew Madine
Eoghan McCarthy
Oscar McFall
Michael Menezes
Sammy Moriarty
Kuba Niedermaier-Reed
Cassius O'Connell-White
Matthew Rangel-Alvares
Carlos Rodriguez
Ralph Skan
Bertie Smart
Michael Ustynovych-Repa
Sam Wiggin
Lucas Wood
Song List:
1. Dies Irae (Solos: Matthew Rangel-Alvares and Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey)
2. Gloria (High notes: Matthew Rangel-Alvares)
Speech - Ben Fairman and Cassius O'Connell-White
3. Eternal Light (Solos: Jude Collins and Thomas Delgado-Little)
4. Voca Me (Solo: Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey / High notes: Thomas Delgado-Little)
5. Sanctus (Matthew Jansen on the last "Sanctus")
Speech - Cassius O'Connell-White and Michael Ustynovych-Repa
6. I Vow To Thee My Country (Solos: Dylan Duffy, Matthew Jansen and Thomas Delgado-Little)
7. Salva Me (High notes: Matthew Rangel-Alvares)
8. Be Still My Soul (Solos: Matthew Jansen and Thomas Delgado-Little)
Speech - Jude Collins
9. How Shall I Sing (Solo: Eoghan McCarthy)
- Interval-
10. Mysterium (Solo: Jude Collins)
11. Orinoco Flow
- Cassius O'Connell-White and Michael Ustynovych-Repa
12. Far Away (Solo: Isaac London)
13. The Fountain (Solos: Matthew Jansen and Thomas Delgado-Little)
14. Grateful Heart (Solos: Thomas Delgado-Little and Michael Ustynovych-Repa)
15. Ave Verum (Solos: Dylan Duffy, Matthew Jansen, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Henry Barrington / High notes: Matthew Rangel-Alvares) - Piano by Josh Madine
Speech -- Daniel Fontannaz
16. Sanctissima (Solo: Eoghan McCarthy / High notes: Thomas Delgado-Little)
17. Stay With Me (Solo: Cassius O'Connell-White)
18. Glory to Thee (Solo: Eoghan McCarthy)
Speech - Ben Fairman
19. Exultate (Solo: Thomas Delgado-Little)
Encore: 20. Libera (Solo: Eoghan McCarthy / High notes: Thomas Delgado-Little)
Staff:
Musical Director - Robert Prizeman
Keyboards - Robert Prizeman, Steven Geraghty, Joshua Madine, Ian Tilley
Clarinet & Recorder - Steven Geraghty
Strings - Ireland String Quartet
Percussion - Simon Roth
Lighting - Luke Avery
Concert Producer - Ben Crawley
Sound Mixing & Production - Sam Coates
Stage Management - Jonathan Barrington
Chaperons - Barara Geraghty and Eleanor Lewis
Management - Steven Philipp and Andrew Winter
http://libera.org.uk/blog/autumn_tour/
(Libera blog about 2012 Northern Ireland tour)
Posing in Northern Ireland are (L to R) Eoghan McCarthy, Jude Collins, Matthew Jansen, Kuba Niedermaer-Reed, Lucas Wood, Sam Wiggin, Tom Delgado-Little and Ben Fairman. |
ARUNDEL CONCERT, May 2012
On
May 5th, Libera performed a concert at the lovely Arundel Cathedral.
This is
becoming an annual event, and was attended by fans who traveled from
Europe and Asia
for this single performance. The following summary is based on
reviews and correspondence
from concert attendees (with thanks to Lucy,
Maartendas, Johan, Yorkie, Christopher, Peter, Martin, and others).
THE
CONCERT:
Line around the corner for Arundel Concert. |
MINI-BOYS:
The
musical listing was the same as that of the Japan and Singapore concerts, but
with slightly different personnel. Three new mini-boys, Anthony Blake, Bertie Smart, and Sam
Wiggin, joined the group for this performance, and Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey was missing.
Seven new non-performing mini-boys occupied front seats and were introduced en masse
in the course of the program.
Newbie photos courtesy of Yuki, Yorkie, and Inna |
BIG
BOYS:
This
concert seemed (although, as it turned out, not entirely; see the Channel Islands
Mini-tour) to set the seal on the departure of the 15-and-olders as onstage singers.
Tiarnán Branson and Jonathan Barrington joined fellow alumni Steven Geraghty, Ben Crawley, Sam Coates, Simon Lewis, and Andy Winter on the staff, while Tom Cully was not present.
