Libera at Songs of Praise 'Big Sing' 2017

[filiarheni]

Ah John! I'm always late. Then I'd have a preference for

Angels We Have Heard On High - love it!
Still, still, still - I don't like the song as such too much, but the Libera arrangement is very beautiful.
Veni, veni Emmanuel - oh, that would be extremely fine to hear!!

[Padmachou]

I don't know if it really fits with the context but could we get a "Nearer My God to Thee" ? It would be a way for them to "record" that song and it would be a perfect SoP - althought it's not a Christmas song.

If it is going to be a Christmas song it could be anything - with the December concert coming, they will probably be rehearsing for a few of them.

[fan_de_LoK]

don't forget that you are expected to dress appropriately displaying red and green, tinsel, and to wear a silly hat (reindeer or preferably moose antlers would be acceptable). Have fun.

Haha, I see what you mean

From 2013's 'Big Sing' :





If I remember correctly, you attended yourself the 2014's edition, were you also wearing festive stuffs accordingly to the recommended dress code ?

[fan_de_LoK]

And as second, if so: From A Distance? To give the people something they know ... and with the hope, harmony and peace theme, it would go into the Christmas direction.

Yes, I reached the same conclusion as you, From A Distance is now also my candidate

Among all songs from the 'Hope' CD, 'From a Distance' is the one that seems to fit the more the criteria for the Big Sing.
In addition to the Christmas direction the lyric "God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us, from a distance" puts God above the whole song.

And not to forget that being currently sung on concert, the song is already perfectly mastered by everyone. It then will require not too much rehearsal and the soloist (Merlin) fully controls it.


I did a grid to evaluate each 'Hope' song chances regarding a SOP 'Big Sing' context.
The three more likely are Angele Dei, From a Distance and Wayfaring Stranger, and between these three From A Distance matches the best all conditions.


(my marks: 0=No, 1=Average, 2=Yes)

I will be totally stunned if in the end they sing 'The Three Ravens'

[john45]

I was high up in the choir section out of reach of the TV cameras so did not feel the need to conform.

[filiarheni]

Wow, fan_de_LoK! I should really sleep now, but this was too interesting. I had fun to cover your evaluation, think about mine and then compare. We only differ in the category "accessability" regarding

Angel - for me 2
Venite Adoremus - for me 1

And: Why 0 lyrics points for Angel? It fits the religious theme well and can get full two points.

Cantate caeli chorus angelorum
venite adoramus in aeternum
Psallite saecula et saeculorum
laudate deo in Gloria.
And the words of love we bring
To the never ending story.

Hymn to Mary can be completely excluded, because it's a solo song.

[filiarheni]

Hm. Maybe I would give Home one point and Wayfaring Stranger 2. It's not as explicit as in other songs, but the religious theme is there.

But Wayfaring Stranger is too melancholic for a Christmas singing.

[Surpinto]

I love your mathematical and deductive analysis, FDL, and I cannot argue with your logic. Except, if it is a Christmas themed show, the probability still seems to be towards a classic Christmas number rather than something from "Hope". It just seems inconceivable that they would do anything other than that. Personally, I would prefer "From a Distance" to a Christmas song, but it just seems too improbable to even consider.

I would be happy to be wrong though and such speculations are fun all the same.

[kinda_k00l]

About songs from 'Hope' album: I think that 'Angele Dei', 'Angel' or 'From a Distance' will make it to the list (I feel that 'Angele Dei' has less chance even than 'Angel' though). However, I do believe that songs from 'Hope' is unlikely to be chosen...

I will be totally stunned if in the end they sing 'The Three Ravens'

ROFL!! Exactly the same as my thought.

For the traditional Christmas songs, it would be nice to see 'Angels we have heard on High', 'O Come All Ye Faithful', and even nicer to see 'O Com O Come Emmanuel' or 'Away in a Manger'.

[fan_de_LoK]

We only differ in the category "accessability" regarding
Angel - for me 2
Venite Adoremus - for me 1

Yes, that category is very subjective.
While listening to the song I was thinking about myself being totally clueless about libera, having never heard of them and discovering a kind of song I'm not used to listen.
"Would that one hook me ? And that one ?"
Of course the answer differs from a person to another.

And: Why 0 lyrics points for Angel? It fits the religious theme well and can get full two points.

Cantate caeli chorus angelorum
venite adoramus in aeternum
Psallite saecula et saeculorum
laudate deo in Gloria.
And the words of love we bring
To the never ending story.

You are right
I read all lyrics for my notations, on that one I searched for something more that just the 'Angels', but I jumped too fast on the latin words and I missed the key line.
I may not have give 2 but at least 1 was justified...

[TullyBascombe]

I think the song will have to be both religious and Christmas themed so they may not sing anything from Hope
. We also have to be prepared for the possibility that they may sing in an ensemble that includes several choirs. I don't know that it has to be specifically a traditional Anglican hymn. I thought that someone here mentioned that recently SoP has taken a tack away from the traditional CoE towards the more evangelistic denominations?

[filiarheni]

Yes, that category is very subjective.
While listening to the song I was thinking about myself being totally clueless about libera, having never heard of them and discovering a kind of song I'm not used to listen.
"Would that one hook me ? And that one ?"
Of course the answer differs from a person to another.

I agree and that's why I was surprised to have found so much consensus, while the differences are only so tiny.

[JimmyRiddle]

I think 'How Great Thou Art' could be a possibility for the non-christmas programme. It's right up there as one of the nation's favourite hymns and Libera are very well practiced with this one from their recent tour and concert setlist. Alex G soloist maybe?

They will have the audience performing a few songs in congregation style. (I usually Fast Forward during these, sorry Patrick if your singing from the rafters) Angels from the Realms of Glory is popular choice for this, but I have a funny feeling they might give this to a soloist/artist this time to perform independently and I hope Libera pick up the baton for it. Very lively song and as per Ireland DVD they do the best rendition of it. All purely guesswork of course. Roll on Sunday.

[maartendas]

Yes, as the show will be Christmas themed, 'Carol of the Bells' is a good candidate.
But on the other hand haven't we heard it a little bit in recent years?
I mean, I hope for something else, more recent, like Dreaming of Home as example, it would be a delight to have it sung in the R.A.H.

I agree!

Oh and 'Angel' gets my vote as well ofcourse

[TullyBascombe]

I think 'How Great Thou Art' could be a possibility for the non-christmas programme. It's right up there as one of the nation's favourite hymns and Libera are very well practiced with this one from their recent tour and concert setlist. Alex G soloist maybe?

I have always thought of "How Great Thou Art" as a traditional American gospel song. After a little research I'm amazed to find that it was originally a Swedish poem, then song, translated into English by a British missionary. It didn't arrive in the US until the late 1940's.

Here's the really mind bending thing, the tune of the song in Swedish is the same tune as the Horst Wessel Lied.