(Last Updated August 2, 2014)
Those who are new to Libera and to this Timeline might also want to check out Part One:
For Part One (introduction to Libera, extensive overview and 1981-2007), please go to:
Please note: new additions are made to the END of each section, rather than the beginning.
*************************************
CONTENTS SO FAR
(Year-In-Review, Loose Moose, Odds & Ends)
(Libera Footnote: Visibility quotient)
(Galleries, Re-Releases and Rumors)
(US Tour Scheduled)
(Arundel Concert Announced for May)
XVIII: USA SPRING MINI-TOUR
(Church of the Incarnation, New York City, 4/15/14)
( Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, NJ, 4/16/14)
(Arundel Cathedral Concert, 5/10/14)
(Video Filming in France)
(Performing for Kennedy Center Honors Patrons in London)
(Announcement, Fund-raising,& Promotions for New DVD
Concert Filming)
Greetings, and welcome to Part 7 of the Libera Historical Timeline. We begin this section with some bits of late-December news that were just too much for Part 6A to handle:
 |
Christmas wishes from a small scattering of Liberans in the annex of St. Philip's Church, Norbury, South London: (L to R): Timothy Lee), Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Sam Wiggin, Matthew Madine (top), Camden Stewart, Lucas Wood, Matthew Jansen (top), Shay Balsekar), Marc Alvares, Anthony Blake, Alex Montoro. |
http://youtu.be/SBkGATLHrJc
(Libera 2013 Christmas greetings)
LIBERA FOOTNOTE: For the uninitiated: "Mini-boys" is Libera-speak for youngsters who are preparing to join the performing group that goes on tour, but have not made it into general public view, thus their names are not necessarily known outside of the group. They rehearse with Libera (some also sing in the St. Philip's Choir), and may join the main group for at-home concerts, where they are known as "juniors." The jump from mini-boy to full-fledged Liberan may happen suddenly and at any time during this apprenticeship.
LIBERA FOOTNOTE: For the uninitiated: "Mini-boys" is Libera-speak for youngsters who are preparing to join the performing group that goes on tour, but have not made it into general public view, thus their names are not necessarily known outside of the group. They rehearse with Libera (some also sing in the St. Philip's Choir), and may join the main group for at-home concerts, where they are known as "juniors." The jump from mini-boy to full-fledged Liberan may happen suddenly and at any time during this apprenticeship.
A LIBERA FACEBOOK MESSAGE
Wow - today (Dec. 25th) we passed 50,000 likes on Facebook and we also passed
7 MILLION plays on Youtube. What a great Christmas present!! Thank you so much
to all our supporters for helping us hit these amazing landmarks. Happy
Christmas again and thank you for all your support throughout 2013.
YUKI'S ANNUAL YEAR-IN-REVIEW VIDEO
The amazing Yuki-from-Japan, host of the Dear Libera site at http://dearlibera.wordpress.com, attended all Libera concerts again this year (with the exception of the TV appearances in the US) and once again compiled a video review. (Note for newcomers: video recording is forbidden at all Libera concerts, but some leniency is practiced at the end of concerts, while the group is taking bows.) Video and still photography is also allowed at Meet-and-Greets (staged autograph-signing sessions), which at this time were held only on foreign tours. As usual,Yuki, by now a familiar face to the boys, produced some stunning still portraits.
http://youtu.be/r0HrmqXWNCY (2013 Libera
concert appearances/ by Yuki)
…with another hilarious Monty Python-esque double video feature, featuring the Loose Moose Gang (former/senior Liberans Josh Madine, Sam and Alex Leggett, Liam Connery, Jonathan Barrington, and an over-the-top Ben Philipp) at their most daft, playing dual roles in a two-part mystery special, and affecting a number of sometimes incomprehensible accents.
http://youtu.be/GCFL95rqxJE (2014 Loose Moose New Year’s Special: Murder at Moose Manor Part 1)
YUKI'S ANNUAL YEAR-IN-REVIEW VIDEO
The amazing Yuki-from-Japan, host of the Dear Libera site at http://dearlibera.wordpress.com, attended all Libera concerts again this year (with the exception of the TV appearances in the US) and once again compiled a video review. (Note for newcomers: video recording is forbidden at all Libera concerts, but some leniency is practiced at the end of concerts, while the group is taking bows.) Video and still photography is also allowed at Meet-and-Greets (staged autograph-signing sessions), which at this time were held only on foreign tours. As usual,Yuki, by now a familiar face to the boys, produced some stunning still portraits.
Yuki poses with former Libera soloist Ben Philipp in Guildford, England
A portrait of Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey from Cebu M&G
The boys frolic on the steps of the National Concert Hall in Taiwan
LOOSE MOOSE RETURNS...
…with another hilarious Monty Python-esque double video feature, featuring the Loose Moose Gang (former/senior Liberans Josh Madine, Sam and Alex Leggett, Liam Connery, Jonathan Barrington, and an over-the-top Ben Philipp) at their most daft, playing dual roles in a two-part mystery special, and affecting a number of sometimes incomprehensible accents.
Liam Connery, Josh Madine, Jonathan Barrington, Alex Leggett, and Sam Leggett finding their way to "Moose Manor."
http://youtu.be/GCFL95rqxJE (2014 Loose Moose New Year’s Special: Murder at Moose Manor Part 1)
http://youtu.be/GCFL95rqxJE (2014 Loose Moose New Year’s Special: Murder
at Moose Manor Part 2)
...and the USA holiday promotional tour. (http://www.libera.org.uk/gallery/usa_visit_2013 )
On January 6th, it was announced that the Christmas in Ireland CD had topped the USA Billboard Traditional classical charts for the third straight week.
WINTER DOLDRUMS; NEED I SAY MORE?
This has traditionally been one of the slowest times of year, Libera-wise. The boys rest up from their busy holiday season and buckle down to schoolwork and exams (and of course, there are always rehearsals of old and new material, and on occasion, recording sessions). Robert Prizeman works on new music and plots programs. The Libera administration tries to create a touring and appearance schedule for the coming year that is both exciting and realistic. As seen in the holiday season just past, with Warner Classics as their new label, Libera should be able to look forward to an exciting year.
Update from the AngelVoices site:
The gentleman who tweets for WarnerUSA told me that Libera has big things planned for 2014. Libera has said they are working on a new album. I believe the albums announced last week (in Japan; see below) are in preparation for another Asian tour at Spring Break. Plus we still have to see what comes of the USA tour mentioned by Libera for this year. The Christmas TV appearances WarnerUSA engineered (per their Twitter spokesman) were surely in preparation for that USA tour. I suspect this is the "calm before the storm" of activity.
Patiently waiting (sort of) —Robert
THE SOLOISTS OF ANGEL VOICES/LIBERA
RE-RELEASES AND RUMORS
http://dearlibera.wordpress.com (2014 Loose Moose New Year’s Special:
Outtakes)
PHILIPPINES AND USA TOUR GALLERIES
Performing in Plenary Hall in the Philippines
On January 3rd, Libera posted two excellent collections of photos from the fall Philippines tour... (http://www.libera.org.uk/gallery/philippines_tour_2013), ...and the USA holiday promotional tour. (http://www.libera.org.uk/gallery/usa_visit_2013 )
Michael Menezes, Tom Delgado-Little, Ben Fairman and Isaac London play tourist in Hollywood.
BILLBOARD COUP
On January 6th, it was announced that the Christmas in Ireland CD had topped the USA Billboard Traditional classical charts for the third straight week.
This has traditionally been one of the slowest times of year, Libera-wise. The boys rest up from their busy holiday season and buckle down to schoolwork and exams (and of course, there are always rehearsals of old and new material, and on occasion, recording sessions). Robert Prizeman works on new music and plots programs. The Libera administration tries to create a touring and appearance schedule for the coming year that is both exciting and realistic. As seen in the holiday season just past, with Warner Classics as their new label, Libera should be able to look forward to an exciting year.
