St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

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The Furby
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by The Furby »

Hello, I know much has already been written and I’m quite late, but as I'm rarely given the opportunity to review a concert of Libera, here I am (first time in English so please excuse any weird turn of phrase) :)


After watching it for the second time, I can say this concert is a real breath of fresh air. How much I missed them.

I must say that I am absolutely amazed by the quality of the performance, as we know the specific rehearsing conditions (if "rehearsing" is even the appropriate term) the group had to go through lately, due to the constraints imposed by the pandemic context. Reading Robert Prizeman's note on the souvenir program - very interesting to learn more about how Libera handled the lockdown and then the restrictions - I was really expecting something a bit sketchy. Quite the opposite, we got the very high level of performance which Libera has accustomed us to, even including - how dare they - new songs! In fact, only some details remind us of the particular context: the masked boys, their early arrival on stage turning their backs to the audience, the obligatory spacing which leaves no room for choreography.

I was also surprised by the quality of the audio recording, and happy to see that the filming restrictions still allowed shooting from multiple angles, so that it doesn’t feel too static.

Let Me Make Songs for the People. This previously unheard track left me with very few impressions the first time I heard it, yet I really enjoyed it on the second listen. It is a hymn with unsurprising though very varied arrangements, a song that gains some depth with each new listen. For me this piece felt like a love letter by Prizeman for his art (he composed the music) with the feeling that whatever happens, this music must go on.

In the Bleak Midwinter. I am very impressed by Dominik's performance throughout the whole concert, with impeccable pitch from start to end, without apparent effort, brilliant through every solo or descant – the latter stand out especially well in the mix. Magnificent.

Walking in the Air. Although this track has been over-recorded by many artists, I still remember the chills when I first heard Libera’s version - sung by Luca - on the last album. Love the solo part as much as the arrangements. Luca is truly phenomenal, and again, what a voice!

Ding Dong Merrily. I have always loved this song, it is kind of an ode to joy for me, not to mention the medieval arrangements that I am very fond of. For this live version the clarity of the vocals is incredible despite the hectic tempo, melodic tangle and frenetic delivery. I still can't figure out how they manage to catch their breath for the final take off. Once again I really like how certain voices stand out and allow us to appreciate certain components that are usually more subdued, like Luca on the a capella section.

If. Another new, lovely piece, very dramatic, with this hammering piano that counterbalances the slowness of the melody and adds much tension. Daniel delivers a solo that, although sometimes slightly off pitch, is really poignant. I can't wait to discover a studio version with the music video coming soon.

Sing Lullaby. I remember it wasn't one of the songs that touched me the most on the last album, but the more I listen to it the more captivating it gets. Dominik's solo is superb, delivered with a plain, gentle mastery.

The Angel Gabriel. Glad to find this song in the setlist. Even though it is a quite conventional piece, there is some melancholy about the melody and Victor's voice quality that carries me away every time.

Carol of the Bells. Now a classic in the repertoire, firstly released almost 10 years ago (!) Very happy to hear "Small Daniel's" voice on the finale, giving a feeling of self-confidence and clarity. Once again the mix allows us to clearly hear Dominik’s perfectly pitched descants.

Deep Peace. I’m quite unconvinced by this chorus version of the main part, but we know it was quite a last minute change. Fortunately enough, we can cherish a recording of Tadhg in solo on last June’s Ave Maria.

Noël Nouvelet. I was really delighted to see that this piece made it to the setlist. This is my favorite track on the last Christmas album, with its medieval arrangements and Oliver's solo. On this live version his voice and Frederick's combine very well. I also find Frederick is an excellent speaker - his diction deserves some praise.

Poor Little Jesus. I don't know why I didn’t give this track more attention when I first listened to it on the last album. Now this version really moved me, it's powerful and melancholic. And Luca excels once again on his solo.

Total Praise. Just like the piece above, I am surprised to rate it as one of my favorite tracks from the concert, although I had skipped it quite easily until then (I think I got stuck on the first WYD version). I especially like how the voices stand out very clearly on the final, powerful crescendo.

Sing For Our World. New song, loved it. We're quite off the usual tracks, and I'm totally hooked. At first I wondered what exotic instrument they were using at the beginning of the song, before realizing it was the boys' voices! In some parts the vocal fireworks even reminded me of this song by Angel Voices. It’s rhythmic, catchy, with a very pleasant melody, like a film soundtrack telling a story. Very suitable for the end of a concert and, thematically speaking, a perfect fit for the current context.

