Here's my review of Libera's summer concerts, while I will mostly limit myself to Lincoln. Let me put the spoiler directly at the beginning: The Lincoln concert was overwhelmingly good. Both concerts were excellent, but what struck me in Lincoln was the overall sound and the solo parts which were mostly delivered with more confidence, sounding better than in Chester.
Regarding the venues themselves, I was electrified when concerts in two "new" venues were announced. Chester had been a venue for them longer ago, but I think for many of us, not least today's Libera members
, it was new. I love Ely Cathedral dearly, but after quite a number of concerts there, on to new shores is much appreciated to get fresh wind in and something to explore, which is a welcome part of a trip to a Libera concert as well.
From the mere point of view which building I preferred, Chester Cathedral won. I enjoyed the labyrinthine (is that really a word?) path inside, when you first must walk around several corners and change directions, before you land in the actual cathedral at last. I also like some irregularities in the construction, and the red color of the stone conveys warmth. I felt cosy in there.
Lincoln Cathedral shines more, not only in terms of colour, but it also leaves an impression of wideness. So it gave me a more distant feeling after Chester's warmth, but it was certainly a best suitable venue for a Libera concert. Their sound in there was brilliant from A - Z.
In Chester, our bags were checked and water bottles had to be thrown away before being allowed to enter. Prior to Oscar's recorded welcome speech, a member of the clergy gave security instructions, which was a surprising first for me. A prayer followed and then the concert started off.
Twilight
Finally, finally live! I love this song so much and was thrilled when I learnt that it had been sung in Ely. The intro is enigmatic and creates some sort of dramatic foreshadow, before the skies clear up and and a calm, general serenity replaces the gloomy mood by a simple switch of a minor to the major chord. This is very much a go-to song for me, when I need positivity, and I never skip it when it appears in my playlist. I had been looking forward to
Twilight, while I was slightly upset that it was the opener, because it already lay behind us, when the concert had hardly begun. Too early, my inner self cried! But it probably makes sense, because the back row isn't part of the piece at first and only appears on stage at the end. It also makes the audience quiet to get into the mood for the concert.
Morgan and Pietro were the soloists. I will say more about Morgan later on, and here is just this: They are an ideal match! Both their voices are a little breathy and gentle, so I couldn't imagine better duet partners than these two. Their voices just blend so well.  Hopefully, they will appear as a duet on the upcoming album.Â
Pietro also visibly enjoys being part of Libera, so he was the one on both evenings who smiled all the time ... not because he was supposed to, but because of a genuine contentment that reminded me of Joe Cranitch, who had not smiled that much, but also had that look of entire pleasure on his face.
Pietro evoked the joy in me that he himself radiated.
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Sanctus
Very enjoyable in Chester, which surprised me, as I normally just consume this song as a nice piece, and that is it. This time it got to me much more. Why? I can't even name it. Perhaps it was more direct, more intense.
Sea Bird
As I had to skip the Ely concert this year, I heard the three new songsÂ
Sea Bird, The Lark's Last Song, One Small Voice in Chester for the first time. I likedÂ
Sea Bird the most. It became an earworm immediately, because the tune is quite simple, though appealing. The song lives on its pleasing harmonies, its swaying 6/8 rhythm which perfectly illustrates seagulls letting themselves carry by the wind above the also swaying waves of the ocean and on the richness of the choral sound. A relaxed song that leaves you with a positive mood.
Voca Me
I like to sit in the audience and imagine to hear the song for the first time or, during the sound check rehearsal, picturing which song would make random cathedral visitors who are not familiar with Libera take the ad-hoc decision to attend the concert. Or myself, before my Libera beginning.
 I'm aware that this is very individual, butÂ
Voca Me andÂ
Angele Dei would have won me over right away.Â
Voca Me is just a first-class piece that for me can't be surpassed. It will never be replaced by any other song and I'm really happy that it continues to be sung in concert.
Joseph and also Morgan, whom I will praise loudly later on, had much responsibility on both evenings and what amazed me in Lincoln was the fact that Joseph had three solo pieces one directly afther another,
Sea Bird, Voca Me, The Prayer, including gym! I had not witnessed the largest part of the sound check that second time in Lincoln in favour of visiting the castle (uh, yes, sorry, Libera, that's not normal!), so I wasn't aware that the vocalises would be sung from upstairs from the pulpitum. The best idea, btw, to make use of such local conditions, very nice effect!