Mini-tour) to set the seal on the departure of the 15-and-olders as onstage singers.
Tiarnán Branson and Jonathan Barrington joined fellow alumni Steven Geraghty, Ben Crawley, Sam Coates, Simon Lewis, and Andy Winter on the staff, while Tom Cully was not present.
Ben
Philipp and Daniel Fontannaz were there as audience members, as was Alfie Smart
(2008-2010), who confided that newbie Bertie Smart was, as many had suspected, his
younger brother. Daniel Fontannaz reportedly mentioned to a fan that he had not left the
group, but was taking time out to study for his GSCEs (General Certificate of Secondary
Education), thus opening the question as to whether some of the other older boys in this
situation might reappear at some point, or whether an older group might be called in for
pieces requiring lower voices. Unaccounted for were Josh Madine, Sam and Alex Leggett,
Sammy Moriarty, Liam Connery, and Jakob Wood.
(2008-2010), who confided that newbie Bertie Smart was, as many had suspected, his
younger brother. Daniel Fontannaz reportedly mentioned to a fan that he had not left the
group, but was taking time out to study for his GSCEs (General Certificate of Secondary
Education), thus opening the question as to whether some of the other older boys in this
situation might reappear at some point, or whether an older group might be called in for
pieces requiring lower voices. Unaccounted for were Josh Madine, Sam and Alex Leggett,
Sammy Moriarty, Liam Connery, and Jakob Wood.
SOLOISTS:
It
seemed apparent to onlookers that both Stefan Leadbeater and Ralph Skan were
balancing on the edge of voice change. Stefan was observed clearing his
throat or coughing occasionally, though maintaining his singing well, and Ralph,
while still holding his treble range and in good voice, had to drop an octave
during a high phrase in “The Fountain.” It was noted by several onlookers that Skan’s voice had taken on
a new and charming maturity.
The
following performances made an especially good impression on concert attendees, indicating that the younger contingent of singers are up to carrying
on the Libera tradition:
•
Matthew Jansen’s (joined 2009) sweet-voiced solos in “Ave Verum” and “I Vow to
Thee
My Country.”
My Country.”
•
Shy descant specialist Matthew Rangel-Alvarez’ s (2009) first ever stand-alone
solo in “Dies Irae.” This was occasioned by the absence of Ciaran
Bradbury-Hickey, and Matthew R-A rose beautifully to the occasion.
•
Cassius O’ Connell-White (2009), Dylan Duffy (2010), and Barney Lindsell’s
(2010) three-voice rendition of “Stay With Me” (sung first as a solo in 2004 by
Joe Platt, in 2007 by Ed Day, and most recently by Daniel Fontannaz).NOTE:
Although they all have the appearance of budding soloists, these boys, along
with
Eoghan McCarthy (2010) and Tom Delgado-Little (2011), are responsible for maintaining the
depth of voice quality in small-group singing as well as choral work that has come to be
expected of Libera.
Eoghan McCarthy (2010) and Tom Delgado-Little (2011), are responsible for maintaining the
depth of voice quality in small-group singing as well as choral work that has come to be
expected of Libera.
• Eoghan McCarthy’s seeming ability to sing almost anything, and his strong solo work
throughout. McCarthy opened the second half of the concert with a solo version of
“Attende Domine” from “Ave Verum,” with a segue into the group performance of “Orinoco
Flow."
supported by Eoghan McCarthy, Cassius O’ Connell-White, and Tom
Delgado-Little, sang
the demanding solo line of “Far Away,” first recorded by Libera legend Michael Horncastle
in 2006 and subsequently sung by the equally legendary Tom Cully. In spite of a possible line stumble, London’s confident and clear-voiced presentation drew raves from all reviewers.
the demanding solo line of “Far Away,” first recorded by Libera legend Michael Horncastle
in 2006 and subsequently sung by the equally legendary Tom Cully. In spite of a possible line stumble, London’s confident and clear-voiced presentation drew raves from all reviewers.
• The singers were accompanied by Robert Prizeman on piano and synthesizer, as well as
“our own string quartet,” percussionist Simon Roth, and Steven Geraghty on woodwinds.
“our own string quartet,” percussionist Simon Roth, and Steven Geraghty on woodwinds.
•
There was little information about between-songs speeches, although that of Ben
Fairman
was singled out for charm and humor.
was singled out for charm and humor.
•
Programs were available at two prices; programs personally autographed by the
boys as a
fund-raiser cost twice as much, but were sold out.
fund-raiser cost twice as much, but were sold out.