I Saw Three Ships. Another song that I really enjoy, happy and catchy, perfect to conclude a concert that feels like coming back home after a long day.

Thank you Libera and SJSS for allowing us to experience a beautiful moment. :)
Last edited by The Furby on Wed Dec 16, 2020 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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john45
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

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Nice review, thank you. But no praise for "Total Praise"? Impeccable English by the way.
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The Furby
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by The Furby »

john45 wrote: <span title="Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:22 pm">4 years ago</span> Nice review, thank you. But no praise for "Total Praise"? Impeccable English by the way.
Thank you John. The part got lost when translating. I added it above :)
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by TullyBascombe »

Tonight my bandwidth was much better and I was able to view the concert unfettered. There have been a number of excellent reviews already, but I'd also like to add that I much appreciated Victor's solos. I still would like to see "If" performed as a music video. IIRC they sang a memorial for the holocaust on SOP in 2008. This song would be appropriate as well.
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

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Thank you, Furby! Enjoyed your impressions of the concert and I agree with you regarding Dominik's performance as well.
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by theriverflowson »

Here is my brief review – well, at least it was planned to be brief, but then it got a bit longer, my excuses! :? I'm quite new to Libera, so these are just some personal thoughts from someone who has no clue at all! After this fine concert I cannot wait to see my first live concert more than ever! :mrgreen: Last but not least: Please excuse my language, I'm not a native speaker

Let me make songs for the people
What a great, dramatic, moving song, a wonderful start of the concert (yes indeed boys, the people need your songs!). It’s so melodic and has a great range of voices. Every single boy from first to last row is involved in it. I felt reassured that the group is still very balanced in itself and is working as a whole.

In the bleak mid-winter
A thoughtful, calmly song – just what I needed after the first song. I especially like the second half with the polyphonic elements. (Does anyone know who added the high voices?) Dominic’s solo gives the song its final touch. He did a great job and you immediately notice his talent. I hope that we will see him in the front for much longer!

Walking in the air
I was so happy to find this song in the program, it’s my favorite one from Last year’s Christmas Carols album. As I mentioned in another thread Luca is my favorite member of the current group. Every time I listen to him I’m just floored by his breath control (pay attention to the subtle vibrato!). He is still very young and I could imagine that a triumphant time at Libera still lies ahead of him. Not so much to do for the rest of the choir here. I could imagine adding a second, deeper voice to the solo parts might be a benefit, especially for those of you who heard this song too often, since it is a song most trebles have in their repertoire.

Ding dong merrily on high
When listening this before on the Christmas Carol album I thought it would be interesting to see as a live version. I could not imagine that the boys would be able to unite to such a nice blend of different voices on stage with the perfect timing necessary in every single part – but they did, amazing performance! I was not able to detect any differences compared to the album version (was it even live? :mrgreen: ). The instruments are a great benefit to this song, the musicians did a great job.

If
When listening to the original version of this song my hope was that Libera will present a different version – nope! Daniel did a great job at what he was supposed to do, but I do not like the song so much. I’m just missing something here that I will get from many other Libera songs. Nonetheless, I’m curious about the produced video and what the feedback will be like once this is available to a greater audience through Youtube etc.

Sing lullaby
I enjoyed listen to the blend of voices. The song definitely benefits from Dominic’s solo – a flawless job from Dominic again, he appears to be very confident!

The Angel Gabriel
So now it’s time for another soloist – Victor! I like him very much, I feel that he is very important for the group. He did a good job, even though for me it appears that he is struggling a bit with breathing reserve in some parts. I feel he might play an even more important role in the near future.

Carol of the bells
Of course this song shouldn’t be missing at a Christmas concert, I can listen to it again and again. I like the camera angle where can see Dominic adding the higher “gloria” part, just perfect! In the end, when Dominic and after that Daniel have their short solo parts you can hear how different their voices are, while both perfectly fit. I love that mini Daniel is singing the last part and that he got entrusted so much responsibility on his first live concert.

Deep peace
Not one of my favorite songs, but another very nice presentation. I would not listen to it very often, but as a concert version it is very enjoyable.

Noël nouvelet
Here I liked Victors solo parts better than in ‘The Angel Gabriel’, good they have chosen him again! The part of Freddie and Oliver might be my personal highlight of the concert, just perfect! I like Oliver’s voice very much on the album record of this song and on ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ and wished to hear more of him at the concert – hopefully next time!