Update from the AngelVoices site:
The gentleman who tweets for WarnerUSA told me that Libera has big things planned for 2014. Libera has said they are working on a new album. I believe the albums announced last week (in Japan; see below) are in preparation for another Asian tour at Spring Break. Plus we still have to see what comes of the USA tour mentioned by Libera for this year. The Christmas TV appearances WarnerUSA engineered (per their Twitter spokesman) were surely in preparation for that USA tour. I suspect this is the "calm before the storm" of activity.
Patiently waiting (sort of) —Robert
Libera Footnote:THE VISIBILITY
QUOTIENT
When Libera first
evolved out of the “Angel Voices” group in 1999, they had no problem with
identifying individual boys for their then-small and personal fan base, even issuing “trading card” photos of each member,
complete with first and last names. Trips abroad featured numerous interviews
in which the boys introduced themselves by name, with personal profiles, and
occasionally biographical details, of each appearing in the printed programs.
Their first concert
DVD (Angel Voices, Libera in Concert), filmed in Leiden, Holland in 2007,
featured fairly extensive video interviews (entitled "Libera: In Their Own Words") with the boys—by first name only, at this
point—in which they revealed opinions, dreams for the future, and fascinating
personalities. With the increased notice that accompanied the DVD, and the gradual
growth of a fan base with members who truly embodied the term ”fanatic,” a slow
withdrawal of this openness began.
Benedict Philipp interviewed on 2007 DVD
In England, as late
as 2008, one could still attend meet-and-greet sessions, or encounter and pose
for photos with the boys as they wandered out of a performing venue with
their parents. “Introducing Libera” DVDs still identified the boys by first
names as they spoke.
This all begin to
change when a few over-eager fans began crossing the line of safety and propriety,
behaving like paparazzi, stalking the boys after performances or at St. Philip’s
church services, making inappropriate overtures, attempting to video through the
church doors, dressing-room windows, etc.
“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."
The British laws
protecting performing children were severely invoked. Information on the schools that the boys were attending and of their outside activities became primarily only available from outside sources.There were no more
English meet-and-greets; programs with the boys’ names and faces were not
issued except on foreign tours, where their protection has been assured by
their hosts, who hire crowd-control experts and bodyguards. (One recent
exception to this was the 2012 mini-tour of the Channel Islands, where the
group was virtually unknown, and the white-robed boys were sent out into the
streets to pass out flyers.)
 |
| Cassius O' Connell-White and Michael Menezes pass out flyers on the Isle of Jersey. |
The 2013 Angels Sing: Christmas in Ireland DVD
reflected this air of caution. Only seven boys were named during
the performance (by first name only; the four who made between-the songs
announcements introduced themselves, the two youngest members, and one soloist).
While there were numerous photos, the names of Libera members did not appear in
the post-video credits, and only in barely-readable print in CD and DVD
booklets.
On the two DVD features
“Behind the Scenes” and “Libera on Christmas.” only four boys already identified
in the concert video revealed their names, though all the group members still
came across as normal lively kids, and, with those few names, the illusion of “knowing”
the group was, to some extent, maintained. Along with the new
visibility that will inevitably accompany their recent success in the US will
no doubt come a higher level of protection; it’s a sign of our times, and the price of growing fame.
THE SOLOISTS OF ANGEL VOICES/LIBERA
Longtime Libera follower Snelling06 compiled an excellent video of soloists from 1987 through 2014, providing a stellar opportunity to match names with faces. Available early photos missing from the video at this point were of Robert Chee-a-Tow, Matthew Arthey, and Glen Tilen.
Matthew Arthey (1987)
Robert Chee-A-Tow (1987)
Glen Tilen (1992)
http://youtu.be/OI-o2aBljOw Snelling06/Soloists
of Angel Voices/Libera 1987 through 2013)
 |
| The cover of Free Japan edition, released in 2005 |
In late
January, Warner Music Japan announced the release of a new compilation album, I Am
The Day – The Best of Libera, and a re-release of the 2004 CD Free,
both slated for the 26th of March. A brand-new album was also hinted at in the printed program that was issued for Libera’s London concert at St. George’s Cathedral in 2013: “There are also some songs being performed this evening which will be
included on a brand new Libera album due for release in 2014.”
It was suspected that “Voca Me,” which was filmed/recorded in Armagh in August of 2013 but did
not appear on the Christmas DVD that year, might appear as a bonus feature on a new CD. “I’m
Dreaming of Home,” which was performed in the London concert, was also named
as another possible inclusion.
TWO VERSATILE LIBERANS
NEW FACES ON FACEBOOK
US TOUR A SURE THING FOR SPRING
Following a flurry of rumors (based on a wishful-thinking entry on a Japanese promotional website) that Libera's spring tour would head to Japan, solid evidence of the US tour appeared in a concert schedule for the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey (seating 1500) on April 16, 2014. Not counting the brief December 2013 promotional visit, this would be the first US tour in three years. http://www.mayoarts.org/indiv/indiv_Libera.html
MINI-RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW: FREE TEN YEARS AFTER
Free, by the way, is
probably one of the better choices for re-issuing. Recorded in 2004, it
includes as soloists two Libera greats, Ben Crawley, who solos on “I Am the
Day,” “Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep,” “I vow To Thee My Country,” “Twilight
is Stealing,” and the little-noticed but exquisite “Song of Enchantment”), and
Joe Platt, who performs as lead voice on “Stay With Me” and "When A Knight Won
His Spurs,” and whose descant vocals throughout are brilliant.
Joe Platt
Other soloists
are Anthony Chadney and Chris Robson in the original “Voca Me,” with Robson
doing other fine second vocals and Chadney taking a strong-voiced lead in “A New
Heaven.” (Raoul Neuman joins Robson for “Adoramus.) The CD also contains the plainsong gem "Lament," and one of
the loveliest versions of “Be Still My Soul” ever recorded.
SOUNDCLOUD SOUNDS
Former Libera singer Flynn Marks (2008-2011) recorded a cover of "Say Something" on SoundCloud, showing that his more mature voice is quite beautiful, and that he certainly knows how to put over a song. This page also has links to songs composed by senior Liberans Daniel Fontannaz and Sam Leggett.
SOUNDCLOUD SOUNDS
Former Libera singer Flynn Marks (2008-2011) recorded a cover of "Say Something" on SoundCloud, showing that his more mature voice is quite beautiful, and that he certainly knows how to put over a song. This page also has links to songs composed by senior Liberans Daniel Fontannaz and Sam Leggett.
Flynn Marks, post-Libera
https://soundcloud.com/flynnmarksofficial/say-something
(Flynn Marks)
TWO VERSATILE LIBERANS
Recently, the headmaster of Trinity School (located in Croydon, South London) which is known for its excellent music program, announced the results of a piano competion in the school. Libera soloist Ben Fairman took first prize in his category.
Ben Fairman
On February 18th, this report, by Libera fan John45, appeared in the Libera Dreams Discussion Forum under the heading "Members." Tom Delgado-Little apparently did Libera proud.
"Thomas Delgado-Little
recently sang in a performance of Michael Tippet’s Opera, King Priam, with the English Touring Opera at the Linbury Theatre
of the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden). According to David (my nephew), who
is a serious opera buff, he gave an outstanding performance.
Tom Delgado-Little takes a curtain call as Young Paris.
Here are extracts from some
of the professional critics.
• “Paris’s childhood incarnation was impeccably well taken by
treble Thomas Delgado-Little”
• “the fine stage presence and wonderfully musical singing of
Thomas Delgado-Little in the treble role of the young Paris.”
• “Thomas Delgado-Little was nothing short of brilliant as Young
Paris, appearing at ease on stage and singing with calm purity and clarity.”
“The young Paris was played by a treble, Thomas Delgado-Little,
who projected the not uncomplicated lines with security and accuracy.”
“Thomas Delgado-Little did a truly excellent job as Paris’s
younger self: one of the most self-assured and dramatically convincing
performances I have seen from a boy treble.”
•“There is a performance of extraordinary self-possession from
young Thomas Delgado-Little, who plays Paris as a boy.”