•
Unusually for an event in England, a few photographers and video-makers crowded
the
boys to the extent of discomfort. The singers resorted to hiding their faces when moving from the rehearsal hall to the cathedral proper.
boys to the extent of discomfort. The singers resorted to hiding their faces when moving from the rehearsal hall to the cathedral proper.
• There was no meet-and-greet following the concert.
On
November 16th Libera presented a concert at St. George’s Cathedral,
Southwark to an overflowing and appreciative audience. Fans without reserved
seats began lining up early in the morning to obtain good places in the audience.
(Photo of song list by Yorkie)
The
song list was the same as for the Northern Ireland concerts. There
were 34 boys singing onstage, as Robert Prizeman availed himself of the
opportunity to give some of the littlest mini-boys some stage experience. In
the list below, the three brand-newbies are listed in Boldface, and the names
of the two boys who joined the group only on its last tour to Ireland are
followed by asterisks. (It was not known at this time whether newbie Marc
Alvares is related to veteran singer Matthew Rangel-Alvares, but was later revealed that they're cousins.) The three newest boys did not participate in every number. Relative newcomer Adrian Sheard, who participated in the Singapore/Japan and Channel Islands concerts, was absent for both the Northern Ireland and the St George's appearances.
(Photo by George) |
SINGERS
Marc
Alvares
Henry
Barrington
Anthony Blake
Tiarnan Branson
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
Jude
Collins
Luke Collins
Kavana Crossley
Thomas Delgado-Little
Dylan Duffy
Benjamin Fairman
Daniel Fontannaz
Matthew Jansen
Anthony Kerr-Munley*
Stefan
Leadbeater I
Isaac London
Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti*
Joshua Madine
Matthew Madine
Eoghan McCarthy
Oscar McFall
Michael Menezes
Alex Montoro
Sammy Moriarty
Kuba
Niedermaier-Reed
Cassius O'Connell-White
Matthew Rangel-Alvarez
Carlos
Rodriguez
Ralph Skan
Bertie Smart
Camden Stewart
Michael Ustynovych-Repa
Sam
Wiggin
Lucas Wood.
The
current staff and musicians were identified on the program, with the exception
of the string quartet, whose members seem to vary. The surprise for many was the
appearance of former soloist Tom Cully as a keyboard accompanist, taking the place of Ian Tilley.
Musical Director - Robert
Prizeman
Keyboards - Tom Cully, Steven
Geraghty, Joshua
Madine
Clarinet & Recorder - Steven
Geraghty
Percussion - Simon Roth
Lighting - Luke Avery
Sound Mixing & Production -
Sam Coates
Stage Management - Jonathan
Barrington
Chaperones - Barbara Geraghty
& Eleanor Lewis
Management - Steven Philipp
& Andrew Winter Winter
Although the concert was in general considered a great
success, various complaints found their way into reviews:
1. The division of the best seating into premium and VIP
sections, leaving less affluent fans with inferior seats and sightlines. VIP
ticketholders were also given a
room to wait in out of the biting cold, while ordinary concertgoers
shivered outside, although those that arrived earliest were also allowed into the room.
3. The decision to have the solo in “Eternal Light,”
(originally sung by the note-perfect Stefan Leadbeater, now singing with the low voices) taken by Jude Collins,
who was apparently hampered by a cold, and, in several opinions, not up to the task. One
reviewer mentioned that his amplified coughing was a disturbance at times
throughout the concert, and questioned the wisdom of not letting him sit this
one out. Others were touched by his bravery, and that he sang the song as well as he did
4. A Finnish fan
apparently had reservations about “Be Still My Soul,” set to a melody by
Jean Sibelius that is revered by the Finns in its original form, with the
original words in Finnish.
5. The projection screens placed at strategic parts of
the cathedral were apparently beset with technical difficulties at times, and
one fan mentioned that the sound seemed “dampened” in the area where he was
sitting, to the rear of the soundboard.
6. There were very few Libera items for sale, only the new Song of Life compilation CD, last year's Christmas Album, and Libera car stickers. The CDs were being sold as "the last ones in stock," raising questions about EMI's failing to supply them.
7. There was no "meet-and-greet" at the end of the concert.
Apart from these items, the sold-out concert was
apparently a great success, and the hometown crowd received it with standing
ovations and enthusiasm. Constant
fan Jimmy Riddle delivered this summation:
Standouts for me last night, by Jimmy Riddle:
1) Be Still My Soul - stunning a capella, flawless execution.
