2018 US Summer Tour

[maartendas]

Do you think the acoustics made the climax of Voca Me even more powerful in this case?

Probably the acoustics helped but I felt the intensity mostly in the singing itself.

Thanks for all the kind words It feels special now to walk past the cathedral every day that I'm still here and remembering all the wonderful memories created there.

About the premium seating at Garden Grove, my guess is the first one or two rows will be available for those ticket holders. Such was the case in LA. I have a special front seating ticket for the Garden Grove concert which will probably (hopefully ) give access to the rows directly behind the premium ones.

Hopefully the boys get enough downtime as well, next to all the extra singing and travel and that way be in top shape for Tuesday

[Noob]

i attended the concert in L.A., and had a great time. i have to give a shoutout to Ben Bywater, whose solo was simply beautiful.

this was my 2nd Libera concert, and i thoroughly enjoyed myself. every single boy in the autograph line seemed to be enjoying himself as well, in contrast to last year's meet-and-greet in Westlake Village, where a few of the boys seemed kinda sleepy.

this concert was so uplifting for me.
what an experience!!

[Surpinto]

i attended the concert in L.A., and had a great time. i have to give a shoutout to Ben Bywater, whose solo was simply beautiful.

this was my 2nd Libera concert, and i thoroughly enjoyed myself. every single boy in the autograph line seemed to be enjoying himself as well, in contrast to last year's meet-and-greet in Westlake Village, where a few of the boys seemed kinda sleepy.

this concert was so uplifting for me.
what an experience!!

So happy for you. Ben did an excellent job and has improved on this tour. Also happy that they were awake during the signing so that you could say hello; though if they aren't that can't be helped .

[maartendas]

It has all gone by so quickly... As is often the case with great experiences. This was the last concert of the tour and my 2nd one. Knowing what was coming was new to me. It made me feel like an insider and I could focus more on individual details.

So, here are my impressions of the Christ Cathedral concert. Actually it was in the Arboretum of the cathedral, which is a separate chapel, since the cathedral itself is still under construction. The venue reminded me of Vallendar in terms of scale and atmosphere.

There was again a good crowd, seats were filled to the back and on the balcony. One lady had come out of the church service in the opposite building and asked if there was a concert. She ended up in line for a ticket. What a way to be introduced to Libera - by going to a live concert! Some front seats were taken by boys from the local choir and their families. Next to me sat a fan who was generous enough to buy me a program.

About the concert, some highlights:
Leo was in great form throughout the night. Crispy clear and seemingly effortless. He later told me he felt that he had done well, which was how he had intended to end the tour.

Rocco was very strong as well, I thought. Especially (again) in In Paradisum. He delivers that solo so powerfully. The whole song is great, it moves me every time.

The Prayer was done extremely well. It could have been packaged and sold to the public straight away. And it's a joy watching Daniel sing, he radiates his own joy of being on stage. But not only that, he delivers his solo with great precision and has a very friendly voice.

Stay With Me has been a personal favourite since Ely and I enjoyed hearing it again as I thought Oliver did an even better job this time. It's one of those songs where the soloist grows in the performance over time.

I have mentioned soloists so far but what stood out to me as well was the overall choral sound. In Ave Maria the boys blended perfectly with the instruments and really made one sound all together. I closed my eyes ( as I often did this concert) and just bathed in that one whole sound.

Alex G moved me again with his solos in How Great Thou Art and Wayfaring Stranger. His voice is deep and sensitive, as has been stated before, and he interprets the lyrics with great feeling.

The unexpected emotional highlight for me was... Smile! The simplicity of Victor's solo, his smile, his gentle voice and the lyrics just got to me. So much so that I was holding back tears... "Although a tear may be ever so near" was totally appropriate

Voca and Orinoco were performed with conviction yet again. I had a blast watching Daniel's ear-to-ear grin as the intro of Orinoco made people realise what he had meant in his speech when he said they would "sail away"

The interval, again, came way too soon - but I was also happy to reflect how well the concert was going.

I Am the Day stirred me again. Another sensitive interpretation by Alex G.