Well done Tom. Hope to you
see you in the role on the 27th May in Cambridge. The ETO will be touring the
UK with this opera until May. I just hope it doesn't mean Tom will not be part
of the Spring US tour lineup."—John45
NEW FACES ON FACEBOOK
On March 5th, a new profile photo appeared on Libera's Facebook site. Boys pictured are (clockwise from bottom left): Gabriel Collins, Isaac London, Jude Collins, Sam Wiggin, Cassius O' Connell-White, Ben Fairman, and Alexander Gula.
ALUMNUS ANONYMOUS
Former standout Libera soloist Tom Cully apparently decided to get as far away from his association with the group as possible, even changing his name to "Jamie Isaac." His music (and the video below) from his EP Blue Break, redefined the term "enigmatic," while demonstrating that Tom/Jamie had developed a fine grown-up singing voice.
http://youtu.be/sQv2bjkPWAE (She Dried /Jamie Isaac/Tom Cully/from Blue Break/2014)
A subsequent online interview carefully skirts any mention of Libera, while providing interesting biographical insights.
US TOUR A SURE THING FOR SPRING
Following a flurry of rumors (based on a wishful-thinking entry on a Japanese promotional website) that Libera's spring tour would head to Japan, solid evidence of the US tour appeared in a concert schedule for the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey (seating 1500) on April 16, 2014. Not counting the brief December 2013 promotional visit, this would be the first US tour in three years. http://www.mayoarts.org/indiv/indiv_Libera.html
A second concert in the series was announced for April 14th in the lovely Count Basie Theatre (seating 1300) in Monmouth, New Jersey.
Interior of Count Basie Theatre
A third concert was slated for the Keswick theater in Philadelphia (seating 1300) on April 17th. http://www.keswicktheatre.com/?paged=3
Keswick Theater exterior
On March 15th, the Official Libera site announced the tour as complete at three concerts, running between April 12th and 19th, a single week instead of the usual two-week Spring outing. The following day a brief Spring Tour promotional video appeared, starring some of the usual suspects.
http://youtu.be/LTww8vaRoV0
(Spring Tour promo 2014, with Ben Fairman, Cassius O’ Connell White, and Ciaran
Bradbury-Hickey)
On April 1st, the following announcement showed up on the Libera site:
POSTER BOYS
On March 22nd, the official posters for the Spring Tour of 2014 appeared, surprisingly resurrecting the somewhat deceptive early-2000s Evening Standard quote: "They come from the mean streets of South London, but sing like little angels."
Boys at the top: Marc Alvares, Ben Fairman, Sam Wiggin, Kavana Crossley, Anthony Blake
A DISCONCERTING SURPRISE
On March 28th, Libera fans, especially those who had planned on attending the Red Bank, NJ, concert on April 14th and/or the Philadelphia concert on April 17th, were surprised by the following official announcement:
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the concerts in Red Bank and Philadelphia will not now take place. Refunds are available via the theatres. However, the concert at the Mayo Performing Arts Centre in Morristown remains as planned on Wednesday 16th April. We hope that anyone who was due to attend Red Bank or Philadelphia may be able to consider joining us at the Mayo instead.
We do regret the considerable inconvenience this will cause for those who have bought tickets and made travel plans. However there will now be an additional concert in New York City during Holy Week. We will release further details within the next few days. We do hope that as many as possible may be able to join us for these concerts.
(The last time "circumstances beyond our control" was invoked was in August of 2013, when the venue for the making of the Christmas DVD was changed from Boston, Massachusetts to Armagh in Northern Ireland in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.)
Please join us for a Concert by Candlelight in the Church of the Incarnation on Madison Avenue, in New York City. We will be performing on Tuesday 15th April at 7.30. Please do join us if you can - and let your friends and families in New York know too.
Church of the Incarnation
209 Madison Ave. New York, New York
The following exchange, on the Libera Dreams site, expresses the situation kindly and clearly:
I think the problem for Libera is that they don't have any
full-time event manager or professional help. It really is just a small group
of people who do this in their own time whilst holding down regular jobs and
balancing a family life—Yorkie.
Thanks, Yorkie, for reminding me of the humble origins and
nature of Libera. It is a big part of what I love about them--ordinary kids and
regular people who, through devotion to something they love, achieve a
superlative level of achievement. Their performances place them at the very top
of their profession (to my mind), and I cannot seem to stop myself from
expecting a vast, multimillion-dollar (-pound) machine. I know better, of
course, but just listen to them sing and tell me this is some mom-and-pop
organization. Impossible.—Phineas
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT: MAY AT ARUNDEL
On April 5th, Libera announced their every-other-year spring concert at the lovely Arundel Cathedral, to be performed on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 7:30 pm.
Concert #1: The Church of the Incarnation, New York City, April 15th:
1. Joyful, Joyful - NEW SONG - What a happy way to start a concert! Robert Prizeman wrote a new arrangement of this very familiar hymn. It's very upbeat and pretty. There was a lovely flute part, especially at the beginning. Tom Delgado-Little sang some stunning high notes in the middle and at the end. Here's how it was done by Angel Voices in the early 1990s
With all these great, new songs, we need another CD from Libera. In the mean time, if you can, GO TO THE ARUNDEL, UK CONCERT on May 10! You will not be sorry!
It was another great night! Libera's 2nd USA concert was at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey. It was cold but sunny during the day. I met many more fans before the concert. We were all waiting in the lobby for the doors to open, but I decided to go outside and take a picture of the Mayo marquee with Libera's name on it. As I was waiting for the sign to change to "Libera," I noticed out of the corner of my eye some flashes of white cloth. I looked up and was surrounded by six darling boys in flowing white robes saying, "Hello, Lauren!" They were coming out to have their picture taken by Andy Winter! They were so happy and smiley, as you can see.
There was
a good crowd at the theater. I met fans from New Jersey and New York, of
course, but also Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Texas, Wisconsin, Utah, Turkey via
NYC, and a girl whose mom let her skip school and brought her all the way from
Kansas City, Missouri just to see Libera for her 15th birthday! She wanted to
get a picture of Josh Madine, and he came over and took one with her. He's the
nicest guy! And that was her happiest birthday yet.
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT: MAY AT ARUNDEL
On April 5th, Libera announced their every-other-year spring concert at the lovely Arundel Cathedral, to be performed on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 7:30 pm.
The following video, once you get past the scenic views, is of a 2010 post-concert photo session at Arundel, featuring a rare group panorama and introduction of the then-mini-boys, three of whom are adorably recognizable as (L to R) current soloists Tom Delgado-Little, Ben Fairman, and Dylan Duffy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XENUtlwHTpw
(Libera photo session at Arundel Cathedral/2010)
USA SPRING MINI-TOUR
The 24 boys performing were:
Mark Alvares,
Shay Balsekar (new)
Henry Barrington
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
Gabriel Collins
Timothy Lee (new)
Thomas Delgado-Little
Dylan Duffy
Ben Fairman
Alex Gula
Matthew Jansen,
Isaac London
Matthew Madine
Eoghan McCarthy,
Alessandro-Mackinnon Botti
Michael Menezes
Alex Montoro
Jakub Niedermaier-Reed
Cassius O'Connell-White
Matthew Rangel-Alvares,
Bertie Smart
Camden Stewart (new)
Sam Wiggin,
Lucas Wood
The singers marked in red above
are only new as far as touring is concerned; all sang as mini-boys at the St.
George’s Cathedral concert in London in December. Missing from the previous tour lineup
were Anthony Blake, Jude Collins, Kavana Crossley, and Carlos Rodriguez. Bertie
Smart, absent from the past tour and the Christmas DVD, was back, this time as a
soloist.
The returning Bertie Smart
New Liberans: Camden Stewart (above),
Shay Balsekar and Timothy Lee.
