2023 US Tour

[Surpinto]

Thank you for posting this. I think it summarizes the situation well....and it's a sad situation indeed. I just made a miniscule donation both to test that the system was working (it is!) and because I wish I could do more.

It doesn't work for me on either phone or PC

Is the website the issue or when it takes you to PayPal?

[alcesalcesobservator]

Indeed! Steven conducted and the introduction by the boys for "Lighthouse" included a reference to Josh being a former member of the choir who now writes songs for them and was on piano for the show.

How was Lighthouse at the NYC concert? I'd have said it had potential at the DC concert but needed some more performances to come into it's own, maybe because here and there the instruments overwhelmed the singers. Once I listened to the CD version, it made a lot more sense, and the lyrics are stunning.

[Yorkie]

Thank you for posting this. I think it summarizes the situation well....and it's a sad situation indeed. I just made a miniscule donation both to test that the system was working (it is!) and because I wish I could do more.

It doesn't work for me on either phone or PC

Is the website the issue or when it takes you to PayPal?

The website - select an amount, enter name & email click to go to payment and it just spins and goes nowhere.

[Surpinto]

https://uslibera.org/donate/

Use the URL above to donate. The US Libera people are going to fix any issues as soon as they can.

[Surpinto]

Indeed! Steven conducted and the introduction by the boys for "Lighthouse" included a reference to Josh being a former member of the choir who now writes songs for them and was on piano for the show.

How was Lighthouse at the NYC concert? I'd have said it had potential at the DC concert but needed some more performances to come into it's own, maybe because here and there the instruments overwhelmed the singers. Once I listened to the CD version, it made a lot more sense, and the lyrics are stunning.

It was just as good in NYC I would say. As this song was a highlight for me in DC, I made sure to pay extra close attention the second time around but I didn't hear any differences. I suppose Luca overall may have sounded better on his solos in NYC, but I heard no marked differences in the performance honestly.

It's such a great song to have in concert I think!

[Luckdragon]

San Francisco...

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[katyafan]

I am a bit concerned about the incredible financial shortfall they are having.

This tour is occurring in the most expensive US cities, at a time when prices for everything are through the roof, and most people are experiencing acute financial stress. This is not new--it's been years now. I worry about future tours here, because unless they come to Southern California, I can never see them. I hope that this informs them of the extra fundraising needed for future tours, and at the same time, that they won't cross the US off of their list.

It is very hard here. I don't mean to be super critical, but I am having a hard time with even basic expenses. A Libera ticket (for the LA concert, heck yes!!) was already an incredible luxury for me, one that I was given as a gift.

My first instinct is, of course, to help them out. I have basically no money, but of course I will donate what I can. Libera has saved me in many dark periods of my life, and these boys deserve the best traveling experiences we can give them! They give us so much, and really ask for so little. I am just a bit peeved. Sorry for the vent, everyone. It's really hard here right now.

[Lux Aeterna]

Well, problem solved

[Luckdragon]

Well, problem solved

Fortunately, we Libera fans are known for our boisterocity.

[TullyBascombe]

I had the spinning wheel of eternal waiting problem when I tried to donate last week, but I was able to donate using my cellphone - by credit card, not PayPal. I had the same problem last night and resolved it the same way. I looked in on the Libera US website a short while ago and they announced that the problem was fixed.

People giving money is called boisterous? Oh, so when my elementary teachers used to tell us to settle down because we were too boisterous she meant we were giving away too much money? Well, I say we should encourage the youth along such lines. There really isn't enough boisterousness in the world IMHO.

[Mercurial909]

Some more tour images, including Unsung hero Moose, hard at work.

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[Surpinto]

I forgot to mention in my reviews about two songs: "Beati" and "Sing". Both upbeat songs are really enjoyable; especially with the lower voices being able to shine on "Beati" creating a wonderful contrast. Those two were also the clear favorites to sing among the younger boys of the choir as I found out in the signing line.

I hope they keep those in the line up.

Some more tour images, including Unsung hero Moose, hard at work.

He really needs more credit than he's getting at the moment for keeping the tour together. Performing is hard, so it's all antlers on deck for SF and LA.

People giving money is called boisterous? Oh, so when my elementary teachers used to tell us to settle down because we were too boisterous she meant we were giving away too much money? Well, I say we should encourage the youth along such lines. There really isn't enough boisterousness in the world IMHO.

Love it! Also great to see you in DC by the way.

