Libera Dreams

paul30003 wrote:I'm certainly broadening my enjoyment of choral music outside of Libera, I found this, I might buy the CD.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000 ... d_i=468294

I get a lot of good recomendations from Amazon.

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The Sixteen are a good choir but I prefer the Treble on the high notes rather than the Soprano. If you like mixed choirs you could also look out for The Cambridge Singers.

Yorkie wrote: The Sixteen are a good choir but I prefer the Treble on the high notes rather than the Soprano. If you like mixed choirs you could also look out for The Cambridge Singers.

Agreed. As far as mixed choirs go, I much prefer The Cambridge Singers. However, when I listen to "traditional" choral music, I usually listen to choirs that have trebles such as King's College or whatever. When I want something different, I listen to Libera!

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Britten's 'Jubilate Deo,' performed by the Westminster Cathedral Choir.

You're kidding Liberavieve. It must be Britten night because I just finished listening to Britten's War Requiem for the first time in my life, and that was an overwhelming experience. Rarely has music been so moving and breathtaking (pretty much literally at times). It is like the deepest hopelessness turned into an example of the best we can achieve as human beings - if you listen to those voices and hear how Britten is able to make music truly come alive. God, so gripping... I think this is now already one of THE top pieces of music for me, and one I will probably go to for reflection and even comfort in many years ahead.

The version I listened to is the famous one on Decca from the '60s, conducted by the man himself. Here's the Agnus Dei setting from that recording - this was also the first time I listened to the famous tenor Peter Pears for whom Britten wrote many pieces of music:

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maartendas wrote: It must be Britten night because I just finished listening to Britten's War Requiem for the first time in my life, and that was an overwhelming experience.

I'm a bit ashamed to say that I've never made it all the way through the War Requiem. It sounds like something I'd love, since the trench poetry of the First World War is harrowing and gorgeous; but I can never quite get into some of Britten's settings. That said, I've just tried giving his Missa Brevis a re-listen, and I enjoyed it much more this time around. Perhaps the War Requiem will grow on me a bit with time.

Here's something from the St Thomas Choir in New York, who, unfortunately, seem to have quite a number of recordings but not all that many available digitally. (Sorry for the video flinches; I've just worked out how to cobble together a very bare-bones Youtube video, and I guess I don't have all of the kinks smoothed out yet.)

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Thanks for this video Liberavieve. A very dynamic piece and the choir sounds really good. I am trying to remember whether I briefly went inside this church when I visited New York in 1998. I should have a picture of it somewhere so I could check.

Last night I had a bit of a hard time getting into the War Requiem, but as I just sat down and kept listening and reading along with the text in the booklet, I just became gripped by it. Britten does such wonderful and overwhelming things with voices and music. I think I have started to come to a realisation of what I think great art is - I think it's when the maker employs such a special style that our attention is first drawn to the form, but through the form, we are directed to the subject matter. For instance, in the Dies irae or the Sanctus - the first thing that comes to my mind is the explosive and dissonant parts of these settings - but those striking stylistic elements bring the point home of what this music expresses - grief, sorrow, heartbreak, etc. Because the style Britten uses is so powerful it communicates exactly the meaning of the words. So - form over content in order to serve the content. If it's merely content - then it wouldn't have the impact it deserves - but if it's merely form, it's empty, and in my opinion pointless. Britten succeeds excellently in this. He does things with music and the human voice that really make the War Requiem an emotional experience, and a thought-provoking one as well.

Wow! Thanks for sharing!....The picture is awesome as well!!!

This is a different style then some of the other postings, but this group is great.

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Albany Boyschoir (Cathedral choir of men and boys) will be hosted by Hereford Cathedral this week for their services. Anyone lucky enough to be in the area should pop in to listen to them.

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http://web.me.com/woodybynum/The_Cathed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... lcome.html

Since there's been a lot of talk in this thread about Allegri's Miserere Mei, Deus, I thought it might be useful to remember that, as the piece was composed for Holy Week services, opportunities to hear it live are coming up in the next few weeks.

It's very, very common for the Miserere to be performed on Ash Wednesday (9 March for this year), and if you're near to a church, chapel, or cathedral with a strong choral program, chances are, the choir will be singing the Miserere either at Evensong or during a sung Eucharist. (As illustration, I'm within very easy distance of three or four, and all of them are doing the Miserere on 9 March, along with some other really gorgeous, solemn music that tends to be sung live only around Holy Week.) Many of these choirs will put a music list up on the church's website, so it's worth a check.

I narrowly missed Ash Wednesday Evensong in two different countries on the same day last year and could have kicked myself. Not this time, though; and I thought that others here might be interested in hearing the sung services that day.

Edit: Well, look at that. I've just remembered that I have a Wednesday seminar at the perfect time to count me out of Evensong everywhere. You'll all have enjoy it for me, as I'll be sulking in a classroom somewhere.

I like some of the choirboys more traditional songs.


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GREGORIAN

At the moment all male members of GREGORIAN are britains, but the idea to create the group came from Germany (1991 Hamburg). Music stile is crossover, like gregorian pop, gregorian chant/choral...The group also has 4 female members, in this clip it's Sarah Brightman (she's british, too) on the treble parts.
How good do you know GREGORIAN in Great Britain?

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Amazing, what two talented singers and a stunning acoustic can do. These videos makes me want to go into the college chapel during an off-time and just make noise— whistle; snap; sing, if I'm brave and also alone. And listen to how the acoustics take it up.

Libera's Recordare, re-arragned for two voices:

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And La Nuit, which fans of Les Choristes or PCSM should recognise:

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liberavieve wrote:Amazing, what two talented singers and a stunning acoustic can do. These videos makes me want to go into the college chapel during an off-time and just make noise— whistle; snap; sing, if I'm brave and also alone. And listen to how the acoustics take it up.

Libera's Recordare, re-arragned for two voices:

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And La Nuit, which fans of Les Choristes or PCSM should recognise:

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Mad Libera fans those two girls - you can chat to them over on the French forum. I think at least one of them will be making the trip from Belgium (iirc) to be at Epsom

Yorkie wrote:Mad Libera fans those two girls - you can chat to them over on the French forum. I think at least one of them will be making the trip from Belgium (iirc) to be at Epsom

Though I'm embarrassed to admit it, I'd have to hope that their English is better than my French; otherwise, I'm not sure that we'd get too far in talking. Then again, if they're from Belgium, their English might be better than my English.

The Choir of the Chapel Royal at St James Palace doing Purcell's 'Remember Not, Lord, Our Offences.'

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I might be spamming this thread tonight. I'm miserable and capable of doing little other than listening to music. And sharing it with yous, of course.