Musical Director - Robert Prizeman
Assistant Musical Directors - Sam Coates, Steven Geraghty
Keyboards - Steven Geraghty, Josh Madine
Clarinet - Steven Geraghty
Strings, Flute, Horn, & Percussion - members of the New Jersey Festival Orchestra
Lighting - Luke Avery
Sound Mixing & Production - Sam Coates
Stage Management - Jonathan Barrington
Tour Coordination, Chaperones - Barbara Geraghty, Eleanor Lewis
Production Coordinator - Andy Winter
Concert Management - Mattie Fox, Steven Philipp
In the speech introducing the choir,
the youngest mentioned was Alex Gula (eight years old; below, left) and the oldest as Henry
Barrington (14 years old; below, right). Cassius O’ Connell-White, who was the speaker, introduced
himself as being “very old,” (provoking laughter in the church), as he joined Libera five years ago at the age of seven. He presented Isaac as
"middle-aged" (laughter), at the grand old age of 11.
At the top of page 15 of the NYC concert program is the note, “Libera is planning to tour in North America as often as our schedule will permit in 2014/15."
At the top of page 15 of the NYC concert program is the note, “Libera is planning to tour in North America as often as our schedule will permit in 2014/15."
Here's a great review by Lauren of the Mini-Angels site. (Other performers' versions of the new or nearly-new songs are included, for those unfamiliar with the pieces.)
This concert was unique because it was by
candlelight. There were candles across the front of the church as well as on
tall stands down the center aisle. And there were still the colored lights that
Libera is known for that lit up the half dome at the front of the church. It
was so beautiful!
I've heard [the boys] have been having great fun so far. And the weather has been spectacular in New York City and New Jersey. The day of the concert it started to rain. Maybe that was to remind them of home in rainy London. Or maybe it encouraged more people to enter the warm, welcoming church to see Libera. We all got to see an amazing concert that seemed perfectly geared toward an American audience. Plus there were five new songs and lots of new solos!
I've heard [the boys] have been having great fun so far. And the weather has been spectacular in New York City and New Jersey. The day of the concert it started to rain. Maybe that was to remind them of home in rainy London. Or maybe it encouraged more people to enter the warm, welcoming church to see Libera. We all got to see an amazing concert that seemed perfectly geared toward an American audience. Plus there were five new songs and lots of new solos!
https://www.youtube.com/watch v=kRLh1gH4F6w&feature=player_embedded
- aid=P-5jL_OfF_g (Angel Voices/Song of Joy/1992)
The masterful and ubiquitous Tom Delgado-Little
2. Sanctus - This favorite wowed the crowd! Dylan Duffy sang the "ah's" in the middle. Lucas Wood and Tom Delgado-Little sang the high notes. The last "Sanctus" was sung by Bertie Smart and Dylan Duffy. Bertie has such a nice voice!
Speech - Ben Fairman and Cassius O' Connell-White. They told us that Alex Gula is the youngest boy on tour at age eight. Henry Barrington is the oldest at 14 (wow, is he tall!). Cassius started singing in Libera at age 7 and has been singing for 5 years. And Isaac London is a "middle-ager" at 11 years old. Ahaha!
3. Song of Life - Fabulous solo by Isaac London. That kid can sing! Lucas Wood is still making those high notes look effortless, and Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey sang the "ah's."
4. Voca Me - One of my favorite songs! The acoustics in the church made you feel like you were inside the song with 24-part harmony swirling all around you. You hold your breath as the song gradually crescendos and finally peaks at Tom Delgado-Little's clear high note. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey and Matthew Jansen sing the last "Voca me" and then you can exhale. Stunning!
The very busy Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
5. Amazing Grace - NEW SONG And it was amazing! This is probably the most well-known hymn in America. It was written by Englishman John Newton about his own life and God saving him from his sin. Robert Prizeman used the American version with the last verse from Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The boys sang the first lines in unison:
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me."
At "I once was lost but now am found" they broke into harmony. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey sang the next to last verse as a solo while the dome was covered in a blue light. Then the dome lit up a bright yellow for the last, triumphant verse:
At "I once was lost but now am found" they broke into harmony. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey sang the next to last verse as a solo while the dome was covered in a blue light. Then the dome lit up a bright yellow for the last, triumphant verse:
"When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun."
Very effective. Quite emotional!
Speech - Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey and Cassius O' Connell-White. Hoods!
6. Ave Maria - Beautiful solo by Tom Delgado-Little on the first verse, then backed up by 12 singers on the second verse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZQtPdehnU
(Schubert’s Ave Maria/unidentified Vienna Choirboy)
7. Salva Me - What a nice surprise! The high "salva" was sung by Alex Montoro! He has a beautiful voice!
New soloist Alex Montoro
8. How Can I Keep From Singing? - Tom Delgado-Little sang the high notes. Just lovely.
Speech - Gabriel Collins and Alex Gula. Oh my word! The cutest part of the night! They told us how they joined Libera in January 2013 and have already toured in Ireland, the Philippines, and in December came to the US to appear on 2 television shows - the Today show and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. They then described how much they have to memorize ~ all the words and all the notes, and remember, where to stand. It was so unbelievably cute how they said it. At one point Alex paused, trying to remember his next line. It was just a tiny pause, but everyone chuckled as they thought, "And all the lines you have to remember for your speech, too!" We've all been there. Good job, boys! :)
9. Hymn to Mary - Isaac London soloed this. It was so mesmerizing that I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I couldn't blink. So perfect! So stunningly good! https-//www.youtube.com#123E32E
(Hymn to Mary)
10. How Shall I Sing That Majesty? - Also one of my favorites. The solos sung by Lucas Wood and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti were fantastic! So happy to hear Alessandro's voice for the first time. He's always so cheerful and friendly at Meet & Greets. Now we know how truly great his voice is! He and Lucas were perfectly matched on this song.
INTERVAL
(Lto R): Gabriel Collins, Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Camden Stewart, Shay Balsekar, Timothy Lee
(photo by Yuki)
11. Dies Irae - Solo by Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey. Fantastic job. The dome was lit up red. This song flowed right into...
12. Gloria In Excelsis - The high notes were sung by Tom Delgado-Little, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Sam Wiggin, Lucas Wood, and Isaac London.
Speech - Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti. Cute and funny speech about how they love to travel and all the places they've been but sadly, they still have to go to school. lol Then they introduced their mascot, Moose. "He is the most well-traveled moose in the world. He has even been to some of the places in our next song."
13. Orinoco Flow - I love this song. On this cold, wet night it took us to a warm, tropical place. Tom Delgado-Little did little high trills on the word "sail." I sat on the right side and could hear many voices quite distinctly including little Alex Gula. He has a great voice!
14. Dreaming of Home - They started out with 10 boys singing. Their voices are so clear. For the second verse they broke into beautiful harmonies. Tom Delgado-Little sang the high notes. And they all held that last note out for...so...long! Wow! Great breath control!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rvyX9a01Rk
(I’m Dreaming of Home)
15. How Great Thou Art - NEW SONG: Solo by Sam Wiggin. This is another hymn that is hugely popular in the US. The words are just beautiful. And we can make this my new song that makes me cry. The last verse is especially awe-inspiring. There was a purple light in the dome. Tom Delgado-Little and Sam sang the high notes at the end. Beautiful job, Libera!
Speech - Ciaran
16. Stay With Me - I've been to so many concerts and can still see Daniel Fontannaz singing this, but I REALLY liked this version! Tom Delgado-Little started us off with the high notes. The solo part was nicely divided between Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Lucas Wood, and Cassius O' Connell-White. The last "Stay with me" was sung by Cassius.
17. Wayfaring Stranger - NEW SONG For me it was the most stunning song of the night at this point! I know this song as an American Negro spiritual. The line "I'm just a-goin over Jordan" is a clue to that. Sam Wiggin's s solo was soooo beautiful! Robert Prizeman's arrangement is lovely and flowing with really interesting harmony parts. Multiple colors shone on the dome, green to blue. Just fantastic!
???#123E2A5
(Wayfaring Stranger/Suzy Boggus)
18. Glory to Thee - Tom Delgado-Little did a beautiful job on the solo part at the beginning. There were 5 groups of boys who then sang their parts in a round. Great!