Anyway, I just saw that after the last note had ended, Joseph turned around at once and I thought: 'Boy, do get yourself your applause, you deserve it ... oh ... he's running to the back, ah yes, I remember someone telling me that he and Ben later in Â
Salva Me would sing their parts from above.' It was extremely funny to watch Joseph dashing away and vanishing in the background on the stairs, before he suddenly appeared again on the pulpitum, where he delivered gloriousÂ
Voca Me vocalises. Then, he had to hurry to return in time for his next solo. Wow, the workload and kudos that he did all of the marathon without need of more breath. Â
The Prayer
Oh, this one had a surprise effect on me: Normally, I don't care much about the song, but in Chester it captivated me to tears. It was conducted with such peace and Liam ggave the music the time it needs, very much ad libitum, so it was really intense. The choir sang beautifully and Joseph's voice with a serious inner tone ... it had just a big impact on me this time and when it got to the words "Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace, give us faith, so we'll be safe", I couldn't help crying. This has been a tough year for me and I felt these words so much.
Joseph is an admirable soloist. His voice has distinctly matured, since I last heard him, which I love. It's noticeable in every register and a true delight for my ears! Although he seemed a bit hoarse in Lincoln compared to Chester, there is an unchangeable core to his voice, that gives it character. That core is always audible. The voice was stable and confident, as Joseph guided it along the songs. There is a seriousness to his voice, which gets me indeed.
O Beata
A slow, contemplative and touching song consisting of several parts. Interestingly it contains a short, but unique, so very recognisable melodic bit which is exactly the same as in one of my favourite songs:Â
Stabat Mater. This had hit me from the beginning and may have contributed to my liking.
The best part of
O Beata is a Gregorian chant like unison part, which freely floats above the instrumental carpet. It gives the song something mystic and something infinitely peaceful. Later on, the song evolves into soaring, bright harmonies by the choir with a triumphant "Alleluia", before it ends with a pinch of drama as the salt in the soup of this music, which calls your attention once more. Great composition and a typical Libera song with all that's required to be called that way.Â
There's a large, challenging solo in terms of pitch because the tune is not easy, which was sung by Cameron alone in Lincoln, as his partner in Chester, Mitchel, sadly had got sick. So all focus lay on Cameron and I loved the beauty of his performance with his light, delicate voice, sparkling like stars in the dark.
Love Shine a Light
If you like the song, please skip reading the following remarks.
Libera clearly sang it very well and with commitment, so they did, unsurprisingly, a good job again. But I can't stand this song. Sorry to those that like it, but I just can't help it. The music is uninteresting, but most of all I'm tired of another one of those superficial A-Little-Peace-everyone-love-each-other-crowd-please lyrics, that are so successful at every ESC. As if we weren't aware of that. Rant mode off.
How different, in contrast to this song, are the lyrics ofÂ
From a Distance, which aim at the same, but are set so much better. So I will now leave the chronological path for a moment and advance reviewing ...
 ...
From a Distance
So yes, these lyrics are original, authentic and heartfelt, they make you reflect, because they hit the point, but are honest enough not to conceal that this requires effort.
It has a great Libera arrangement by Sam. Charming solos were performed by Freddie and Nathan. The part "From a distance you look like my friend / even though we are at war. / From a distance I cannot comprehend / what all this fighting's for" have an impact on me every time and now in particular, while there's a war going on right in front of our house doors, which is still like an unreal nightmare to me, as I never believed I'd see that in Europe in my life. Goosebumps showering over me, while I listened.Â
The song got an interesting lighting in Chester, which I realised only later during the song (was it that way all along?). They had illuminated the cross above the stage without any movement or change of the light, just a freeze image of the cross. It was a powerful illustration of the words "God is watching you from a distance." to an energetic performance by the choir.
Back to the concert's regular order:Â
Salva Me
Masterful, shimmering Salvas by Ben, who in Chester sang them from the front row in the choir. In Lincoln he stood upon the pulpitum, as mentioned before. So the contrast couldn't have been bigger, which was very interesting.Â
The Lark's Last SongOh well. Liszt. And then Liebestraum. I'm no Liszt fan and no fan of this very piece due to its harmonic progression plus it's being played just too often.
