Dream (new album 2024)

[john45]

After a good number of listens I claim that the emotion award for the most heartfelt interpretation of the album goes to Joseph for his solo in When I'm Laid in Earth. His singing is sincere and credible, completely conveying the feeling to me. He's most amazing here!

Btw, I had a unique first listen of the album, which probably no-one else experienced.
Initially, I copied the album to my computer, then searched for the songs by 'Libera' and 'Dream' in the music library, afterwards drag-dropped the result en bloc into a new playlist and listened to it, never looking on the track list, just relaxing with my eyes closed. When the final song started, it sounded surprisingly familiar.
Guess which one it was.

Not by Abba then,which was my guess.

[filiarheni]

Not by Abba then,which was my guess.

Correct, that song did not come with the bunch of songs. My computer seems to have clear preferences - just like me.

I think I read somewhere the note at the end of How Shall I Sing That Majesty was a C sharp? So not as high but still very impressive to nail live and as you said Tom does it so easily.

Have to give credit for Joseph and Ben doing their top E live in Japan as well as on the record - that is seriously impressive.

Yes, C sharp.

For the fun - anyone remembers this?

[Mercurial909]

The two things I like most about the album are 1. that there are some gorgeous harmonies of many of the tracks, and 2. the compositions of a number of former Libera choristers.

I need to listen through a few more times before I’m sure of which songs stand out but so far I like Dream You Of, Resurrectio, and One Small Voice.

So far, I still prefer the previous album overall, but I have to say I am VERY, VERY impressed with Joseph’s vocal development, and also Ben’s. I look forward to what the Hill brothers will sound like in the next couple of years, before Joseph’s voice starts to transition.

[Cat-a-tonic]

So here is my review of Dream. WARNING - it's long. To make it a slightly less long post, I'm posting it in two parts: one about each track and then one on general thoughts. I apologise for the length - it's just such an interesting album and I got carried away. Please feel free to skim read or indeed ignore.

Dream Review

Seabird

As I’ve said elsewhere, I wasn’t at all sure about how this would work as a Libera song but it’s been growing on me and the video helped a lot. I now really like it. I love the simple opening with the rippling piano and Luca’s beautiful clear voice. The backing harmonies towards the end of the second verse are wonderfully done, they support the solo without distracting from it. The third verse where all the voices come in and the harmonies builds in volume and excitement and the vocalizing interlude really makes me visualize flying. The return to the first verse but with the whole choir singing ties the song together and I like the little change in the last line, from ‘how I can dream’ to ‘how, how I can dream’ in the last. Can’t really say why, it just works for me. The gradual reduction of voices on the last line till it ends with Luca’s solo gives a fading out effect which fits with the idea of dreams. I also love the odd instances of internal rhyme here: ‘I move with the sound/of waves all around’, ‘the thunder/and wonder of Northern Lights’. They complement the rhythm of the song nicely and are just aesthetically pleasing.


One Small Voice

This was my favourite of the three new songs when I heard it at Chester and I think it probably still is. It’s quite simple in many ways but that fits with its lyrics. It builds from Julian’s solo – one small voice to the beautiful choir harmonies at the end. Julian delivers his solo very well. There is a distinct tome to his voice – I find it hard to describe but it’s not a typical treble sound. (this is not a criticism at all just an observation. The unison trebles on the second verse beautifully echo Julian and then we move on to Joseph’s solo which to me sounds harder but Joseph of course delivers it beautifully. Then the deeper voices and the trebles have their line each which sounds like a brief conversation and then the main theme returns, this time will full harmonies. I find the pleading ‘one full life/is all I long to lead’ very moving and uplifting. The opening and closing descants tie the whole song together and I like the addition of the whole choir on the final descant – it’s like a collective breathing out.
I really like the lyrics for this one too. I like how the adjectives are repeated across two verses ‘one small voice’ ‘one small song’ ‘one full heart’ ‘one full life’. I also like the rhyming across the verses. It also seems like a kind of manifesto for Libera – they may each only have one small voice – but they’ll keep on singing and serving and this will resonate and live on beyond them.