From a Distance gave me goosebumps and for some reason felt more lively than before. It really shone.

All through the second half the boys sounded solid (Amazing grace, Salva). Again I feel I should mention Alex being able to evoke images and feelings in Wayfaring stranger.

The new Sanctus keeps growing on me as a cheerful, festive song.

Ben's voice in Eternal light sounded richer than before. It was like a depth or shine to it was now revealed. I told him later that he has a wonderful instrument.

Closed my eyes again during Nearer my God to Thee. What a treat. Rocco finished the song confidently.

Then Libera, which I enjoyed again, I felt happy and proud for the choir and everyone involved.

A standing ovation with loud cheers led into the encore which received applause before the closing chord had ended.

As I slowly recovered from the whole experience I prepared for the meet & greet which was held outside on the square next to the Arboretum. A summer sky of stars, a lawn, a fountain and the warm air made this for me a lovely setting for the final chance on this tour to thank the boys and chat with them. I am very grateful for the fun and sometimes personal exchanges I was able to share. These moments add so much to the experience for fans, especially those who travelled a long way to see Libera. And I got the feeling the boys enjoyed it a lot too.

Final waves of goodbye and greetings and then it was really over. I will be going home with many precious memories - and wondering when I might see them again.

[ForrestB]

The concert was wonderful and I'll write a detailed review of the concert after get home or tomorrow.(6 hour drive) I really had a great time the pass few days, sad that's it's now come to an end. Have a safe journey home to the fans who attended last nights concert.

[Egorbea2018]

Libera concert Christ Cathedral Arboretum
Garden Grove, CA
August 7, 2018 at 7:30pm

When the boys came out to the stage there was no applause. Nobody cheered. The Christ Cathedral Arboretum was nearly full in the lower level, with some people in the second level. The boys positioned themselves and the music started.

Mysterium – The song was mysterious and intense. Leo Barron did his descant perched on the loft with a spotlight shining on him. His voice was crystal clear and powerful. When the song ended Mr. Prizeman motioned the boys to change positions before starting the next song without a pause.

Joyful Joyful – The lightness and cheerfulness of this signature Libera song, with Leo Barron doing all the high notes, created the happy mood that continued the rest of the concert.

Speech by Peter Kielty (12 years old) and Alex Gula (13 years old) welcoming us to the concert. They mentioned the next song would be by Daniel who is nine.

The Prayer – Daniel White standing in the middle front with all the other boys kneeling behind him. Daniel was outstanding. His clear, sweet voice made me misty eyed. He smiled during his whole solo and he moved his head as he reached for those high notes he did so perfectly. He ended his performance with a beaming smile. Then came the thunderous applause.

In Paradisum – Rocco Tesei did the solo. Rocco’s voice gets better with every performance. His mature, soulful voice is a pleasure to hear. He was magnificent in this song. The music was too loud on this song. Leo Barron was doing harmonies.

Stay with me – Oliver Mycka did the solo and Samuel Francis Collins did the descant from up in the loft. Oliver has a sweet voice and Samuel did great on his descant. The lights were alternating purple and magenta.

Speech – Victor Wiggin and Alexandre Menuet. Victor with the hood on said they are from South London with Big Ben, King Cross Station where Harry Potter catches the train to Hogwarts. Alex explained about the robes and Victor jumped up to demonstrate, opening his arms and wearing his big smile.

Ave Maria – Merlin Brouwer did the solo. The boys were arranged in a big semicircle with Merlin in center. Merlin was clearly nervous during this song and he seemed to struggle reaching the high notes. It is possible his voice is lowering to the alto range since he is 12 or 13 years old now.

How great thou art – Alex Gula did the solo with his perfect, velvety smooth voice. This song was another audience favorite.

Smile – Victor Wiggin did the solo with his husky but sweet voice. He reminds me of his older brother Samuel who had the same kind of voice. Alex Montoro did the low harmonies with his great, tenor voice. Romeo Tesei played the recorder.