Anyway, Josh Madine is the lyricist and the arranger and he did an excellent job with that! The lyrics are nostalgic. In concerts, I first listen to the music only, as it's not so easy to get the lyrics directly at the first time. Now I have read them: The metaphor of a singing bird's departure forever, someone that brought music to others has passed away, but the music still remains with and echoes in us. Robert? "The words I longed to speak to thee" are the final words. We probably all read Josh's dedicated text after Robert Prizeman's death (which still makes me sad, it's unbelievable how that stays with me). So I could imagine that Josh addresses him here. I may be wrong, though. The words are, in what way ever we interpret them, very poetic and moving. Josh has a way with lyrics.
InÂ
The Lark's Last Song again, I fully savoured Joseph's remarkably grown-up tone. Pure voice, straight singing and he is very well able to sustain the long notes as long as necessary. A skill that I watched with quite a lot of other soloists too that evening, so their breath control is amazing.
I am the Day
OMG! This was exceptional and clearly another favourite of mine in Lincoln. The piece needs to be heard and seen live to comprehend its different layers. There's the mystic and the bright, the changes just keep you busy. It is basically a calm song, but there's so much going on. The singing, the whispers, this creates a feeling of direct and indirect sounds, an idea of the three-dimensional room. Certainly, this is why I highly enjoy it being performed live, but rarely listen to the album. The entire performance went under my skin. Awesome performance.
Both soloists (Morgan and Ben) were superb and fit to the song in the best manner. Morgan with his slightly breathy voice, which has that tender middle region is just the very soloist to sing it.
Ben's vocalises at the end were flawless once more and together with the deep echoing it was so haunting that it made me shiver. Ben is very young, but already surprisingly reliable. His voice is great, his technique exceptionally secure at this young age - he knows what he's doing. His posture is professional, he stands there grounded with his feet and that way provides the best starting position for performing successfully. It was wonderful to listen to him. Let's see how he develops.Â
Beati
The laughter! There's one part where the choir is divided into two groups who face one another. Two of the boys suffered from a severe fit of the giggles, because they were reckless enough to look at each other. It was so funny to watch! It healed a bit in Lincoln, but was still there. In Chester, I had honest worries that they wouldn't be able to pull themselves together in time for their next singing entry. We know it: One single glance, one word and you burst into laughter and there's no way to get it under control. It doesn't have to do with age btw, as I can tell from a dinner in Ely 2022, where there was no eating possible for a full 10 minutes. Chapeau to the boys - you ARE professional!
Angel
Just a normal Muramatsu song, good for me in times, when I need total ease and nothing rough whatsoever. It was another delicate performance by Morgan and Pietro. Pietro started the song with his lovely singing.
Angele Dei
Now we are coming to the very highlight of mine. I heard the song 2.5 times, first in Chester's sound check and then in the two concerts. Morgan absolutely owns this song! The sound check version was actually his best delivery. He blew me away there. In the Chester concert, he showed some nerves which had an effect on his voice's stability. I don't care. Depending on the situation, the voice can reflect the current emotional state directly. The performance in Lincoln was all good.
I cannot praise the overall performance of this song enough. Listening to Morgan, a bell literally appeared before my inner eye, a small one with a light and bright tone. But I'd also compare his voice to a flute, if an instrument is required. In earlier reviews, I described it as feather-like, and I maintain this still today as well. Also, he has that self-evident posture on stage.
Some said that he was not loud enough at the beginning ofÂ
Angele Dei and that the choir overpowered him. My reception was different: At first, there was the choir intro. And then Morgan's voice just organically grew out of it like something appearing out of a foggy area: first seeming unreal (apparitional, said the dictionary?) and then getting more and more distinct. I found that completely suitable. The mystic side of the song was perfectly well pictured with this and a new experience for me.
Morgan's voice is a caress for my ears. It is equally soft and clear, which results in an irresistibly gentle tone that gives his voice a generally friendly sound. He sings without signs of effort, his voice is never shrill, but always, really always blends with the choir in the best way. And all the way through it was audible, so also above the full choral "Illumina" part, like a shining, but simple finish on the outside of the choral ribbon. It was a sublime performance by everybody, still echoing in me; one of the Libera experiences you want to collect in a special Libera treasure box.