Dream You Of

The longest track on the album and one that fits very well with the album title. I really like this one even though I find it strange and mysterious (or perhaps that’s why I like it). The opening acapella section reminds me a bit of Mother of God from the Beyond album but with a denser and more sombre sound. Then the mood, the tempo, everything change. I like Yorkie’s comparison to a video game track for this section or I’d suggestion perhaps a fantasy or action film score. There’s a sudden urgency that is completely absent in the first section. Morgan’s solos are fantastic, really showing off his range. On first listen I actually thought Ben was singing the first two lines and then Morgan was responding but having listened again and given that Morgan’s name is listed first, I think it’s probably all him with Ben doing the descant – it’s just that his voice has a slightly different tone in his higher register. Ben’s descant gives an eerie dramatic effect, matching the images of darkness and battle as does Morgan’s higher voice while his softer voice works well on the reassuring lines eg ‘I will appear an oasis’. The Latin section carries on the intensity with some brightness from the high notes providing a contrast and then changes mood back to calm and mysterious with the outro.


The Lark’s Last Song

I don’t have a lot to say about this song. I like it and don’t find it overly sentimental (but to be fair my tolerance threshold for sentimentally is pretty high). Joseph sings beautifully like his voice was made for this. The video of the song shows the feeling with which he sings. The choir harmonies are as always gorgeous – I particularly like the lower parts later in the song. I agree with whoever said that Josh has had a good stab at writing a Romantic poem here and it’s impressive. I also wonder if it was meant to be a tribute to Robert Prizeman with the themes of death but also one day being able to speak to someone who has died and also lines like ‘in homage now to thee’.


Always There

When I first listened to this one I was fairly indifferent to it. However it’s growing on me and I think it might continue to do so. Repetitive or not, I usually end up liking Muramatsu’s songs and it often takes a few listens. Morgan does a lot of work on this track and unsurprisingly does it very well. His voice is soothing, perfect for the reassuring nature of the lyrics.


Twilight

Lovely, lovely Twilight. It waws beautiful when I heard it at Chester and it is again here. Morgan does a wonderful job and I think it’s greatly to his credit that the recording doesn’t strike me as noticeably better than his performance at Chester: he is just that good at singing this song. Pietro’s harmony in the second verse is pretty faint and I personally would have liked the second voice to be a little more prominent. But everything else is great, the dreamy intro music, the boys’ soft sweet voices and I like the addition of the occasional tolling bell in the track – ‘vesper bells pealing’ indeed! I do think this could have been the first track on the album, opening it as it did so beautifully at the summer concerts. It’s an evening prayer after all and after that sleep and dream can follow. But I do understand why they went for Seabird – after all it’s literally about being taught how to dream.


Once

I’m not too sure what I think about this one. The melody is beautiful, haunting, poignant and Thomas’s voice is perfect, plaintive and haunting – very suitable for a song about memory. However, I’m not sure about the bits between the verses and I would have liked maybe one verse fewer. Also some of the lyrics seem a little strange for such a young choir – they imply a much older speaker eg ‘Walking hand in hand through/moments of our life’ and ‘where we built out future’. To me it suggests an older couple or friends or family who’ve been together for a long time. But I’ll bear with this one as I think it’ll grow on me and I cannot fault Thomas’s performance.


Dido’s Lament

Absolutely stunning. Joseph will take all the plaudits here and rightly so as he does an outstanding job, vocally, musically and emotionally, but I also love the arrangement of the harmonies. They start the song, then fall quiet to let Joseph sing alone then surge back in on the second repetition of ‘no trouble’ creating stunning dissonance. They really are crucial to this piece and become more elaborate as the piece continues. I love the high voice vocalise later in the piece. I wonder if that’s Joseph too or Ben or both of them. Huge congratulations to everyone involved with arranging this. It’s not my absolute favourite because Lullay stole my heart but it is the one I find the most impressive.


