a) Libera represented in 1 song? - b) Songs you'd choose to cover their musical range most completely?

[maartendas]

Maarten, you still owe me something, that is the very one song which represents Libera.

There is something in Libera for everyone!

Exactly! And which songs would you need just to have all style range included, just for yourself, not to introduce Libera to others? I was not clear enough in putting my question, I saw.

Okay, you are right At first I thought this was impossible to answer but now I think The Fountain nails it for me. It is both Latin and English, it has sacred and secular lyrics, it showcases group harmony as well as a magnificent solo and it takes a free (!) approach to a well-known melody.

That's my two cents It doesn't tick every box, but most of them anyway - and I just think this song deserved another mention

[TullyBascombe]

I loved Ralph Scan's The Fountain.

[filiarheni]

Okay, you are right At first I thought this was impossible to answer but now I think The Fountain nails it for me. It is both Latin and English, it has sacred and secular lyrics, it showcases group harmony as well as a magnificent solo and it takes a free (!) approach to a well-known melody.

That's my two cents It doesn't tick every box, but most of them anyway - and I just think this song deserved another mention

Thank you.

Off Topic

In Ely, a few minutes walk from the Cathedral, there's a pub called "The Fountain". All kinds of everything evoke thoughts of Libera ...

[kinda_k00l]

Okay so after a looooooong time, I'm here to answer your questions (again )!

a) Libera in one song only: I have logical reasons to choose either Salva Me or Angele Dei (I thought of Angele Dei as long as I read your question (but misunderstood so I went with something else) and I'm pleased that it has already been mentioned in this topic!), but if I can choose only one, it would also be Salva Me, but mainly because of those drums that Angele Dei doesn't have. Actually I think 'Vespera' is a great candidate too, but I exclude it because of the heavy nostalgic feeling it evokes in me.

b) This would be a lot easier to think of my own thoughts about Libera music!

• RP Original: 'Salva Me' & 'Voca Me' / also 'How Shall I Sing' & 'Do Not Stand'
• The Japan package: 'Angel'
• Classical /adapted from classical: 'Ave Virgo' (I really like this song in a personal way), 'Luminosa' & 'Ave Maria' (both Schubert & Caccini)
• Pop: 'From a Distance'
• Hymns or hymn-like pieces: 'Be Still My Soul' & 'How Great Thou Art' (I've heard that they also sing 'Nearer My God To Thee' but haven't listened to their version yet)
• Christmas: 'Angels We Have Heard on High' for the win!
• Folk: 'Exsultate' & 'Dies Irae' (the arrangement is clearly folky)
• Also definitely 'Vespera', 'Benedictus Deus' & 'Danny Boy' (the 2015 version)!

P.S: regarding to @filiarheni's mention of the podcast:

Meanwhile, I've found it: Robert himself has expressed it at best: "mysterious beginning, which then eventually erupts in the great climax". This is it! He said it to describe Angele Dei as "specifically Libera piece", "a prayer in Latin/English mix" plus the above.
That was when he on 12th August last year was interviewed by John Romeri for "Music from the tower". Sadly, I can't find the podcast anymore at the internet, only Lauren's link on 13th August ( Maybe, there exists an archive? But I kept the part where he talked about the Libera style, as I was so impressed and happy that Robert's opinion about Libera's characteristics is in agreement with mine - because I consider his words as a confirmation that Robert will see to maintain their music that way, and this tranquilises me enormously!

I think @Surpinto has it uploaded on SoundCloud - if you dig deep enough into his Twitter posts, maybe you'll find it. And yes, I do feel the same with many things RP said (which I know for sure there are many people also feel the same way), particularly the style of Libera music and also the 'kids don't kids' music' part.


P.P.S: Now that I clearly read through everything again, I'm really surprised that @filiarheni, you didn't include 'Secret'!

[filiarheni]

Okay so after a looooooong time, I'm here to answer your questions (again )!

Thank you, kinda_k00l, for accepting the challenge!

And well, I find we could simply extend this thread retroactively to a c) part, in other words:

c) What bunch of songs would you choose to introduce Libera to someone else who has never heard of them?

This is a very open question without any restrictions from my part. Since this results from some misunderstandings, we already have quite a collection of answers, that's fine.

P.S: regarding to @filiarheni's mention of the podcast:
[...]I think @Surpinto has it uploaded on SoundCloud - if you dig deep enough into his Twitter posts, maybe you'll find it.

Thanks, yes, that might be (but when I think of twitter's searching function ... ). I was wondering if the podcast is still generally accessible, for everybody.

P.P.S: Now that I clearly read through everything again, I'm really surprised that @filiarheni, you didn't include 'Secret'!

How did I foresee that you would stumble upon that?! In fact, I thought about including Secret and I wished to, but decided against it. The reason with regard to b) (Libera style range) is that, although I love Secret, I don't consider it as unique enough to belong to my "minimum selection". This song is just very special and very personal to me, that's an extremely subjective feeling, while I tried to be as objective as I could with the pure stylistic range. So, others have more right, if I can call it that way, which of course in no way means a downgrading of my very much loved Secret!

And considering c), I simply have experienced that Secret is not necessarily a song other people especially like, let alone love like I do, and that it's most probably other songs that have more and better effect on them. That's why not!

[ludwig1874]

Here my answers:
a) Voca me b) Time, Three ravens, gaudete, touch the sky, sanctus, stay with me, lacrimosa.

Nice questions!

Best regards from south-china!
Ludwig

[Joshua Wake]

Libera "Libera" has so many harmonies going on...also "I am the Day" I've tried to de code all the notes and its so geniusly arranged!