Sacris Solemnis
Not my song, as I prefer the original, but certainly drawing you in simply by the bouncy and at the same time, well, like the titles states it, solemn rhythmic component, which gives the song its character. And the choir realised this very well. I did enjoy the song and I liked Freddie's solo so much. His voice is changing, but it is still clear and strong and very beautiful. He presented his part with quiet modesty and then stepped back to the choir line.
One Small Voice
Another classical piece Libera based a piece on: The Pathétique by Beethoven. This one works perfectly fine for Libera, because the original composition is so cantabile already, so it only needs a small step to make it a sung song with lyrics. It became a beautiful, anthem-like arrangement by Sam, with a streaming choir sound.
I was happy to see another new soloist perform: Julian, and he as well gave an enchanting performance. Not a "small voice" at all and if this "is all you have to sing", then you are rich, Julian!
Ave Maria
In both concerts, it belonged to my top favourites. Lewis! The Choir! The piece!
Ave Maria is pure intense imploring set to music. And everybody brought this attitude across just so sensitively. The choral part was total gentleness, particularly at the end. Wonderful. And Lewis ... congratulations on your performance, Lewis! It is a demanding song in terms of intonation with its very big and very tiny intervals and the slow tempo, where you'd hear all flaws. Also, it is very stirring, as said before. Lewis completely drew me into the song, it was just unbelievably beautiful. What a wonderful voice he has and how refined his phrasing was! His seamless legato impressed me most, because it was flawless. Plus connecting two colliding vowels ("Maria --> ora") without a breaking sound is not easy, but Lewis accomplished it as, like we'd express it, softly as butter.Â
Thank you all for the dreamful mood you provided, for me to just let myself sink in. So poignant, so intimate, so mesmerising.Â
God Only Knows
I don't have much to say about the song itself, while I must mention Thomas's singing skills. Not only does he have a very nice, glowing voice, but he is another example for the soloists showing an astoundingly homogeneous tone to their voices throughout the different registers. This is such an essential aspect of quality and skill! Have I already said that I enjoyed the voices so much in these two concerts? No? Then here you are.
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Sing
Here, Chester captured me more than Lincoln, as the boys looked more cheerful in Chester. I can hardly sit still on my seat when I hear it, it's such a playful, fresh song. I think the boys could move a bit more to this upbeat music. Anyway, the spark always jumps over, when they singÂ
Sing.
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Smile
Ben sang another charming, confident solo and in Chester it was fun to see how, after Liam showed him a smiling mouth, Ben switched on a smile.
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I'm very pleased about how many soloists Libera currently trains. It gives hope that they will continue this. I definitely prefer a large number of them to only a tiny number of eversame soloists appearing in almost each song. I adore Ben Crawley's treble voice and I love the album "Free", but still there was too much dominance of one soloist for my taste. That said, there's nothing to say against the soloists themseves, but hearing different voices to different songs makes the whole experience so much more interesting and vivid. I feel that getting to see a larger variety also brings the entire choir closer to the audience. For me, the soloists don't have to be perfectly perfect all the time. I simply love Libera for providing chances to shine to so many of them and I love to watch their musical progress. Furthermore, having a good number of soloists, the risk of a shortage in case of a sudden illness is minimised and an ill boy can calmly step back without a bad feeling.
The soloists were all good up to exquisite. There was not a single exception, it was really awesome! Apparently, they receive an excellent training right now. Singing myself, I know about register breaks, the goal to make the high notes sound as rounded as the other ones and also about fears of high notes, which is of course counterproductive. But here, they all had a successful technique to properly integrate such notes to achieve an evenness of sound all over. As a lot of them were visibly observing such techniques, I wonder if they have a particular coach teaching all of them at present ...Â
There is an admirably consistent quality of all the soloists! Also, they have a good way of presenting their solos, simple and natural. I love it. It is so nice to just lean back and enjoy and I enjoyed watching them, too.
A shout-out to the choir who was brilliant! I must insist on emphasising this very much. If it had been an entire concert without any exposed solos, I would not even have missed anything, as I just enjoyed the choral parts so mucht. The good Lincoln acoustics fulfilled their part, but the choir just had such a superb sound, shining, warm and transparent. Also, the high parts soaring above the choir sounded extraordinarily pleasant. What a feast for the ears!