Veni Sancte

From the introductory pre-released snippet on the website I was expecting the whole song to be more fast paced with lots of percussion – a bit like Beati. The Latin chorus certainly is and manages to be serious and joyful at once but the verses are quieter, slower and more reflective than I was expecting. The lyrics are touching and meaningful. Probably not a track I’m going to rave about but one that I like very much.


Resurrectio

This was the track I was most curious about after the snippets were released on the website and it did not disappoint. If Dido’s Lament is the most impressive track singing wise then for me Resurrectio is the most impressive composition.
Luca and Freddie do a wonderful job with their maturing voices, full of depth and resonance. They really carry this song. Luca’s opening unaccompanied Latin line grabs attention immediately then the gentle choir part provides a contrast. Then they get going in their duet, dramatic and strong. It’s a song of contrasts because most of the duet is slow and stately but the choir parts are often faster and more upbeat. Then you get the verse where the soloists almost seem to be chasing each other – the tempo is up and there’s an urgency to it. The song reaches its climax and then fades with the calmness of the opening line repeated.


Going Home

This song is special to me because it’s the first Libera song I fell in love with. That was the Leiden version and I thought that couldn’t be topped. This version doesn’t top it but it pretty much rivals it. I love Lewis’s voice here. It’s soft with the deeper range shining through and just a hint of a darker tone. It’s perfect for this song. Then the clear pure younger voice (Edward I’m guessing thanks to the order in which the soloists are listed) comes in as a complete contrast. He’s joined by Theo (probably) whose voice sounds a little deeper and richer but still clearly treble. After this I’m not sure who’s doing what except that Lewis is doing all the bits that Josh did at Leiden. I think it’s Theo leading the third verse and Ben leading the ahs but I’m not sure. It’s beautifully done anyway, hats off to all the soloists.


Lullay

My favourite track of the album and in an album with so many great tracks that is saying something. It’s just so soothing, I could listen to it all day. The soft choir sounds to start. Ben’s voice is so pure on the Sing Lullay, it’s the perfect crystal clear young treble. Then Morgan with the verse, slow, soft, mesmerizing. Pietro on the second verse is equally beautiful. I’m glad he got a solo on his own – his voice is lovely. It has a similar soft quality to Morgan’s but has its own distinct tone too. I think Joseph comes in then with ‘When you close your eyes’ and the choir echoes him. Then we get the beautiful duet with Morgan and I think Pietro and the choir answering them. The choir sound is beautiful throughout, soft, soothing and lulling. It was interesting to hear Ben Crawley describe it as interrupted lullaby as I hadn’t picked up on that – I thought it was just a traditional lullaby. But the interruption adds an extra depth and pathos.

Music Was Born

A bit of a mixed one for me. Ever since I first heard the original Gershwin, I’ve loved that opening phrase, so lyrical and evocative and no change here. I like the (saxophone I’m guessing?) that plays alongside the voices in the opening. When the boys come to sing those bits the saxophone plays I find it a little bit rushed and chaotic, hard to pick out lyrics. But it’s skillfully arranged and certainly pleasant to listen to. Huge shoutout to Joseph and Ben for nailing that high e (do they do it twice by the look of the Making Of video) and not just in the recording studio but in the recent concerts in Japan according to reviews. Seriously impressive.
I am also not convinced by the final lyrics ‘I know music loves me’. All the rest are fine, showing all the good things music does for the world – no argument there - but personifying it in the way the last lines does doesn’t feel right to me.


Happy Xmas (War is Over)

As other people have commented this is a particularly poignant song with all that’s going on in the world at the minute. Let’s hope ‘war is over’ can be more than a dream.
This seemed a slightly surprising choice for Libera to cover but they do an amazing job. One of the best things about it is how it showcases the soloists’ different voices. Luca and Freddie have rich full maturing voices as they demonstrated on Resurrectio, while the younger boys contrast with them.Caleb’s solo is adorable. His voice is very distinctive, young-sounding but with a slightly husky quality which is rarer in young trebles. Hal and Ben also do a great job. The developing harmonies in the chorus are great. The ‘war is over’ theme bits, first vocalised and then with words, work really well, never detracting from the solos but rather enhancing. A great ending track.