[andmar]

So, after even a looooooonger time, I'm back here too with my answers.

a) Libera in ONE song only. Well, it was not easy to pick just one song which would possibly cover the most of the Libra range. I didn't want to analyse the songs too much and check which of them has more of the typical Libera characteristic elements included, but I entirely relied on my personal and subjective feelings and emotions. It was not so easy to choose the ONE only song from a bunch of songs which absolutely fit the typical Libera style: "Salva Me", "Voca Me", "Ave Verum", "Libera", "I Am The Day", "Sempiterna", "Adoramus", "Angele Dei" or "Sanctus". Finally, I decided to select "Salva Me" as the one.

b) A set of songs, which represent the whole range of Libera. Well, the diversity of styles and genres increased over the time, so this list can be pretty long. OK, so let's face the challenge.

• original compositions - "Voca Me", "Libera"
• traditional hymn - "Be Still My Soul", "How Great Thou Art"
• medieval-like-tune - "Vespera", "Venite Adoremus"
• classical - "Ave Maria" (Vavilov), "Panis Angelicus"
• classical adapted - "Santus", "The Fountain", "Ave Virgo"
• poetry - "Secret", "Touch The Sky"
• Japan - "Angel", "Eternal Light"
• contemporary hymn - "Gaelic Blessing", "Benedictus Deus"
• pop - "Orinoco Flow", "I'm Dreaming Of Home"
• classical pop - "What A Wonderful World"
• Christmas - "Carol Of The Bells"
• traditional folk - "Three Ravens"
• contemporary - "You Were There", "Sing For Ever"

Have I forgotten anything? Probably. Anyway, I'm not able to say if this could be the minimal set of songs. I just felt like not wanting to restrict the list too much

c) list of songs to introduce Libera to someone - this is what I did a couple of times. The selection was usually: "Angel", "Voca Me", "Libera", "How Great Thou Art", "Carol Of The Bells". The list can't be too long at the beginning and can of course depend on the listener's musical taste. Much appreciated is also showing the music video, if available.

@filiarheni
What about your patience? Do you still have any reserve if it?

[filiarheni]

a) Voca me

I'm thrilled to read that you'd choose Voca Me as the one song. In fact, this is my all-time choice for people in musical professions or highly experienced people in particular, because in my opinion this is the best song to show Libera's super high quality. I sent this for example to my choir's conductor, who is not easily to impress at all and it's also hard to hear a compliment from him, whatever it is ... but here he was very impressed and said: "They are really very good and their singing distinctly differs from what other boys choirs sound like. They are amazing!" No restrictions. For him, this was highest praise.

Libera "Libera" has so many harmonies going on...also "I am the Day" I've tried to de code all the notes and its so geniusly arranged!

Yes ... I can't think of any Robert/Sam/Ben arrangement which is not.

Finally, I decided to select "Salva Me" as the one.

There seems to be much agreement about the high-grade "Libera-ness" of this song.

It's amazing to see the different categories everyone of us creates here: I wouldn't have thought of an own category for "poetry", "Japan" or distinguishing "contemporary" and "pop" or having two boxes for the hymns.

Much appreciated is also showing the music video, if available.

... while I would wish the contrary. Except for concert videos, I need to listen without watching for the first time, because pictures and own stories told influence me too much; too much distraction from the actual music. (I know I live on a lonely island with that. )

What about your patience? Do you still have any reserve if it?

But yes, of course! Some reserves had still remained. To top the "Hope" waiting disaster, you would have had to wait with your reply one week longer. I guess, at last it strained your own patience, didn't it?!

[andmar]

It's amazing to see the different categories everyone of us creates here: I wouldn't have thought of an own category for "poetry", "Japan" or distinguishing "contemporary" and "pop" or having two boxes for the hymns.

Oh, you discovered my secret way not to limit the number of songs too much.
Yes, I created many categories in order to be able to choose more songs.
Now I think, I could be even more creative.

Much appreciated is also showing the music video, if available.

... while I would wish the contrary. Except for concert videos, I need to listen without watching for the first time, because pictures and own stories told influence me too much; too much distraction from the actual music. (I know I live on a lonely island with that. )

Well, it depends on to whom you present the music. For someone like you, the music is the most important thing and you avoid being distracted by anything else. But for some people, who are not familiar with listening to music as such, music is something that happens alongside other things - just like having a radio on while doing some other stuff. I noticed it often, that when presenting just music, people tend to be impatient and seek something else to concentrate on or even start talking. So, for this case a video accompanying the music is ideal.
So, it depends...

What about your patience? Do you still have any reserve if it?

But yes, of course! Some reserves had still remained. To top the "Hope" waiting disaster, you would have had to wait with your reply one week longer. I guess, at last it strained your own patience, didn't it?!

Not necessarily. I just knew that you wouldn't forget my promise to write something here, so I did my homework.

[Noob]

i'd go with 'Far Away.'

it's just so incredibly beautiful and evocative

[kinda_k00l]

i'd go with 'Far Away.'

it's just so incredibly beautiful and evocative

That's the very song that leads me into the Libera world.
How about part b) of the question

[Noob]

i'd go with 'Far Away.'

it's just so incredibly beautiful and evocative

That's the very song that leads me into the Libera world.
How about part b) of the question

that's a good question.

but i'm not knowledgeable enough to say which songs best demonstrate their musical range

[filiarheni]

that's a good question.

but i'm not knowledgeable enough to say which songs best demonstrate their musical range

The thread remains available for you and you are very welcome to write your thoughts whenever you are prepared, if it takes hours, months or years.

[Joshua Wake]

I'm still trying to "Decode" Notate "Voca Me" 7 years later.....