Speech - Ben Fairman.
Gabriel Collins, Shay Balsekar, Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Timothy Lee, Ben Fairman (photo by Yuki)
19. Exultate - We end as we began with a happy, upbeat song! Great job by Tom Delgado-Little on the solo!
There was a standing ovation from the audience that would not end. They just kept clapping.
Encore: What a Wonderful World - NEW SONG And we end with a real stunner! This song was first sung by American Louis Armstrong. My favorite version is by American Hawaiian singer and ukulele player Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. And now Libera has put their fantastic twist on it! Isaac London sang this solo with the choir backing him up on the chorus. His voice was clear and strong. It's hard to believe that he's only 11.
???#123E2B4
(What a Wonderful World/Louis Armstrong)
Isaac London
Another standing ovation! Thank you, Libera! What a wonderful concert!
There was no Meet & Greet due to the time it took for the boys to get back to their accommodations and that they still had another concert the next night (tonight). The church really didn't have a space for it anyway. Many people came up to me asking if there was going to be an M&G with Robert Prizeman, though. He's quite popular.
I first saw Alex Gula at the Christmas DVD recording in Armagh, Northern Ireland. I assumed that he was all smiley because his mom was in the audience. But he was soooo smiley all during the NYC concert! He must just be a happy little guy.
Alex Gula
It was great to meet so many fans from all over the US, Canada, Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, and Indonesia. And several told me that they had seen Libera perform at the Riverside Church in New York City back in 2008!
And let's not forget the musicians and crew! — Lauren
Here are some more comments and notes from long-time faithful French Libera enthusiast Fan de LOK:
• The audience was small, 200 maximum
[others estimated closer to 300]. Its composition was varied: people of the
parish, locals, U.S. fans come from afar, and some foreigners, including a
group of Indonesians, at least four Europeans, Canadians, and at least four
Japanese.
• The lights were quite different
from previous concerts. It was advertised as a concert "By Candlelight."
Many candles were placed around behind the boys and many chandeliers were lit;
it gave a nice warm feeling.
• As far as I remember, the boys were
lit exclusively with white lights, but with varying intensities, depending on
the songs or stanzas sung. Behind them there were shades of colors projected
onto the alcove and the arch framing the altar, but with intensities much more
sober and tenuous than usual.
• The boys sang from the floor in
front of the first pews; the raised stage of the altar could not be used, ,
because it would have been too crowded and was occupied in part by the keyboard
of the organ. The first rows had a good view of the choir but the view was
obstructed for people behind.
• On the left a were a cello, three violins,
and a percussionist with many instruments; on the right were a flute, a horn,
one that I could not see, then Josh Madine and Steven Geraghty with keyboards.
(L to R): Lucas Wood, Isaac London, Michael Menezes, Marc Alvarez, Ben Fairman
(photo by Yuki)
THE MUSIC
• Joyful Joyful started with an intro unknown to me, but with the first words I
realized, OK, it is the “Ode to Joy.” No particular soloist as far as I
remember, it was sung in chorus with some harmonies and high notes. They were
arranged in two rows in a circular arc. The first song was not linked to
the second as usual, so it was followed by applause.
• Sanctus- A very classic Libera song. Dylan
Duffy is always special for the harmony that accompanies the
"Benedictus" verses and Tom Delgado-Little for the high notes as the
chorus grows. I noted that the final
"Saaaanctuuuuss" was sung by the returning Bertie Smart instead of
Matthew Jansen. Bertie had not appeared on stage for a year following the
Taiwan-Korea 2013 tour.
• Speech- Ben Fairman and Cassius O’Connell-White introduced the choir, including
the youngest, and the oldest. They finished with Isaac (age 11) who stood behind
them, and came forward for the next song.
• Song of Life- Solo by Isaac London,
who stood in the center front of the stage.
• Voca Me- Since it was a candlelight concert, there were not the usual
special lighting and spectacular visual effects,Tom Delgado-Little was set back
behind the others on the steps of the stage of the altar and sang all the high descants.
• Amazing Grace- For me, this was my first great moment of emotion. They were
again arranged in two arcs, hands behind their backs. The song was divided into
four parts. The first was sung by the whole choir in perfect unison, with an
intensity that makes emotion take you by the throat.
A second verse was even sweeter,
with some singers on the words and others who are behind long oouuuuoouu harmonies,
with different instrumental parts, especially violins, joining the piano to
give emphasis. For the third part Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey took one or two steps
forward and sang a few lines as a soloist with piano accompaniment, and finally
an energetic finale with all the choir and instruments.
• Speech- By Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey and Cassius O’ Connell-White.
This was partly the speech on white
robes as worn by monks and the hoods, but the joke hood was folded up to the chin.
• Ave Maria- (Schubert) Solo by Tom Delgado-Little.
Tom sang the first part alone, in
the center, facing the audience, accompanied by instruments. For the second
part he was the soloist, accompanied by harmonies from the others. Tom’s sweet and powerful voice works
wonders on this song. Everyone sang along on the "Amen" finale.
• Salva Me- The descants were sung by one of the newer boys— I'm not sure of
myself; I think it was Alex Montoro. He was located on the steps behind the
others, like Tom Delgado-Little on “Voca Me.” On this song I remember being
shocked by how pervasive the percussion was. The percussionist played drums,
including a powerful bass drum and cymbals and all. To my taste it was
disproportionate and harmful to the song. I hope he will be quieter tomorrow.
• How can I keep From Singing- Sung by the choir, no solo on this song, it seems.
• Speech- by the two smallest of the group, Alex Gula and Gabriel Collins,
who took their place before the two small microphones in the center. They spoke
about having to learn a lot, lyrics, travel, etc. They concluded by introducing
Isaac London Isaac for the next song.
• Hymn to Mary-Solo by Isaac London. Isaac came to stand in front of the
two small microphones, far ahead of theothers (We suspected a little, as we had
noticed a mark on the ground before the start of the concert.) Isaac sang
alone, accompanied by instruments, but without the participation of others. I
did not know the song and I had difficulty understanding, I admit. I'll have to
hear again.
(Visible L to R) Tom Delgado-Little, Dylan Duffy, Kuba Niedermaier-Reed, Isaac London, Bertie Smart, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
• How Shall I Sing That Majesty- Two boys came to stand in front of the center, turned three-quarters
to the audience. The boy to the left I do not know (Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti perhaps),
to the right Lucas Wood. The others stood in an arc...This was an energetic song to mark
the end of the first part.Each of the two sang a solo verse
and choruses were sung by the whole choir..
• The intermission was short. CDs and DVDs were available for sale, as
well as programs, small posters ...
• Dies Irae- Solo by Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
The boys came from both sides of
the stage and stood in double chevrons, with Ciaran in the center He sang the
first verse alone. I remember that he was supported by Matthew Jansen for part
of it (the only solo by Matthew at the concert, by the way).On the second verse there were four
or five others singing with Ciaran. On the chorus of “Dies Irae,” there
is usually an intense red light that pops on to mark the day of wrath, the Dies
Irae, but here, because of the Candlelight atmosphere, the red was quite faint and
didn’t have the same impact..
• Gloria- followed immediately after “Dies Irae,” with no interval. Tom Delgado-Little (I think) sang
the high sustained notes.
• Speech- Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti and Cassius O’ Connell-White presented
the Moose mascot.
• Orinoco Flow- The formation was as usual: they were divided into five groups
and stood in two rows. One group in the center, two on each side. The movement
of the rows always makes me think of moving vessels sandstone waves (lyrics),
• Dreaming of home- Sung by the whole choir, with high notes at the end by Tom
Delgado-Little.
• How Great Thou Art- Solo by Sam Wiggin on the first verse.