[Cat-a-tonic]

General Thoughts

Soloists

Unsurprisingly, Joseph and Morgan carry the bulk of the solos on this album as they have done in recent concerts and they both do a phenomenal job. As someone else commented the tone of Morgan’s voice works really well with the theme of Dreams. He also shows his versatility, bringing out different colours and tones in his voice. Joseph is even more varied. While Dido’s Lament is his masterpiece he is excellent on every solo and even on the songs where he doesn’t have a solo he’s presumably putting in some hard work with Ben on the high notes.
However, one of the best things about the album for me is the range of soloists, with a few songs having as many as 4. Getting to hear so many boys’ different voices is brilliant. Ben is brilliant in his first album – he actually has the same number of solos as Morgan though most of his are much shorter. His voice is beautifully pure as is Edward’s on Going Home. Luca and Freddie do two excellent solos each with their maturing voices, and Freddie also provides a great contrast to Oskar’s pure high descant on One Small Voice’. Then we have Luca at peak treble with his gorgeous rendition of Seabird.
I’ve already mentioned how much I like Lewis’s voice in Going Home and while Theo’s is harder to pick out because of the harmonies it sounds rich and sweet. Julian has a very distinctive voice and sings humbly and sweetly. It’s great to hear a solo from Hal after 6 years with the choir and I like the slightly raw sound of his voice. Caleb’s voice is very distinctive with a sweetness and huskiness that’s striking for such a young voice. Thomas M is magnificent on Once, his voice perfect for that poignant piece. Pietro in Lullay may be my favourite solo of the lot, his voice is peaceful and serene, like Morgan’s but with a quality of its own.
I think that’s everyone!

My only disappointment is that I would have liked to have had a solo for Cameron as this is almost certainly his last album as a treble. He’s done several concert solos over the years and when I heard him at Chester his voice was beautiful. I would have also liked to have had something by Nathan but at least he’s recorded on Forever. However, from reading reviews of concerts in 2023 I feel they may have missed recording him at his absolute peak.


Themes

Clearly, dreams are very important and are mentioned in a number of songs. As a result sleep and night are also very important though it’s interesting that sometimes night is positive and peaceful as in Lullay while at other times it’s more negative, something to be survived as in Always There.
Death is also a theme and the interaction of the dead with the living as in The Lark’s Last Song and Going Home where the singers are longing to speak to or see someone who’s gone before and there’s a sense of peace and connection. Dido’s Lament is the other way round where the person dying is hoping not to cause trouble after their death, wanting to leave peace behind them.
Longing for peace is there with Music was Born and Happy Xmas and the power of music is reflected on in Music was Born and One Small Song. I guess these could be related to dreams or aspirations.
All in all, considering the variety of styles and composers, the album holds together very well through these themes.


Favourite track: Lullay, closely followed by Going Home and Dido’s Lament
Most impressive composition: Resurrectio
Most listenable to song: One Small Voice. Maybe because it’s more familiar thanks to being released as a music video but I just find this one really easy to listen to. Some of the others like Dream You Of and Resurrectio are great but more intense and require more engagement if that makes sense.
Standout solo: Joseph in Dido’s Lament
Favourite solo: Joseph’s is incredibly impressive but my personal favourite to listen to is a tie between Pietro in Lullay and Lewis in Going Home. Also Morgan in any of his solos deserves a special mention.

[Surpinto]

Wow! This is quite a detailed review and I don't know where to even begin and replying to it

To start, thank you for giving us so many details and analysis! As I have stated here many times, hearing the songs through the ears of others (to coin a phrase) is super enjoyable because you get to hear the nuances that perhaps didn't stand out to you, or highlights that you would not yourself have chosen. Like you, I'm also a big fan of "Lullay" as it has such a mysterious atmosphere – but in a floating, soothing, and light way. I fear listening to it too many times and somehow reducing its impact!

