Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.
Part 2
Beati – I was curious about this one as I knew it had divided fans at last summer’s concerts. I could see how it might come across as a little frenetic on stage but as an audio track I really like it. I love the short intro with Luke and Nathan echoing each other before coming together to finish the phrase. And then the repeat of the intro with more voices.
It has many traits that I associate with Libera songs (unsurprising really considering the composer is an alumni of Libera who has worked with them for some years): Mix of Latin and English phrases, solo introduction, repeating themes with slight variations and more harmony parts, the descant towards the end, the finish on a high note. It’s strongly rhythmic and the percussion is clearly having a wonderful time as am I listening to it.
It's a bright, breezy song which for me suits the quite young sound the trebles have at the minute. But then the deep voices cut in at intervals, contrasting with the trebles and rounding out the sound.
A fun and lively album opener.
God Only Knows – This seemed a strange choice when I first heard Libera were going to cover it last December. While I didn’t know the song very well, I was sure it was quite different to Mercy and Love which Libera did cover very well. However, I listened curiously when they released the track and I like it. Three very different soloists put their distinctive marks on it; Luca with his bright clear voice, Daniel with his bit lower and softer voice and Victor with his rich deepening voice. Their solos break the song into distinct parts. The choir do a fantastic job on the harmonies, both the vocalizes with a variety of sounds and with the overlapping ‘God only knows’ at the end. I cannot begin to imagine how they do that live. The song is by turns playful and melancholy with changes of tempo, voice and harmony contributing to that.
Someone on here, I can’t remember who sorry, suggested that you could interpret it as them singing this song to Robert, expressing their affection and gratitude to him for everything he’s done for them. I really like this interpretation and think it makes a lot of sense.
Far Away – This was a fairly early Libera discovery for me with Tom Cully singing it live in Leiden and then Michael Horncastle’s recordings. I loved it then and I love it now. I can’t discern any real difference in the arrangement of the new version. Luca does a wonderful job with his beautiful clear voice which is well suited to this song.
Ave Verum – So much has already been said about this. It’s a wonderful piece and my favourite track on the album. Freddie is just stunning – his range and control are sublime and he sings it with such authority and conviction. He starts fairly low then shoots up into those gorgeous trills on immolatum and praegistatum. His voice is different here to any of his other solos on this album or his Sacris Solemnis. It made me think of wild raspberries – sweet and sharp at the same time (not sharp in the musical sense but with a distinct eerie note to it which is perfect for the music). The whole piece is haunting. I love the vocalized intro and outro and the soaring coda at the end is so beautiful.
The Lighthouse – I’m unsure about this one. There are many things about it that I really like: the simple rippling instrumental at the start, Luca’s beautiful solo, the quartet at the end where you can hear each distinctive voice clearly. Some of the words are very meaningful and I like the suggestion someone made that they can be interpreted spiritually/religiously. From hearing Josh talk on the introduction to the album video it also seems that it may be symbolic of Libera looking for guidance after Robert. I’m not sure this song will ever be my favourite but it’s definitely growing on me.
O Beata – For me, this is one of the most typical Libera songs on here. It starts with a gorgeous solo, haunting and almost eerie. Mitchel’s voice is so pure here. It moves me nearly to tears. Then the chorus where they all come together, the glorious swelling harmonies. And then the repeat of Mitchel’s solo with Victor harmonising - clearly these two work well together. And the final, almost abrupt ending. Just lovely.
Anima Christi – This is a little gem and a perfect song for Libera. Simple without being dull with the plainchant they do so well. It’s a prayer a plea for help and salvation and they deliver it wit conviction. The three soloists with their very different voices add variety. Joseph’s voice sounds at its youngest here, slightly child-like in the best way possible. It has an endearing simplicity and innocence that is perfect for this piece. Freddie’s older richer voice is equally suited to the piece though in a different way. He did a great job on Sacris Solemnis and he is similarly good here. And Luca’s clear pure typical treble sound delivers the last verse beautifully before soaring on the descant above the last chorus. My only slight regret is that Morgan didn’t get a solo on this too. I think his soft voice would really have suited it.
Come my Way – I wasn’t too keen on this when I first heard it and now I don’t know why! It’s a beautiful piece. Daniel opens the song so well with his characteristic voice and then the harmonies come in. I don’t really have much to say about this except that I’ve changed my mind and now love it.