[henrylonghorn]

Coming to the NYC concert, my first since their 2019 US tour, I honestly didn’t expect too much. Of course, I wasn’t ignorant of the exceptional singers who were merely nine or ten years old four years ago. But, I thought the group would be put back by the Covid disruptions, the passing of Mr Prizeman, and the relative shortage of performance opportunities in the past few years. I was so wrong!

The evening started with Vespera, one of my favorite classics and faithfully kept in the original today. The perfect harmonies, Nathan’s high notes, and Luca’s skillful performance set a positive mood for the rest of the night. In fact, within a minute, the audience must have forgotten that they were sitting in the middle of a megalopolis in a choking heatwave, but rather floating somewhere cooler above the clouds. I was immediately led to believe that Mr Prizeman’s labor hasn't rotted away, and if he were tuning in from heaven, he would surely be smiling.

Sanctus began before the audience finished clapping. It followed the same pattern as in the past two US tours. The younger boys’ angelic voices shone through toward the latter half (Pleni sunt caeli...), helped by the sheer number of them on this tour!

Lewis and Daniel (?) gave the familiar intro speech. The youngest boy on tour was the 8 year old Benjamin, who received a warm round of applause.

Frederick H filled some big shoes (Sam and Victor) in Wayfaring Stranger and delivered a moving performance. His singing voice felt natural yet ethereal, which is very fitting for this song. His movement from the back to the front was slow due to limited stage space. Eimear provided an extended, expressive flute intro.

Luca returned to the center stage and took our breaths away with a perfect (sorry to use this word again but I can’t think of a stronger synonym) solo in Caccini’s Ave Maria. Besides his technical mastery, hitting every high note without fail, Luca put in his personal touch of magic. I looked around to find the entire audience mesmerized. Everyone who'd been fidgeting or whispering before just stopped and listened, even the kids. I was as awestruck as when I heard Tom DL and Dom’s solos years ago.

Nathan followed as the soloist for From a Distance. It’s my first time hearing him live. I loved the silky quality of his voice, like water from a spring. I hope we will get to hear more from Nathan, preferably recorded pieces.

O Beata was a pleasant interlude with Mitchel (a new soloist for me) and Victor. Mitchel's rich voice was accompanied by some memorable soaring descants.

Then, Daniel and Laurence D introduced us to Josh and his creation, The Lighthouse. We were once again rewarded with the golden voice of Luca, supported seamlessly by the choir. Afterwards, Luca stepped back but kept the soaring descants coming in Voca Me, a hauntingly beautiful classic.

Next up was Beati composed by Libera alumnus Raoul. The choir replicated the high quality as recorded in the album, and the live instrumentation enhanced the song's festive mood. Nathan and Pietro had solo parts, though a highlight for me was the solo line by the Bigs.

Daniel made the usual joke about trying to not dirty their robes while taking a break. Then, he demonstrated the 7 vocal parts of the first few bars of "Libera". As he motions to each group through the gestures of a conductor, they start singing and adding their voices to the mix. Daniel's professional conducting led me to wonder if he had any role in training the little ones. Finally, Daniel and Nathan pleaded for financial support in a humorous way, which was well received by the audience. I thought they were much more effective than pleading adults who had done so on previous US tours.

Libera performed Libera enthusiastically - almost boisterously, in fact - despite this being the 10th and final piece in the impressive first half. Notably, we heard Freddie sing in the more usual style, as well as Mitchel doing the higher solo part. The percussion and synthesizers sounded a bit louder than usual. The staff was able to quickly fix a mic issue affecting Mitchel. The final high notes "Libera" were done perfectly by all. The audience applauded for a long time.

The second half began in a new fashion. Instead of just appearing on stage, the boys filed past the aisles in two lines (queues) as they started Lux Aeterna, only voices, no accompaniment. Their position in the nave provided much more echo than on stage, a wonderful addition. Besides the piece itself being a bit melancholic, this procession and the group kneeling on stage toward the end really added to the theme of supplication, a humble request for eternal light. Morgan sang a beautiful solo, in fact, his voice reminds me of Josh's, a sweet one for sure. The Bigs provided support on the lower parts, forming a nice contrast.

The young Joseph destroyed my last doubts about Libera's current abilities as soon as he started The Prayer. Joseph would give our beloved Isaac a run for his money if they were at the same age of 10. If anything, Joseph’s youth added to the innocence and sincerity of the supplication. The audience was visibly moved by the almost impossibly perfect performance by this small child. I wasn’t surprised when a fan stated after the concert that Joseph had perfect pitch. Hal and Oscar (?) introduced Joseph and we took the opportunity to give another round of applause.