I'm a fan of "The Lark’s Last Song" and enjoyed it immensely even in concert this summer when I first heard it. I'm not sure how much of an homage it is to Robert, as I take it as being more indicative of religious imagery. Especially the very last verse (2:40 on the album, 3:00 on the video) which after the choir had just sung what sounds like a closing note on the song, Joseph picks up another verse and closes the song in such a perfect way that any issues with over-sentimentality (with which I too have a high bar) are perfectly washed away. Especially as the tempo of the song decreases and he sings in an almost prayer-like way "to hear the words I longed to speak to thee". That part of the song is so enchanting that it elevates the entire experience of listening.

I also agree with much of your analysis of the soloists and how this album really showcases the choir as a whole as well as so many fantastic individual voices as well. The voice is such a personal and intimate instrument, with no two being entirely alike. It's unfortunate that some voices will never be recorded by the choir and that we only have our memory to go off of from a live performance but that's how it goes I guess. When you have such a talented choir there is no dearth of choices for Sam and the team to pick various soloists on particular songs. We know from interviews with Robert that he often gave boys small solos during their church services so as to see how they do, and I'm certain there are quite a few boys in the choir who are perfectly content never having any solos even if they are vocally suitable for a particular song when you consider nerves and such.

Anyway, thank you again for your excellent review and detailed notes! I would never dare to skim or ignore a post this while written and detailed so no need for any warnings in the future, unless it's meant as an indirect invitation

[Yorkie]

So here is my review of Dream. WARNING - it's long. To make it a slightly less long post, I'm posting it in two parts: one about each track and then one on general thoughts.

Great write up, I enjoyed reading it thank you.

[Luckdragon]

Creative World in Los Angeles dedicated nearly half of tonight's show to a preview of Dream.

[Cat-a-tonic]

Wow! This is quite a detailed review and I don't know where to even begin and replying to it

You seem to have made a good start!

I'm a fan of "The Lark’s Last Song" and enjoyed it immensely even in concert this summer when I first heard it. I'm not sure how much of an homage it is to Robert, as I take it as being more indicative of religious imagery.

Fair enough. I'm far from sure about it being a tribute to Robert and I agree it works as a religious piece or as secular spiritual piece about losing and then reuniting with someone.

I also agree with much of your analysis of the soloists and how this album really showcases the choir as a whole as well as so many fantastic individual voices as well. The voice is such a personal and intimate instrument, with no two being entirely alike. It's unfortunate that some voices will never be recorded by the choir and that we only have our memory to go off of from a live performance but that's how it goes I guess. When you have such a talented choir there is no dearth of choices for Sam and the team to pick various soloists on particular songs. We know from interviews with Robert that he often gave boys small solos during their church services so as to see how they do, and I'm certain there are quite a few boys in the choir who are perfectly content never having any solos even if they are vocally suitable for a particular song when you consider nerves and such.

Of course, they are far more limited in recordings with fewer songs. It wasn't intended to be a criticism just a personal wish, of course they have to be selective. My feeling is that in concerts they do do their best to make sure every boy who wants a solo gets at least a small one as witness the number of soloists in the recent Japan concerts. From reading reviews they seemed to be going down the line of having different soloists on different verses of some songs, thus spreading the workload and giving a smaller introduction for those who wanted to try solos. I think I counted 18 different soloists in the reviews which out of 29 boys is a very high percentage and of those who didn't have solos 4 or so had just graduated from mini boy status and 4 others - Mitchell, Nathan, Thomas SH and Ethan had been soloists in the past. So yes in a concert they can really showcase their range of talents and as you said I'm sure there are some boys who wouldn't want to do solos which is completely understandable.