Regarding the speeches, they presented many new ones and it was fun and educating. We learnt for example that the word "libera" doesn't only apply to their music, but also to their everyday life. So they are "free from school" now. I shall not start to give them ideas about school days with Libera rehearsals ...
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The speakers were all good, just like the soloists. I only mention Hal, Corey and Archie. Hal impresses me. I remember him from his very first mini-boy appearance. He was such a pale boy and super-serious. And now? Strong speaking voice, self-confident, fluent speaking.Â
Corey made me laugh, when he and Leon announced the two angel songs. Leon: "They are both about angels ...", "... just like us.", Corey added. And this "jus tlike us" came out in such a dust-dry way that I chuckled inside (I hope that "dry" or "dust-dry" is the right English word; we call it that way in German when something funny is said in a completely uninvolved way which makes it all the funnier). Corey has a very nice speaking voice.Â
Last but not least Archie, who held the final speech. He's a mini-boy and mostly stood at the far left, which made him appear even smaller.He reminded me of Hal years ago, because he was similarly serious. He delivered his speech quite quickly, but all fine. I like it that the youngest singers get their opportunities, too. The younger they start, the more time they have to develop their skills, gather experience and gain confidence.Â
And the words "I'm sorry", halfway whispered by one of the boys, after he got confused with something, had me melt. Actually, I appreciate some mistakes. Wouldn't it be boring if everything went smoothly?!
To all the others I leave unmentioned here: You were all good and I sincerely enjoyed your speeches. I can't say it often enough: Speeches presented with a pleasant voice in a pleasant way can be just as enjoyable as sung solos for me.
Sitting in Chester's front row so close to Liam, who conducted the concerts, he was being watched!
His conducting is very precise and with physical exertion, but never intrusive. Just enough to bring the musical intention across to the boys on stage. Very good. He acts calm, but clear, and I imagine that he succeeds in making the more nervous boys feel supported and safe up there.
Liam did his best (at least in Chester, I did not notice it that much in Lincoln) to make the boys smile on stage. I saw him show it to them with his hand turning his mouth into a smile repeatedly. And he succeeded in making me follow that order automatically every time I saw him doing that.
Obviously, he conducted me that night. But yes, also the boys who were supposedly the real aim of his efforts.
And they did smile, which I loved. They are so serious much too often. I remember the concert in Moscow in 2018, when my Russian neighbour even asked me if they are not allowed to smile. This wasn't the case at all in Chester and that is good. More of your smiles, boys! It's good for your audience as well.
One thing to improve: Giving the entry toÂ
Smile happened so quickly after
Sing that it felt likeÂ
Smile was actually a part of the regular programme. In my opinion, Liam could have given everybody more time for the boys to pocket their well-deserved applause and standing ovation and for the audience to show them our appreciation for a more extended period. It brought across a bit of a hurried feeling to me at the end.
When I see how many alumni take care of Libera now and how well they seem to get along with one another (if not, the performances would be less successful), a great warmth fills my heart. After Robert passed away, nothing better could have happened to the choir than grow into such a precious form of the Libera family, and I am sure that the boys receive the best encouragement one can imagine. It is precious!
This was all too serious and you long for more fun? Take this:
When the boys left the stage to the final applause, one of the last boys couldn't decide which side to take. He started going to the right, then decided differently, so turned around, walked a full 360° circle, until he finally did leave - to the right again.
I'm still full of enthusiasm about both concerts, but the Lincoln concert in particular. It was a real high-quality concert. A choir in marvelous shape, a large number of gifted soloists, so many beautiful voices, a fantastic cathedral sound, such committed orchestra musicians and a very well working cooperation of the staff! Thanks to everyone who made these concerts possible and a rounded experience!Â
Looking forward now to Sinfonia Smith Square in December. I bought a gallery ticket with free will and in - assumed - full possession of my mental powers. I have long wished to see them from above once, and as they perform there so often, I think I don't lose anything even in case it turns out less nicely. I'm already excited!
[Edited for a correction and an emoji. ]
I always look forward to what you write!!
) when it comes to housekeeping with Libera.