I don’t recall much about Total Praise because what followed was a breathtaking solo by Freddie, Ave Verum Corpus. The solo spanned a wide vocal range, and the spotlight was on him both figuratively and literally. The audience held their breaths; I was on the edge of my seat. He sang very professionally and confidently, clearly having had much practice. Each high note was skillfully reached and sustained. His voice was powerful, controlled, and most of all, beautiful. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Freddie got the loudest applause of the evening.

I Am the Day is a perennial song that seems to get a new soloist every year. This time it was Morgan, and he didn’t disappoint, with Daniel on the other solo part. Again, I could see the parallels between Morgan and Josh, who used to sing this solo. The harmonies blended especially beautifully as they got to "I am the alpha and omega/The night and day, the first and last" and "Sancta gloriosa in aeterna". After the piece, Morgan and Freddie were introduced and the audience gladly gave them another round of applause.

Love Shine A Light gave the audience a breath of fresh air style-wise. Mitchel’s crystal clear voice was a delight. I believe Luca did the descants here also. I felt this song (and perhaps The Lighthouse and God Only Knows) enabled Libera to perform more like a modern boy-band where you have a couple of lead singers and a supporting chorus. I would love to hear from you all what you think about this style.

Once an Angel and God Only Knows were rendered on par with the album recording, but made even more convincing by the presence of these angels, the live instrumentation, and the stage lighting. Notably, we got to listen to Luca and Daniel again.

Sing once again unleashed the young energy that we love to see and hear over and over again. With a touring group this large all singing forte, the energetic power was unbelievable. As the boys stated in the preceding speech, singing is something they genuinely enjoy.

The encore, surprisingly, was not America the Beautiful. Instead we got Smile. I’m genuinely curious as to why. It was a moving performance nonetheless with a solo by Mitchel. He sounded very emotional, on the verge of tears almost, as if having a deep personal connection with the words. If anything, this makes him a worthy owner of the solo. Intriguingly, Victor who was once in his shoes stood behind him and sang the lower part. The final applause and standing ovation was very, very, long.

In short, the highlight of the concert were:

1. The impeccable solos by Luca (four in total, plus descants) and Freddie were worth the trip alone. I would have loved to hear Far Away by Luca also, but I understand it's yet another demanding piece.
2. Nathan, Joseph, Mitchel, Morgan, et al. each delivered memorable solos in their own styles, making them new soloists to watch.
3. The encouraging showing of the (relatively) new boys gave confidence in the group’s continuity.
4. Seeing the “Bigs” again: Daniel, Dom, Alexandre, Victor, Lawrence after 4 years. Even Tadhg as stage staff - he was quite visible.
5. Daniel's demonstration and leadership potential.
6. Spotlights shining on the stone church structure and moving mostly vertically. The movement encouraged one to look up and appreciate the combined audiovisual aesthetic only experienced at a live concert.

It’s also worth mentioning that the general level of preparation appears to have exceeded the past few US tours. Coordination among the various parts and physical movements on stage both seem to have improved, for example. No more boys getting lost during stage transitions!

Last but not least, the Smile of Libera goes to Laurence D. He had been smiling so big as if he just won the lottery (or the kid’s version of that - claw machines?). I hope the staff photographer(s) got the smile of his on camera!

It’s a pity though, that the audience could have been much bigger. I estimate about 300-400 were in attendance. The building could hold another 800 or so. The high cost could be a factor - for that reason I won't be attending the other ones, unfortunately. But one is better than none. This tour, this crew is not to be missed. They’re ready to sing, if not motivated to impress after so long of a hiatus. I wish for some live video recordings to be released so that fans unable to attend would be able to see how far along this group had come despite all the recent challenges. I also pray that the boys will continue to receive support from communities around the world so this celestial music can be sung and heard in aeterna.

Folks attending in California, you all are in for a treat!

PS: I'm still learning the names of the many new boys, so I stand to be corrected if there are any mistakes in attributing the soloists.

[Mercurial909]

Wonderful review @henrylonghorn.

A few pics of the boys (inc Moose) setting up ready for their San Francisco concert.

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[dani]

Does anybody know Mitchel & Freddie H’s age?

It feels like they joined Libera quite late or they just look older than they look . Both boys seem incredibly talented and I’m hoping I get I hear them Live at some stage.