Anyway, thank you again for your excellent review and detailed notes! I would never dare to skim or ignore a post this while written and detailed so no need for any warnings in the future, unless it's meant as an indirect invitation

No it absolutely wasn't meant like that! So I'll bear that in mind in the future. Thank you in turn for your responses

So here is my review of Dream. WARNING - it's long. To make it a slightly less long post, I'm posting it in two parts: one about each track and then one on general thoughts.

Great write up, I enjoyed reading it thank you.

Thank you!

[fan_de_LoK]

Refering the 'Dream' album on discogs I noticed something peculiar.
The credited boys for the album are not the same between the UK and the JP versions.

The UK version only lists 30 names while the JP version has 42.
The Uk version misses 6 mini-boys and 6 'Bigs'.
Laurence Azikiwe, Tadhg Barber, Max Bolton, Casper Duncan-Windley, Emmanuel Mensah-Woode, Archer Robson.
Laurence Davey, Ludwik Kowalczyk, Mathias Montoro, Frederick Mushrafi, Koji Shinokubo, Jack Spicha.

Dream - Credits names UK vs JP.jpg (98.84 KiB) Viewed 276 times

Dream - Credits names UK vs JP.jpg (98.84 KiB) Viewed 276 times

[gingerthedog1]

Refering the 'Dream' album on discogs I noticed something peculiar.
The credited boys for the album are not the same between the UK and the JP versions.

The UK version only lists 30 names while the JP version has 42.
The Uk version misses 6 mini-boys and 6 'Bigs'.
Laurence Azikiwe, Tadhg Barber, Max Bolton, Casper Duncan-Windley, Emmanuel Mensah-Woode, Archer Robson.
Laurence Davey, Ludwik Kowalczyk, Mathias Montoro, Frederick Mushrafi, Koji Shinokubo, Jack Spicha.

Dream - Credits names UK vs JP.jpg

I wonder if this is because the smaller group of 30 boys was recorded in August, while the larger group was recorded in April/even earlier in 2023. It is also possible the Japan listing is merely the current choir roster, while the UK listing is the number of boys who actually had voice parts recorded for the album.

[fan_de_LoK]

It is also possible the Japan listing is merely the current choir roster, while the UK listing is the number of boys who actually had voice parts recorded for the album.

You are most probably right.
I carefully compared each track from the two CDs and they are 100% the same.

The UK versions says :
Masterd at Masterpiece
Mastered By – Tony Dixon

The JP version says :
Mastered at Masterpiece, M's Disk Mastering
Mastered By – Tony Dixon, Masayo Takise

Sadly none says where the recording or the mixing sessions took place.

[Luckdragon]

It is also possible the Japan listing is merely the current choir roster, while the UK listing is the number of boys who actually had voice parts recorded for the album.

You are most probably right.
I carefully compared each track from the two CDs and they are 100% the same.

The UK versions says :
Masterd at Masterpiece
Mastered By – Tony Dixon

The JP version says :
Mastered at Masterpiece, M's Disk Mastering
Mastered By – Tony Dixon, Masayo Takise

Sadly none says where the recording or the mixing sessions took place.

My Japanese version says Tony Dixon at Masterpiece, Masayo Takise at M'S DISK(Japan)

My U.S. version says Mastering - Tony Dixon at Masterpiece.

Also, the Japanese version is sold in a jewel case while the U.S. version is a cardboard fold-out. However, inside the fold-out is a big photo of Libera, which is a very nice thing to have at a meet & greet.

[LordG]

Also, the Japanese version is sold in a jewel case while the U.S. version is a cardboard fold-out. However, inside the fold-out is a big photo of Libera, which is a very nice thing to have at a meet & greet.

As we have never had an M&G here in Europe for over a decade, this version of the cover is probably only
interesting for those regions where such meetings take place, in order to have them signed.
I was in the fortunate position of having the cover of the LP ‘Hope’ signed at the time.

[Padmachou]

Thank you to everyone who wrote a review. I am writing a long one for the concert, so I won't write an album review. But I read you all and it was a pleasure ! It's amazing how reading somebody's thoughts can change the way you listen to the music.