High notes by Thomas Delgado-Little almost as perfect as Joe Platt from the CD
version.
2) Voca Me - never expected it to sound as good as
this live. A selection of boys singing the solo lines and Thomas [Delgado-Little] on high
descant. A testing challenge on the vocals which they all carried off in
trademark 'Libera' style.
3) Far Away – Isaac [London] is getting really
confident with this. He has such a nice singing voice. Very crisp and clear.
Hopefully he will get more solos further down the Libera road. It's sometimes
unfair to compare but as far as 'live' performances of 'Far Away'; he's equal
to anything that's gone before.
4) Anything Eoghan [McCarthy] soloed in - class act
There were a few imperfections, but this is to be expected when
such youngsters are performing live and before large audiences. The vast
majority of moments when they get it right far outweigh the one or two minor
off pitch/mis-timed/out-of-sync passages. Also a few songs didn't quite leave
the same impression which previous concerts have, but let's face it, Libera are
having to rebuild again following recent voice changes by prominent frontline
members. It was only last year when Stefan [Leadbeater] and Ralph [Skan] were
soloing the majority of the concerts
Tom Cully at the keyboard (at L) |
It was also encouraging to see Tom [Cully] still actively
involved with Libera concerts, playing keyboard although only visible when they
took their positions a few minutes before the concert began. [Editor's note: Tom Cully was taking the place of Ian Tilley.] Still it didn't
stop some members of the 'fangirl' fraternity shouting out for him to wave,
which he rather sheepishly acknowledged.
By the way, the no-recording rule appears
to have contracted itself an exception amongst some fans, between the standing
ovation and encore, with many media devices held aloft eagerly capturing what
they can. In some ways you can understand why, after the no-return photo shoot
was enforced at UK concerts, time is limited for fans to grab what they can.
They must be careful not to share any live video, even if it's an encore.— Jimmy Riddle
[Editor's note: The same persistant video-paparazzo who intruded into proceedings at the Arundel concert in May was back. Foiled by curtains on the dressing-room windows, he attempted to gain entry into the cathedral before being recognized and ejected. There seemed to be a rising level of fan frustration at the Libera organization's no-photos-anytime-anywhere-during-a-concert policy, their failure to identify newest members to the online fanbase, and the general lack of new "official" video and photo materials in 2012.]
Other very nicely detailed reviews can be found at: http://choirfan.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/libera-concert-in-london/ (by Maartendas) and http://jubilate1986.tumblr.com/post/36024262758/heres-my-review-to-the-st-georges-concert-as (by Lucy)
(Photo by Bullehynka)
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Taking a bow with Robert Prizeman. Note the little ones at the ends peeking to get the timing right. (Photo by George)
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A source of pleasure for fans was Josh Madine's introductory playing of the Chopin prelude upon which "The Fountain" was based. Fans also noted that there was a high percentage of Libera parents in the audience, and were pleased to see alumnus Ben Philipp there (apparently holding court with a group of female admirers).
On November 20th, it was announced that Libera has been nominated for the Billboard Japan Music Awards 2012 in
the "Classic Artist of the Year" section. The awards will be broadcast on December 15 at 16:00 on
Terebihokkaido, TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, Terebisetouchi and Kyushu
Broadcasting TVQ.
Also at about this time, Trinity School announced that the seemingly indefatigable Stefan Leadbeater had successfully auditioned for a
place as a tenor in the London Youth Vocal Ensemble. The Ensemble, which is directed
by the Head ofVocals at English National Opera, Nicholas Chalmers, is for 14-25 year olds and
Stefan will havethe opportunity to perform in concerts and functions in major venues throughout
the UK. During the summer, Stefan also performed in the Garsington Opera Company's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, as one of the "Drei Knaben," a trio of spirit boys
who periodically appear to guide and advise the opera's main characters.
Sam Leggett appears on the right of the screen above the concert stage singing backup to the Rolling Stones. He is in the choral group below right. |
On December 1st, an unexpected video treat revealed recent Libera alumnus Sam Leggett (2004-2012) as part of the choral backup for an encore performance by the Rolling Stones of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in a Stones' 50th anniversary concert on November 29th at London's O2 Arena. Sam, a member of the Voce Chamber Choir, and the other young singers (the group on the left in the above photo came from the London Youth Choir) received T-shirts with the concert logo on the front and the legend on the back: "You can't always get to sing with the Stones—but I did!")