At Sea – Lyrically, I found this confusing at first, not hard to understand but an odd choice of words for a Libera song. Then I rewatched the introduction video and listened to Josh talk about how he’d written it after listening to the unfinished songs left behind by Robert Prizeman and how it like the whole album was an attempt to find their way without Robert and it made perfect sense. ‘At sea/short a compass’, ‘adrift’, ‘short a rudder’ – it’s a song about being left confused and upset after loss and a plea for help, whether that be to God, the person who’s left or some greater force.
Musically, I’m not sure this will ever be my favourite track but I can appreciate the composition and singing. It’s less stunning in many ways than Ave Verum but Freddie is every bit as impressive in a different way. He sings almost the whole song as a solo and his dramatic slightly operatic voice makes the piece. The backing is wonderfully done, almost imperceptible, but important to the piece. When the other voices come in near the end on ‘Call Out’ it creates an echo effect that mimics a call. These voices sound like one to a part (don’t know what anyone else thinks) in which case I’m surprised the individuals aren’t credited, given that the rest of the album is very assiduous about crediting its part solos eg Lighthouse. I’m pretty sure I can hear Daniel here and Luca I think. Anyone have any other suggestions?
Sing For Ever – Another Libera classic that I discovered early on in my Libera following. To me this perhaps encapsulates Libera and Robert Prizeman’s aims and ethos above all. They will sing for ever and keep on singing, personnel may change but the music will keep coming and bring people joy.
From reading reviews on here it seems many people prefer this as a duet. I actually prefer it with a single soloist but Nathan and Joseph do a lovely job here. Their voices contrast nicely and they sound good together. The background harmonies are also nice. I’m not sure about the changes made to the accompaniment, especially before the last verse. I do like the addition of the vocalizes which sine and shimmer but would have liked to have a bit more of them. It may just be that having been used to other arrangements I’ll take a while to adapt.
Be Still My Soul – I really like the Libera arrangement of this and it was nice to hear another recording of it with this new group. Otherwise I don’t feel like I have much to say about it. They did a great job and it was nice to see the vocalise soloists credited.
Grateful Heart – I didn’t think I was going to like this one but it’s actually one of my favourites. It’s simple and not overdone as befits the words. Luca sings it with great beauty and sincerity. Daniel’s harmony adds just a touch of variation to the repeat. I also love the image conjured up by the slightly incongruous idea ‘as if thy blessings had spare days’. Not sure it’s meant to be amusing but it makes me smile. I think the positioning of the song is also very relevant, almost at the end of the album. On my first listen I was disappointed it was already coming to an end and the song reminded me to be grateful for what was a wonderful album.
Love Shine a Light – I didn’t know the original song before Libera covered it. I’m not very keen on the lyrics – I find them a bit trite and sickly sweet. However, I think it works quite well as a piece for a children’s choir as their innocence makes the sweetness more acceptable. This is helped by the young sound of the current trebles and added to by the focus on many of the younger boys in the video. And speaking off the video, Mitchel’s half smile as he sings the solo is so winning. He does a wonderful job, very different to his solo on O Beata less classic chorister and more crossover singer, but equally good.
Despite not being keen on the original, I do like the way Libera have arranged it. They have thoroughly ‘Liberaised’ it adding so many of their trademark features: start and end solo, vocalizes, tons of harmonies, very high descants. And it does work well as a song in their style. Positioned at the end of the album it’s like a message or manifesto. ‘Love shine a light in our hearts’ and ‘we’re all going to shine a light to light the way.’ A very appropriate note to finish on.
Overall thoughts – This album has a fresh feel to it while still keeping well within the Libera tradition. To me it feels a little lighter, less heavyweight and solemn than the last one which came out in the shadow of Robert’s passing and had a lot of solemn songs: the dramatic Cum Dederit and Vespera, the almost unbearably poignant Once an Angel and If, the serious and plaintive Lux Aeterna, O Lord Support Us, Nunc Dimittus and Home, and Tadhg’s beautiful Ave Maria. Not that this album lack solemn songs: At Sea, O Beata, Anima Christi but I would say with the exception of Ave Verum there’s nothing here that has quite such an impact on me. That’s not intended as a criticism – Forever’s songs simply moved me in a different way.
A couple of themes stand out in the album. One that I’ve already mentioned is the possibility that several of the songs refer to Robert. The second (unsurprising in an album called Forever) is a sense of permanence and a comforting presence. ‘We’ll ever be/Stretching far beyond eternity’ (Kizuna), ‘Whenever I cry’ (Far Away), ‘I’ll sing for ever’ (Sing Forever), ‘No wind can sway me’ (The Lighthouse).
Overall, a very successful album, continuing Libera’s fine tradition and assuring us that their future is in good hands.
Well, whatever! 