Poor little Jesus
I never was aware how great this song is – reminds me of gospel song. A broad voice range, along with deep hums and perfectly supported by the string instruments. And - yes! - another Luca solo. I do not want to be too repetitious, but this is so good and he still is so young!

Total praise
This is a song I easily could miss even while listening to it – it’s just not meeting my preferences. What I liked was the growing “Amen” part. Unfortunately I could not clearly see who had the long, high part short before the end, I think it might be Dominic.

Sing for our world
What should I write?! I think we already heard from many other members how different, how special this song is. I really, really enjoyed it from he first moment and I think the boys had a lot of fun, too. I like the faster Libera songs and I’m happy they have chosen such piece as one of their final songs. Many of the boys seemed to enjoy the standing ovations very much, especially Daniel and Victor look so happy!

I saw three Ships
Another upbeat song that is fun listen and watch to. The boys seem to be relaxed while singing. Look how the musicians are working quite hard in the background, I’m sure they had fun as well!
Last edited by theriverflowson on Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
Kilhwch
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by Kilhwch »

Hello everyone; I've been visiting here for a while and have been interested to read people's reviews of the St John's Smith Square concert, so I thought I would register and offer a few belated thoughts of my own. I don't want to repeat too much of what has already been said, so I'll just put down some general impressions rather than attempting a song-by-song review.

I was at the 5 p.m. show, just about; I say 'just about' since I'm currently resident in North Wales and it wasn't until three days before the concert that my government, grudgingly and with obvious reluctance, lifted its ban on crossing the English border and allowed me to go without potentially having to explain to the police that I was engaged in essential travel for my mental health.

I've been to a few concerts at SJSS over the years, but this was the first time I had sat in the balcony. It makes a pleasing eyrie to look down on a concert, provided you're in the front row (as I was) and can lean forward to see over the safety rail. I had a half-row blocked off just for me, so it was almost like being in a box seat.

One thing I could see from my spot, which doesn't really come over in the video, was just how much empty space there was between the rows of seats below. The video only ever shows the audience in low shot, so you don't get a sense of how few of us were there, thanks to social distancing. Despite that, I think we made a decent noise between songs, and I hope that came over to the folk on stage.

Someone commented on the similarity of the titles of two of the new songs, and I wonder whether this was intentional, to set up a story arc for the concert:

Let me make songs for the people = The Petition: Please let us get to sing again.
Sing for our world = The Celebration: Yes, we really did sing again.

There's no doubt that this concert was a remarkable achievement, given all the constraints on rehearsals. I imagine it was done this way because it had to be. A smaller-scale concert with a reduced group of older boys singing songs they already knew would doubtless have been easier to organise, but it wouldn't have had the sustaining and renewing effect for the choir that Robert Prizeman talks about so eloquently in his programme note. Bob Dylan was never a chorister, but every boys' choir director knows the truth of his maxim that he not busy being born is busy dying. Well, despite everything, Libera did manage to be born this year.

So many things could have stopped this concert from happening (and one feels for the London choirs and orchestras who chose to organise their Christmas concerts closer to the festive date, and got hit by the move to Tier 3). But for one day in this wretched year, the Fates were asleep on the job, and we had at least a glimpse of better times. Hopefully there'll be another glimpse in Ely in April, if the virus be willing and the Fens don't rise.
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

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theriverflowson wrote: <span title="Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:48 pm">4 years ago</span> Here is my brief review – well, at least it was planned to be brief, but then it got a bit longer, my excuses! :? I'm quite new to Libera, so these are just some personal thoughts from someone who has no clue at all! After this fine concert I cannot wait to see my first live concert more than ever! :mrgreen: Last but not least: Please excuse my language, I'm not a native speaker
A review that's too long?! Perish the thought! :lol: At LDF the longer the review the better! :D Thank you for the details and your impressions. They were enjoyable to read and I found myself nodding my head particularly your positive remarks about Luca. He's an amazing singer and his descant and high note work is equally as impressive. So when you asked about who added the high notes during Bleak Midwinter I would hazard that as my guess.

As for "Poor Little Jesus", it is indeed a gospel song and a really good one. Of course Libera's version, while true to the original, adds a certain sparkle that cannot be denied making this one of my top Libera favorites.