• Speech- Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey presented the sketch of vocal exercises
and scales sung to warm up the voice, always with a good response by the public,
who applauded at each stage.
 |
| (Photo by Lauren) |
• Stay with Me- As always sung in two rows facing the audience, with slow hand
movements that cross and uncross in front and back. Tom Delgado-Little stood
behind and sang the high notes.I noted that the lyrics formerly
sung solo by Cassius lately have been sung by others as well. If I remember
correctly, there was Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti on the far left, and Lucas Wood
a little to the right. Cassius was
always at the center of the first row and sang the last "Stay with
me" as a solo.
• Wayfaring Stranger- Solo by Sam Wiggin.
It was explained to me that this is a song very well known in the
USA, a negro spiritual. Sam was in front, with the others forming a large arc
behind him. He sang the first verse alone, almost a cappella, with just
sustained notes behind him. On the second verse, part of the choir sang with
Sam while others sang harmonies. On the third verse everyone sang powerfully,
then Sam finished the last line alone. His deep voice is great on this song; I
hope it will not be restricted to the USA and they sing in Arundel. Here’s a YouTube video for those like me who did not
know the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZKAuNjrfB0
• Glory to Thee- Solo by Tom Delgado-Little. Tom has taken over the solo
formerly sung by Eoghan McCarthy. As always, they were divided into
five groups onstage, hands clasped in prayer. On the final verse there is
always the last eight.
• Speech- Ben Fairman thanked the audience and announced the last song.
Ben Fairman and friends
• Exultate- Solo by Tom Delgado-Little. Robert always makes the flutterings
and big smiles on his chair so that his singers give the bouncing energy to the
song.
Sustained applause and standing
ovation
• What a Wonderful World- Solo by Isaac London.
The first verse was sung alone,
with instrumental accompaniments, then gradually the choir joined in. It was
not just a recitation of words, there were many modulations of early phrases
sung by the choir, as well as bridges vocals and harmonies, and it ended with the
superb Isaac singing alone as he had begun.
A new lot of applause
This was a very successful concert .
There was no Meet & Greet, as the church was not appropriate for it and they
needed to go to bed because tomorrow is a new day together!
By the way, we learned from the
program and discussing with other fans the Morristown concert was also canceled
like the other two for a few hours, then the intervention of a sponsor solved
the problem and the concert could go on.—Fan de LOK
And an addendum by Mark, of the Angelvoices site:
And an addendum by Mark, of the Angelvoices site:
While at the concert last night, I sat behind 3 Japanese women. During intermission, one of the quartet performers came over to thank them for their generosity or something to that effect. It is through donations of significant value that the Libera can travel. I read the program, and it said it takes £5,000 a year per chorister to travel. They also have some corporate sponsors, as was evident by reading the program as well.— Mark, Angelvoices
SECOND CONCERT: MAYO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MORRISTOWN, NJ, April 16
SECOND CONCERT: MAYO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MORRISTOWN, NJ, April 16
 |
| Photo by Lauren |
Libera's second concert held on April 17th, was reviewed wonderfully by Lauren of Mini-Angels, who also supplied excellent photos.
It was another great night! Libera's 2nd USA concert was at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey. It was cold but sunny during the day. I met many more fans before the concert. We were all waiting in the lobby for the doors to open, but I decided to go outside and take a picture of the Mayo marquee with Libera's name on it. As I was waiting for the sign to change to "Libera," I noticed out of the corner of my eye some flashes of white cloth. I looked up and was surrounded by six darling boys in flowing white robes saying, "Hello, Lauren!" They were coming out to have their picture taken by Andy Winter! They were so happy and smiley, as you can see.
 |
| (L to R): Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Timothy Lee, Kuba Niedermaier-Reed, Alex Gula, Shay Balsekar (Photo by Lauren) |
The
concert itself was really great! It was quite different from the night before
at Church of the Incarnation in NYC. The stage was so much larger so the boys
could spread out. They even had room for the front row of boys to kneel down
during some of the songs. The sound was quite different also. There was no
church echo, but the sound was much louder to fill up such a huge room. So
shout-out to the crew for being so flexible and skilled that they can set up
for any situation and make it look and sound great!
 |
| (Photo by Lauren) |
• The
Libera boys were definitely "on" vocally this night. They sounded
amazing! During "Voca Me" the entire wall behind the stage lit up
with twinkle lights that looked like stars. The stars were used during several
songs to great effect. Tom was perfect on "Ave Maria." And I love how
whenever he's introduced for a solo, he gives a sort of salute with his hand to
the audience!
• Again
Gabriel Collins' and Alex Gula's speech was so cute! And perfectly done.You can tell they're
so earnest and work hard to do their very best. How many eight-year-olds can you
say that about?
• I should
clarify that Isaac sang the entire "Hymn to Mary" as a solo. There
was no choir backup. And it was again stunningly good!
• I noticed
tonight how much I like the violin part on "Orinoco Flow." I know we
constantly say it, but Robert Prizeman's arrangements are just so good!
• During
"Stay With Me," Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti and Lucas Wood sang with Cassius on some of his
parts. I think Cassius O' Connell-White may have a bit of a cold. But he still sang the last
"Stay with me" by himself. Way to go!
• And
again, "Wayfaring Stranger" blew me away. You HAVE to hear Libera's
version of this! There's a musical bridge in the middle of the song that is so
beautiful! It's spectacular! Did I say that last night also?
• When Ben Fairman gave his final speech thanking everyone for coming, the audience was so
enthusiastic that they interrupted him and started clapping! I think they
couldn't wait to show their appreciation for what they had just heard. But
wait! There's more! Ben got his last wave and "bye" in, and the
audience laughed.
• After
"Exultate" there was a great standing ovation. And then the extra
treat - "What a Wonderful World." And another standing ovation! What
a brilliant concert!
If I
missed who sang some parts, please forgive me. There's 24 boys singing all over
the place and sometimes it's hard to see who is singing what. I write about who
sang the solos because a lot of fans want to know who has inherited them. Fans
get excited when they get to hear an individual voice (high or low) for the
first time.
I do want
to acknowledge each Libera boy who sings a part. Your fans know what an
important role you all play in the total Libera sound. As a church choir
member, I know how hard it is to sing a harmony part. It sounds nothing like
the melody. And the boys are standing next to other boys who are singing
completely different parts.
The ability to do this at such a young age is a
testament to their hard work and the excellent training they receive. The
lowest parts are now being sung by Henry Barrington, Eoghan McCarthy, and
Matthew Rangel-Alvarez (who are also now the tallest). Imagine how many
different parts they've had to learn throughout their Libera careers! Thanks to
all 24 of the boys for a fantastic concert!
There was
no Meet & Greet because the theater doesn't have the space for 24 boys to
do a signing. But there WERE pre-signed programs for sale.
Libera is
now off to have more American fun before heading back to the UK and, as Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti described, sadly to school. Hope you can come back soon, Libera!
Re: Official USA 2014 Tourby john45 » Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:32 pm
There were 25 boys singing tonight:
1. Marc Alvares
2. Shay Balsekar
3. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
4. Gabriel Collins
5. Timothy Lee
6. Thomas Delgado-Little
7. Ben Fairman
8. Alex Gula
9. Matthew Jansen
10. Isaac London
11. Matthew Madine
12. Eoghan McCarthy
13. Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti
14. James Menezes (new)
15. Michael Menezes
16. Alex Montoro
17. Jakub Niedermaier-Reed
18. Rocco Tesei (new)
19. Cassius O'Connell-White
20. Matthew Rangel-Alvares
21. Bertramo Smart
22. Camden Stewart
23. Mark Ustynovych-Repa (new)
24. Sam Wiggin
25. Lucas Wood
 |
| Pre-concert photo, including some new faces (photo by Patrick) |
Missing from those on the US Tour
were Henry Barrington and Dylan Duffy, but added were James Menezes, Rocco
Tesei, and Mark Ustynovych-Repa who all performed at the Guildford
concert a year ago.
Sitting in the front row were four mini-mini newbies not listed on the program! They did not sing on stage but just watched the concert. One of them is Lucas Wood's seven-year-old brother. Another one is an eight-year-old Japanese boy who speaks English and Japanese. He was a big hit with the Japanese fans! The other two mini-mini boys are seven years old also. While the choir demonstrated their silly warm-up songs, the four sat on the front row and silently mouthed along with the words. Soooo cute!