Sam Leggett is on the far right in the back row. |
http://youtu.be/SFGILJb78WI (Sam Leggett
singing in the Voce Chamber Choir as backup to the Rolling Stones/You Can’t
Always Get What You Want/50th Anniversary Concert encore in London
O2 Arena/11/29/12/ Solo by Michael Jagger)
On December 2nd, Libera officially announced four future concerts in Taiwan and at least one concert in Korea in April of 2013. The Taiwan concerts were scheduled for venues in the cities of Taipei (April 2nd and 3rd) , Yuanlin (Tentatively April 6th), Taichung (April 9th),and at least one more to be scheduled. (Itinerary was still under construction at this point.) Also on this tour, the group was to revisit South Korea for a concert in Seoul on April 13th, with more dates possibly to be announced.
Yuanlin Concert Hall in Taiwan
On December 4th, it was announced that the Song of Life compilation CD, formerly sold only in Japan, was available on Amazon.com. A week later, two more Spring Tour concert dates were posted: Kaohsiung Dodung Arts Center in Taiwan (April 7th, 2013), and Sejong Arts Centre in Seoul, Korea (April 13th).
As a very lovely start to the Libera holiday season, a French Fan, Dj Koyotte, put together this charming video montage: http://youtu.be/4JKYEHvpVHM (A Libera Merry Christmas Video Montage by Dj Koyotte/2012/ Song: Carol of the Bells) On December 15, LiberaOfficial posted a lively blog (see above, under "Northern Ireland mini-tour." It concluded with a few notes on other activities.
On December 21st, Kavana Crossley, Michael Ustynovych-Repa, Cassius O’ Connell-White and Jude Collins appeared in a boisterous half-hour radio interview (no longer available)
On the 22nd of December, Libera posted its Taiwan promotional video, providing several new images.
http://youtu.be/0AhrBICV-jE (Taiwan Tour 2013 Promotional Video/ 12/22/12)
The next day, the boys' annual Christmas-greeting video appeared, a mixture of ad hoc and formal, with a new face or two.
http://youtu.be/0B2woHUtMyU (LiberaChristmas Greeting/2012) On Christmas Day the official Libera website posted the following:
"Exciting news - 'Carol of the Bells' from our Christmas Album is
the official number one Classical Single in the UK iTunes Singles Chart."
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LIBERA 2012: A Work in Progress (A Very Long Editorial Digression)
2012 seems to have been a challenging year for Libera, and
was certainly a somewhat frustrating one for online fans who could not attend
concerts. There were no new music videos, few promotional or greeting videos, few TV or radio performances or interviews (mostly surrounding the Singapore/Japan tour), no new songs or CDs (two compilation CDs of earlier recordings were issued),
and meet-&-greets only in Singapore and Japan. A
number of blogs by the boys constituted most of the actual contact from the group.
Most of the video material that appeared was peripheral,
and ferreted out by fans from other online sources, as was much of the
information about Libera and alumni activities. The music videos, except for
the Director’s Cut of last year’s “Eternal Light” video, were primarily turned
out by fans in the form of “mash-ups," videomontages, and tributes using older footage.
Photography, once allowed, and even encouraged, during
final bows, became entirely forbidden (even to the singers’ parents) at
concerts, and formal portrait photos with names beneath appeared in concert
programs only in Singapore and Japan. As meet-&-greets were also curtailed,
informal photos also became scarcer after the spring tour (see below).
There are probably several reasons behind all of these
developments:
1. Changes in the group. During the first half of the
year (or late in 2011), a number of former strong trebles (among them Carlos
Rodrigues, Jakob Wood, and Kavana Crossley) apparently underwent
voice changes, crowding the already-full tenor/baritone section. There was a weeding-out
process with the Singapore-Japan, tour, as all the over-fourteens stayed behind, ostensibly
to study for exams, re-creating Libera as a mostly treble group, with four new
mini-boys added.
This was apparently not as successful a move as was
envisioned; the lower voices and mini-boys were all fairly new to their parts, as
were a number of the soloists (up-and-coming young soloists James Mordaunt and
Freddie Ingles had both left the group earlier in the year for personal
reasons). Strong treble Barney Lindsell had also left by this time, as had newbie Adrian Sheard, who appeared in the Singapore/Japan and Channel Islands tours. The remaining strong singers were Eoghan McCarthy (who sang relatively few
solos), and occasional solo performances by Luke Collins, Stefan Leadbeater, and Ralph Skan, all clearly on the edge
of voice-change. Solos that were taken over by duets or trios of singers seemed
a bit watered-down to some fans, who mentioned that the entire production, with
the exception of a number of high spots, was well sung and up to Libera standard, but in general more tentative than usual.