Also, I would never have guessed that English is not your native language as you have a good command of it!
Kilhwch wrote: <span title="Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:14 pm">4 years ago</span> Hello everyone; I've been visiting here for a while and have been interested to read people's reviews of the St John's Smith Square concert, so I thought I would register and offer a few belated thoughts of my own. I don't want to repeat too much of what has already been said, so I'll just put down some general impressions rather than attempting a song-by-song review.
Welcome to Libera Dreams! :D So good to have a variety of new people joining us here at the forum to discuss this amazing choir and their music. Nothing is more exciting than some commentary from those who attended in person so thank you very much for that and I'm so glad you enjoyed the show. It's a miracle that it happened at all and we have all been the beneficiaries.

I also noticed this ark of songs that you describe and you are right it may not be an accident. :D
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by bamboo »

Just wondering anyone here managed to download the concert programme from Libera's website? I really want a copy but I've tried multiple times over a period using several cards and can't get through payment. Any way someone can help me purchase it and I'll find a way to pay you back? Please PM me if you can help! Thanks so much!
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by Kilhwch »

Surpinto wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:16 am">4 years ago</span> I also noticed this ark of songs that you describe and you are right it may not be an accident. :D
Thanks for the welcome. Yes, the concert was clearly a big moment for Libera as well as for us; you can hear the relief in Daniel's voice when he gives his speech about "singing together, at last". That was probably what made me think of the new songs as relating to the show itself.
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

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bamboo wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:08 am">4 years ago</span> Just wondering anyone here managed to download the concert programme from Libera's website? I really want a copy but I've tried multiple times over a period using several cards and can't get through payment. Any way someone can help me purchase it and I'll find a way to pay you back? Please PM me if you can help! Thanks so much!
PM sent! :D
Kilhwch wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:55 pm">4 years ago</span>
Surpinto wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:16 am">4 years ago</span> I also noticed this ark of songs that you describe and you are right it may not be an accident. :D
Thanks for the welcome. Yes, the concert was clearly a big moment for Libera as well as for us; you can hear the relief in Daniel's voice when he gives his speech about "singing together, at last". That was probably what made me think of the new songs as relating to the show itself.
Noticed the exact same thing here.
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by TullyBascombe »

A video of "Poor Little Jesus" will be released on YouTube tomorrow. That will make 3 of the concert's songs released on YouTube so far. I wonder if they plan to put more of them up?
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

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Surpinto wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:16 am">4 years ago</span> A review that's too long?! Perish the thought! :lol: At LDF the longer the review the better! :D
Thanks Surpinto, I will keep that in mind for the future :lol:

Thanks for your feedback as well, it's so fun to share impressions! I enjoyed everyone's reviews & hope for more to come soon!

Btw, we just learned from the latest 'Creative World' Episode that "Sing" is Daniel's favorite song, "because it's very upbeat, really lively, everyone's dancing along as we rehearse it" :D I would love to see them dancing along to it on one of their next concerts 8)
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by Surpinto »

theriverflowson wrote: <span title="Sun Dec 20, 2020 8:10 am">4 years ago</span>
Surpinto wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 19, 2020 1:16 am">4 years ago</span> A review that's too long?! Perish the thought! :lol: At LDF the longer the review the better! :D
Thanks Surpinto, I will keep that in mind for the future :lol:

Thanks for your feedback as well, it's so fun to share impressions! I enjoyed everyone's reviews & hope for more to come soon!

Btw, we just learned from the latest 'Creative World' Episode that "Sing" is Daniel's favorite song, "because it's very upbeat, really lively, everyone's dancing along as we rehearse it" :D I would love to see them dancing along to it on one of their next concerts 8)
You're welcome! :D

Dancing along to the music? Would Robert Prizeman even allow that? :lol: Maybe he would as can be seen at 0:53 in this old Libera video :wink: :lol:
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Re: St John's Smith SQ Christmas Concert 2020 (Dec 6)

Post by maartendas »

Padmachou wrote: <span title="Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:00 am">4 years ago</span>
maartendas wrote: <span title="Fri Dec 11, 2020 9:43 pm">4 years ago</span> I am very sure Nathan *was* there though, judging from the hair 😉
I believe you refer to NathanIEL, I was speaking of Nathan Slater, mini-boy, little guy.
Thanks for clearing that up :wink:

Something that keeps messing with my mind somehow: when Koji explains that the second concert will be streamed live, that sounds like he is announcing it during the first concert.. so.. if only the second concert would be streamed... how come this particular announcement ended up in the video? and then he goes on to greet and wave hello to the audience watching the stream - so he must know that we were watching him even though it was still part of the first concert... my mind can't handle this, it's like an episode of The Twilight Zone :shock: :shock: :mrgreen: :lol:
You raise me high beyond the sky
Through stormy night lifting me above
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