Photo by Patrick from a 2013 concert (L to R) newbie Shay Balsekar, unidentified mini-boy, newbie Rocco Tesei
Rocco Tesei
Mark Ustynovych-Repa
James Menezes (Photo by Patrick)
Sitting in the front row were four mini-mini newbies not listed on the program! They did not sing on stage but just watched the concert. One of them is Lucas Wood's seven-year-old brother. Another one is an eight-year-old Japanese boy who speaks English and Japanese. He was a big hit with the Japanese fans! The other two mini-mini boys are seven years old also. While the choir demonstrated their silly warm-up songs, the four sat on the front row and silently mouthed along with the words. Soooo cute!
Newest mini-mini-boys, pre-concert
The staff list was a little different. Look at
the exciting changes!
(Former Libera singers)
Musical Director - Robert Prizeman
Asst. Musical Directors - Sam Coates, Steven
Geraghty
Keyboards - Joshua Madine (by himself this time!)
Strings - The Silken String Quintet
Clarinet - Jessie Grimes
Flute/Recorder - Candice Hamel
French Horn - Raoul Neumann
Percussion - Olly Blackman
Lighting - Luke Avery
Sound Mixing & Production - Sam Coates
Stage Management - Jonathan Barrington, Kavana
Crossley
Event Co-ordination and Chaperones - Barbara Geraghty,
Eleanor Lewis
Concert Management - Steven Philipp, David
Stephens
Production Co-ordinator - Andrew Winter
Rehearsal shot: are we bored?
The song list was the same as the US Tour.
All incredible songs! The
audience was blown away! And they got to hear
"What a Wonderful
World" as the encore also!
1. Joyful, Joyful
2. Sanctus - last "Sanctus" by
Bertie Smart
3. Song of Life - solo by Isaac London
4. Voca Me - last "Voca Me" by
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey &
Matthew Jansen.
5. Amazing Grace - solo by Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
6. Ave Maria - solo by Tom Delgado-Little
7. Salva Me - high "Salva's" by
Alex Montoro.
8. How Can I Keep From Singing
9. Hymn to Mary - solo by Isaac London
10. How Shall I Sing That Majesty - solos by Lucas
Wood &
Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti
- Interval -
11. Dies Irae - solo by Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
12. Gloria in Excelsis
13. Orinoco Flow
14. Dreaming of Home
15. How Great Thou Art - solo by Sam Wiggin
16. Stay With Me - solos by Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti,
Lucas
Wood, Cassius O’ Connell-White
17. Wayfaring Stranger - solo by Sam Wiggin
18. Glory to Thee - solo by Tom Delgado-Little
19. Exultate - solo by Tom Delgado-Little
Encore: What a Wonderful World - solo by Isaac London
A more technical and descriptive review came from Johan from The Netherlands; the song titles are highlighted for easier reading.
Photo by Patrick
A more technical and descriptive review came from Johan from The Netherlands; the song titles are highlighted for easier reading.
Concert Arundel 2014 by Johan
 |
| Arundel (Photo by Patrick) |
There were three newbies who did only a part of
the program: Rocco Tesei, James Menezes and Mark Ustynovych-Repa; Rocco did
more songs than the other two. Present in the audience were also Jude Collins
(voice change; thanks Jude, you gave it your all) and Callum Payne.
The program had 19 songs listed:
• Joyful
Joyful, really an arrangement of Beethoven’s 9th: “Alle Menschen werden
Brüder.” The instrumental music started and then the boys came in from behind
the choir space. It was a beautiful start of the evening and one of the nicest
songs of the first half. The high notes were by Thomas Delgado-Little and Ben
Fairman. Great performance of a beautiful work.
Photo by Patrick
• Sanctus, based on Pachelbel’s canon, well known
to us all. The boys were in a half circle. The high notes were by Thomas
Delgado-Little and Bertie Smart; the latter also did the final “Sanctus.”
• SPEECH: Ben Fairman and Cassius O’ Connell-White
welcomed us with a wave, something they must have picked up in America because
it was used a lot tonight. They then introduced Isaac London, who also waved.
•Song of Life: Isaac did a good job of it but for
me it remains Ralph Skan’s song.
• Voca Me: For this song Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey and
Matthew Jansen stood in front, but the high notes were done from far behind by
Thomas Delgado-Little. Matthew did a solo and the final “voca me” was Matthew
and Ciaran together.
Amazing Grace, a well-known song, but with their
own arrangement; they strood in two half circles. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey did
one part as a solo.
• SPEECH: Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey and Cassius O’
Connell-White did the speech with the hood. They introduced Thomas
Delgado-Little, who also waved.
• Ave
Maria: All kneeling except for Thomas Delgado-Little who did the song mostly
solo.
Salva Me.
Also a well-known song; the high “salvas” were this time from Alex Montoro from
far behind in special red light.
How Can I Keep From Singing, a song that will
always remind me of Liam O’Kane. It sounded also exactly as in his time:
beautiful.
SPEECH:
Alex Gula and Gabe Collins explained what all they have to learn and then
announced Isaac London for the next song; he waved and knelt down.
Hymn to
Mary. This song was first done a capella at St. George's last November but this
time it was done with more contributions by the instruments and the rest of the
choir, all kneeling. Very beautiful.
How Shall
I Sing That Majesty, all 25 boys on stage for this song with Lucas Wood and Alessandro
Mackinnon-Botti in front for the solos, Thomas Delgado-Little did the (very)
high notes again.
Interval
Photo by Patrick
Dies Irae,
again the boys come in from way behind. The three little ones immediately
disappeared to sit with Stage Manager Jonathan Barrington to the side. Ciaran
Bradbury-Hickey did the solo. There is entirely new choreography with a type of
open V arrangement with Ciaran in front but the wings of the V not immediately
behind him. It continues without stopping into...
Gloria in Excelsis, for which the three new
little ones joined the group on stage but stayed behind the main group.
SPEECH: Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti and Ciaran
Bradbury-Hickey explained about their travels and school.
Orinoco
Flow, did not flow yet as we used to know it, but did have a complete new
choreography with several groups moving in and out, also more percussion than
we were used to.
I'm
Dreaming of Home, for me a new song with two concentric half circles. Thomas
Delgado-Little did the solo excellently. Also excellent was the lighting, with a purple illumination of the ceiling and a white light on the
boys. It made excellent use of the construction peculiarities of the cathedral.
How Great
Thou Art, also new to me and very beautiful. Sam started it with a solo very
nicely. This is one of the songs little Rocco Tesei (so tiny next to the
towering Eoghan McCarthy, Matthew Rangel-Alvarez, and Jakub Niedermaier-Reed)
joined without the other two little ones.
SPEECH: Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey (again!) and Sam
Wiggin talked about Latin and the exercises they have to do and these were
demonstrated by the whole group. Thomas Delgado-Little went to the back for the high notes of the
next song.
Stay with
Me, for which all three little ones were present. Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Lucas Wood and Cassius O’ Connell-White did the solos,
Wayfaring
Stranger, the third new song for me. Sam Wiggin did this mainly in solo and
with a great voice. Very nice indeed.
Glory to
Thee started with a solo by Thomas Delgado-Little, excellent. The boys were
arranged in five groups that later joined.
SPEECH: Ben Fairman announced the end of the
concert and said thanks for coming.
Exultate
with a solo again by Thomas Delgado-Little and discants for the melody. All 25
boys participated.
The encore was A Wonderful World, mainly known
through Louis Armstrong. In a very nice arrangement here, with solo by Isaac london
Finally worth mentioning are Josh Madine on the
keyboard and Kavana Crossley and Jon Barrington as stage management.—Johan
US TOUR BLOG
As usual, the Libera boys blogged entertainingly about their "mini-vacation" in New York and New Jersey.
http://www.libera.org.uk/blog/usa_in_the_spring
Filming in France
On May 28th, Sharp-eyed fans in the US, England, and the Netherlands caught a collection of tweets-with-photos showing the boys on a trip to France to shoot a video.
