2023 - Two UK Concerts in December

[Mercurial909]

So the current core group of boys (11-12 year olds):
Joseph, Julian, Hal
Pietro, Thomas S-H, Sammy W
Morgan, Nathan, Lewis P
Edward, Theo, Thomas M…

…of which the main soloists currently are Joseph, Morgan, and Nathan, with the likes of Hal, Pietro and both Thomases having more supportive roles.

With Nathan and Morgan likely being at their peak, and no guarantee they’ll still be 1st trebles next Christmas (I’m reminded of Lucas Wood in 2016; a 1st treble during the US summer tour, a tenor by Christmas 4 months later), who bridges the gap between the quality of Freddie M, Luca and Daniel, and the impending Hill brothers domination?

That brings me to Thomas Mushrafi. I was very impressed with Thomas’ voice at SJSS - crystalline clear and steady, very young sounding, but he’s actually the same age as Nathan and Morgan. How much time potentially might he have were he to be given more soloing responsibilities?

[Luckdragon]

I wouldn't worry. The table is set for several more years.

Joseph just turned 11, so he'll be the next Luca until (hopefully) Christmas 2026.

Thomas was presumably 8 when he joined Libera in 2020, so he might still be 11 and could make it into 2026 as well.

Ben is 9, so he'll be a go-to guy into 2028. Oscar is showing some promise as a soloist. Oskar and Caleb have done some descants and such. We have yet to hear much from Federico, Julian, or Leon, but they could step forward at any time.

Sam also appears to have found a source for talented older singers. I'm sure Edward and Theo were added for good reason and there may be more surprises to come.

It seems like the current staff are doing all the right things. I'm looking forward to what's in store.

Unfortunately, we must now survive the long, dark midnight of our souls as we wait for April.

[Mercurial909]

I wouldn't worry. The table is set for several more years.

Joseph just turned 11, so he'll be the next Luca until (hopefully) Christmas 2026.

Thomas was presumably 8 when he joined Libera in 2020, so he might still be 11 and could make it into 2026 as well.

Ben is 9, so he'll be a go-to guy into 2028. Oscar is showing some promise as a soloist. Oskar and Caleb have done some descants and such. We have yet to hear much from Federico, Julian, or Leon, but they could step forward at any time.

Sam also appears to have found a source for talented older singers. I'm sure Edward and Theo were added for good reason and there may be more surprises to come.

It seems like the current staff are doing all the right things. I'm looking forward to what's in store.

Unfortunately, we must now survive the long, dark midnight of our souls as we wait for April.

In the UK we start secondary school aged 11 and turn 12 during that first academic year. Thomas M is in the same school year as Morgan and Nathan, so like them he’ll turn 13 during this current academic year (up to 31 August).

Are the boys not going to the Philippines during half term (late February) or is it gonna be an Easter trip this time?

Also, just realised we may have seen the last of Victor, Matty, Laurence T, Koji and Alex Menuet as main members, as they’re all in their GCSE year now. Can only hope we’ll see one or two of them again next summer as alumnus.
Gonna feel so weird not seeing Victor among the boys .

IMG_2936.jpeg (435.55 KiB) Viewed 5896 times

IMG_2936.jpeg (435.55 KiB) Viewed 5896 times

[Cat-a-tonic]

So the current core group of boys (11-12 year olds):
Joseph, Julian, Hal
Pietro, Thomas S-H, Sammy W
Morgan, Nathan, Lewis P
Edward, Theo, Thomas M…

Would Cameron also be in this group? It seems from reading reviews that he's just starting to come into his own as a soloist tough again how much longer he'll have is unknown.

Thank you everyone for the reviews - it's the next best thing to actually being there. I'm still waiting to attend my first concert but I'll get there one day. In the meantime reading the reviews was lovely.

The concerts sound amazing, especially the Arundel one. I love the sound of Luca's surprise solo. I wasn't very familiar with The Little Road to Bethlehem until I heard it done very well in this year's Junior Young Chorister of the Year final. I can imagine it suiting Luca's voice and expressive abilities brilliantly. And what ability and confidence to be able to learn it in 3/4 days to give a major public performance!

Very impressed that Ben Hill did the In the Bleak Midwinter Solo - that's a big solo and Dominik is a hard act to follow. Veni veni Emmanuel sounds as though it was absolutely beautiful and I wish I could have heard it. It's nice to see boys like Cameron, Lewis and Thomas SH who've been with the group for a while start to get solos and part solos. I remember being struck by Thomas SH on the stream of the SJSS 2021 concert - he seemed to be singing comfortably and enthusiastically and on the lower parts too which I think would be harder. I'm glad he's getting some solos now.

Delighted that there's another Slater to follow Nathan. While it's a fairly easy first solo, boys who do the close of Carol of the Bells almost invariably go on quickly to great things (thinking Daniel W in 2017 singing the major solo of The Prayer 6 months later in both concert and album, Daniel C in 2020 doing the descant for Vespera and its first ever live performance within a year, Joseph in 2021 who was a major soloist in the next year and has become one of their go to soloists for album and performance and had was it 4 solos on the first album he'd sung on, and Oskar who 3/4 months later was doing the Vespera descant in Korea). So Caleb could progress very quickly, especially as he'll hopefully get the benefit of touring regularky which some of the others didn't due to Covid. I do wonder though if it's hard to join the choir as the younger brother of a very established and talented soloist, could feel like there's a lot to live up to.

[Luckdragon]

The concerts sound amazing, especially the Arundel one. I love the sound of Luca's surprise solo. I wasn't very familiar with The Little Road to Bethlehem until I heard it done very well in this year's Junior Young Chorister of the Year final. I can imagine it suiting Luca's voice and expressive abilities brilliantly. And what ability and confidence to be able to learn it in 3/4 days to give a major public performance!

Luca sang Little Road to Bethlehem on his Facebook page.

[in2dwww]

The concerts sound amazing, especially the Arundel one. I love the sound of Luca's surprise solo. I wasn't very familiar with The Little Road to Bethlehem until I heard it done very well in this year's Junior Young Chorister of the Year final. I can imagine it suiting Luca's voice and expressive abilities brilliantly. And what ability and confidence to be able to learn it in 3/4 days to give a major public performance!

Luca sang Little Road to Bethlehem on his Facebook page.

[Cat-a-tonic]

Beautiful. Thank you Luckdragon for the information and in2dwww for the link. As everyone has said his voice is still do clear and he still makes it seem effortless though I thought I could hear a slightly deeper tone in his goodbye at the end.

I have a question that those who've seen Once an Angel by Nathan and Frederick H can hopefully answer. Is Nathan singing the main solo and Frederick doing what Daniel W did in the live performances with the harmony? Or are they both doing different lines of the main solo?

God only knows was a “surprise”, not that I did not expect it to be performed. But from reading reviews I did not understand that Luca totally switched his part with the one that used to be Daniel’s. So, Joseph is doing the main part of the solo. I am glad I got to hear Daniel’s deep voice.

So, just to clarify, Joseph is now Luca, Luca is now Daniel and Daniel is now Victor? I realise that out of context that sounds a very strange question!