With the subsequent voice-change of Collins, Leadbeater and Skan, Libera was wisely kept to mini-tours and local concerts, adding five more new boys
in the process, thus lowering the averages of age and concert experience
considerably; several of the older boys, particularly Josh Madine, Daniel
Fontannaz, and Tiarnán Branson (and occasionally Jakob Wood and Sammy Moriarty)
re-appeared to steady the group.
Several of the other lower voices, including Sam and Alex
Leggett, Liam Connery, Ben Philipp, and Jonathan Barrington (who joined the
Libera staff), moved on to other pursuits. A few more mini-boys appeared in
tryout mode during the group’s final concert of the year at St, George’s
Cathedral concert in London, for a total of nine active newbies (and three more
who sang parts of the program in London) in 2012.
2. Other changes were not so clear-cut, and may
have been due to a number of factors not available to most Libera-watchers,
such as lack of money, lack of record-company support (or the uncertain future of the ownership of EMI), no new CDs to promote,
insufficient personnel, Robert Prizeman coming down with writers' block (not likely), etc.
The holiday season, for instance, which in both 2010 and
2011 was a rich source of videos, radio and TV appearances/interviews, and new
music (the Peace
and Peace Deluxe
CDs and accompanying DVDs in 2010, and The Christmas Album in 2011) was this year a
relative desert, consisting of a single radio interview with four boys and the
annual Christmas greeting video.
Admittedly, this was not the year to try out
new songs, or to issue a CD of all-new performances, and there was no new
material to promote on radio or TV. The period of adjustment, however, should
have positioned Libera for an excellent 2013, with young soloists, new low voices,
and new mini-boys gaining experience and poise as a result of the past year’s
changes.
3. In 2012, the photography issue had become in itself
problematic. with anecdotes and online evidence of photographers and
videographers stalking the boys (primarily in England), following them too
closely, attempting to film through dressing-room windows before and after
concerts, sneaking into the back of concert venues and even shooting
clandestinely through slightly opened doors at the back of St. Philip’s church
during services.
As early as 2010, Libera General Manager Steve Philipp
spoke about the situation:
“We are very, very appreciative of our
audience, and are well aware that none of this would be possible without the
many fans around the world that support us.
However, people must
understand that any relationship [with the boys] must be at arm's length. There
are people that have let their fanship become an obsession. Quite honestly, we
don't know how to deal with that. There have been incidents at our church….You
must understand that nothing we do in Libera goes ahead of the
health and safety of the boys. That is of prime importance no matter what.”
This year it
apparently became more than ever necessary to protect the boys’ privacy,
especially in offstage situations.
Onstage photography was another matter. While it made sense to request that no
photos be taken during concerts, it was hard to see what harm would be done by
allowing photography during final bows onstage, as was done for many years. It
was noted, however, that even after the caveat was officially in place, many
audience members continued to openly take photographs of final bows, and no one
in the Libera organization attempted to admonish or prevent them.
Also slightly mystifying was a seeming reluctance to
provide program photos for domestic concerts. As an example, two new boys
joined the group for the Northern Ireland concerts. Although their names were
known (mentioned in programs and in the boys’ blog), and there were several
photos taken by audience members that included both, online fans were, weeks
later, still trying to find out which was which.
As Henry, a
Libera fan from Rhode Island, wrote in December, 2012: A great part of Libera’s popularity, and the devotion
of its wide base of online (and CD-buying) fans, depends on the fact that the boys are
individuals to them, and not just nameless members of a group. We watch them
grow, applaud their successes and failures, and feel proud when others
appreciate them.
Hiding their names, eliminating meet-and-greets, and
forbidding onstage post-concert photography just serves to distance fans from
their happy appreciation of Libera as a group made up of fascinating
individuals.
If someone (God forbid) has unwholesome or
meretricious intentions toward a group member or members, it’s hard to believe
that being vague about the boys’ names and restricting onstage or meet-and-greet photo opportunities is going to deter him. The greatest majority of
Libera fans are content just to know the boys by their names and public
personae. Some like to know birthdays, in order to post greetings, or harmless
information, such as when a boy joined or left the group.
Hopefully Libera will find a balance between keeping
the boys safe and allowing us to know and appreciate them as individuals.—Henry
END OF PART FIVE
For
Part Six (January-May 2013) please go to:
For Part 14A (July 5th - Present, 2021: https://histtimeline14alibera.blogspot.com