US TOUR BLOG
As usual, the Libera boys blogged entertainingly about their "mini-vacation" in New York and New Jersey.
 |
| "Really, we're just normal children. Really!" |
Filming in France
On May 28th, Sharp-eyed fans in the US, England, and the Netherlands caught a collection of tweets-with-photos showing the boys on a trip to France to shoot a video.
 |
| Camden Stewart, Michael Menezes, Matthew Madine (top), Marc Alvarez (partially hidden),Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, Alex Gula, Ben Fairman and Tom Delgado-Little brave the English Channel. |
I see they are at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the
Somme. My guess is a music video for "I'm Dreaming of Home", since
that's from the WWI movie Joyeux Noel. Of course it's possible they might do
another video while they're there. Been a while, I believe, since they worked
on a single song video.—hiskeys
Latest entry https://twitter.com/officiallibera/stat
... 80/photo/1 shows the very competent Thomas Delgado-Little maybe performing a solo
part. Hopefully it will be two videos.—Jimmy Riddle
Since this year it is 100
years since the beginning of WWI this recording is probably for a documentary
or some commemorative TV program. In Britain WWI is still a big thing and
remembered in November I think. So probably we will have to wait till then to
see the results.—Johan
 |
| In a reflective mood
For more photos and much more detailed descriptions of
various backgrounds, go to:
http://mini-angels.blogspot.com/2014/05/libera-filming-in-france.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MiniAngels+%28Mini+Angels%29
Libera, go to "Songs in a Memorial Key" in PART III: THE PRIZEMAN EFFECT, in the first section of the timeline at: http://liberatimeline.blogspot.com/ PERFORMING FOR KENNEDY CENTER PATRONS IN LONDON 
Rehearsal in the Foreign Office courtyard. (Photo by Kitty@sharpfiddle)
Nearly seven years ago, in
December of 2007, Libera was invited to perform at the prestigeous Kennedy Center Honors, held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, DC (see Part One of this Timeline), where they sang "Love and
Mercy" in front of a distinguished audience to honor the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o_FIq5Smz4
(Love and Mercy by Brian Wilson/footage from 2009 Songs
of Praise special and Kennedy Center
Honors/solo and second part by by Josh Madine and Tom Cully)
Original songsters at the Kennedy Center: Liam Connery, Zachary Lockett, Sam Leggett, Josh Madine, Tom Cully, Benedict Philipp, Joe Snelling, Ed Day,
Michael Vereycken
On June 18th,
2014, Libera performed in London for the visiting Patrons of the
Kennedy Center as part of a program called “Arts from Sea to Shining
Sea." 23 boys sang for the Patrons at the The British Foreign Office
building, located near St. James's Park and #10 Downing Street. The impressive
building was completed in 1868 and renovated between 1984 and 1997.
Performing for the Kennedy Center Patrons
From photos, these appeared to be the singers participating:
1. Marc Alvares
2. Shay Balsekar
3. Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
4. Gabriel Collins
5. Timothy Lee
6. Thomas Delgado-Little
7. Ben Fairman
8. Alex Gula
9. Matthew Jansen
10. Isaac London
11. Matthew Madine
12. Eoghan McCarthy
13. Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti
14. Michael Menezes
15. Alex Montoro
16. Jakub Niedermaier-Reed
17. Rocco Tesei
18. Cassius O'Connell-White
19. Matthew Rangel-Alvares
20. Bertramo Smart
21. Camden Stewart
22.Sam Wiggin
23. Lucas Wood
************************KAVANA KICKSTART Kavana Crossley, who had just barely aged out of the Libera touring group earlier in the spring, appeared online about this time with a Kickstarter appeal for funds to record and produce his own CD. The page included several SoundCloud performances that revealed him to be a solid musician/song-writer, with an appealing voice (Think of a young James Taylor).  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/272689956/project-armia
FRANCE UPDATE
In late June, it was revealed that the recent Libera filming in France was for an appearance on the BBC's Songs of Praise The program, commemorating the start of WWI, was set to air on August
3 on BBC-2. Viewers' notes for the program revealed some interesting information about Libera's part in it.
"In addition, classical chart toppers Libera sing against the backdrop of the battlefields and discover some of their own family history in connection with the war. Ciaran Bradbury goes in search of the grave of his great, great Uncle Stanley Bradbury who was a Corporal in the Royal Flying Corps while Sam Wiggin wants to find the name of his great, great Uncle George Michie which he has been told is on the Monument to the Missing in Thiepval." 
2012 photo includes Sam Wiggin (L) and Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey (R)
FILMING FOR PBS IN WASHINGTON DC
On July 1st, the Official Libera website posted the following announcement:
"Libera is honoured to have been invited to film a new live concert for broadcast on the PBS network in the United States.We will be filming on the evening of Thursday 7th August 2014 at the magnificent Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.
The eighth largest church building in the world
This concert will be a
free event, open to the general public. There will also be reserved
seating available for supporters of our new affiliated charity in the
United States www.libera.us Ticketing
details and how to reserve your seat will be available on both
websites from Saturday 5th July.Please also look out for other Libera
performances in the US this summer. Watch this space for further
developments...If you'd like to receive an emailed notice of these and
other pending Libera events, please sign up to our mailing
list, using the button on our homepage."
Interior of Basilica
The new Libera of the United States website mentioned above (www.libera.us) was launched on May 28th of this year. It's the first “Friends” group to be officially recognized by Libera, and it exists to help provide funding to bring the boys to the United States as often as possible, and to provide practical support to the group when they tour in the US. The site also mentions that, since sending the boys to the US for even a short tour is very expensive, they need to get some financial assistance directly, via charitable donations. US taxpayers may make donations via the website's contributions page.
For the Curious: The largest church building in the world is the Roman Catholic minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). This structure, completed in 1989, is modeled on the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome, which was previously the largest church building.
WASHINGTON DC PROMO On July 7th, another in Libera's string of charmingly homemade promotional videos appeared, featuring (left to right) Ben Fairman, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Y1dsXZ_V0 (Promo for 2014 Washington DC DVD filming) WORLDWIDE LIBERA FUNDRAISER  Matthew Madine, Bertie Smart, Shay Baleskar, Alex Montoro, Ben Fairman, Marc Alvares, Lucas Wood and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti appear on the Libera of the US fundraising poster. On July 9th the trustees of Libera of the US, a new charity formed to help raise money for and raise awareness about the group, announced a worldwide Libera fundraiser. (More about it here.) As usual, the Mini-Angels site was there with the complete details at http://mini-angels.blogspot.com/2014/07/big-announcement-for-libera-fundraiser.html DC CONCERT POSTERS GALORE 
L to R: Matthew Madine, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Kuba Niedermaier-Reed
(top),Gabriel Collins, Cassius O' Connell-White and Matthew Jansen
  In mid-June, an informational website, http://libera.org/events/ , appeared in association with the recently formed Libera-USA group. Among the new and interesting information given were the facts that 30 boys would be making the trip (which meant the probable inclusion of alumni, as with the 2013 Christmas in Ireland DVD concert), and that there would be a meet-and-greet autograph signing following the concert. Items listed as available for sale included a 13-Month full-sized Libera calendar, Libera wristbands, and a 36-page color program.
MOOSE TALK
On July 20th, another little video appeared, introducing the Libera Mascot "Moose," as well as his American cousins who have volunteered to be prizes for donors to the USA Friends of Libera concert fund. The spokesboys are Alex Gula, Sam Wiggin, and Alessandro Mackinnon-Botti, stylish in black high-top sneakers worn with white robes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce24craFunc (Libera boys display Moose and mooses/prizes
for donors to LiberaUSA)
News of the upcoming concert also
appeared on the Facebook page of the Basilica, and it was fairly
evident at this point that seats were going fast, insuring a
full house on August 7th.
RE: FILMING IN FRANCE by JimmyRiddle » Mon Jul 21, 2014 1:09 pm |
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