Speech – Koji Shinokubo said he is from Japan and said it is his first concert away from home and that his older brother is Taichi (he starts jumping from behind the tallest guys waving his arms). Daniel White mentions something about their robes. They mentioned the next song, Voca Me is in the new album Beyond and they say sail away (for Orinoco Flow).

Voca Me – Leo Barron did the ultra-high descant from the loft. He voice was smooth, controlled, and perfect. Peter Kielty, Ben Bywater and Victor Wiggin stood in front. I heard the lacrymosa part I like this time. They did it towards the end of the song. Rocco Tesei did the high notes too, as part of the harmonies.

Orinoco Flow – It started with a big cluster of boys in middle of the stage with eight boys on each side angled. They were having fun with this one. They did the sharp movements and a lot of position changes during this song. Leo Barron did the high notes.

Interval

I am the Day – Alex Gula did the fantastic solo demonstrating his greatness. Alex has matured as a singer in an outstanding way. He has complete control of his amazing voice, which appears to be in the alto range now. Hopefully they filmed his performance because, in my opinion, he is now one of Libera’s greatest singers. Oliver Mycka on his left and Peter Kielty on Alex’s right did the whispery parts. Leo did the high notes.

Speech – Tadgh Fitzgerald holding moose talked about him. Alex Gula said it is the most travelled Moose. Alex did the moose kidnap joke again. Tadgh said they are going to Japan and Moscow on tour.

From a distance – Merlin Brouwer did the solo. This is his song. He is comfortable and confident in his performance and he performed it flawlessly as usual.

Wayfaring Stranger – Alex Gula did the solo. The boys were doing a double line on each side. Flute started. Green lights. Alex in the middle at the back, went down the steps carefully until he was at the front and then he stopped. He did not go slowly as usual because of the steps. There was not a lot of space for him to walk. He stopped in the front during the whole last verse before the climax of the song when all the boys clustered behind him. Daniel was smiling and singing with gusto. Alex Gula was spectacular. His performance was powerful and a goosebumps moment for me. Even without the elaborate staging of past performances, this was the best song of the night for me (not counting Near my God to thee, of course).

Amazing grace – The boys were kneeling in a circle of about eight in the front with the others standing behind them. Rocco Tesei did the solo. Peter Kielty was not feeling well. He told me at the meet and greet. This song was a crowd favorite judging from the long applause it got.

Speech in different languages: Alex Gula – Poland, Victor Wiggin and Alexandre Menuet – France, Oliver Watt-Rodriguez – Spain, Theo Wood – Mexico, Tadgh Fitzgerald – Ireland, Mathias Montoro – Italy, Koji Shinukobo – Japan. Peter Kielty who presented them and explained the countries for each mentioned he was half American and everyone clapped.

Sanctus – This new version has different verses and sounds more interesting than the original. Great song.

Salva Me – Oliver Watt-Rodriguez did the salvas from the loft with violet light on him. Great job Oliver!

Eternal Light – Ben Bywater was the soloist. Ben had a false start but kept his composure and continued beautifully. He is a professional at his tender age. He did not let a tiny mistake ruin his fantastic performance.

Near my God to thee – Marvelous a Capella song not in the programme. Merlin Brouwer, Benedict Bywater, Alex Gula, Alex Montoro, Rocco Tesei, and Leo Barron did this song by themselves. I sat on the edge of my seat as if hypnotized by the perfection of it. I did not want it to end. Merlin started the first verse, then Ben joined him in beautiful harmonies. Next, Alex Gula joined them with his gorgeous alto voice. The rest of the song, the rest of the boys joined in. To end it Rocco did a masterful solo on the last verse. The crow exploded in applause and it lasted a long time.

Speech – Johnny Gardner came out to the front and said thank you for coming to the concert and said a sharp goodnight.

Libera – Alex Gula and Rocco Tesei duet blending their perfectly smooth, mature, rich voices in a delightful performance. Rocco did all the high note harmonies. After the song Libera, came a standing ovation. Everyone, except those of us that had seen a concert this tour, thought the concert was over. So they gave a long standing ovation with lots of clapping. The boys bowed and smiled.

Then came the surprise. The musicians started playing and the audience sat down.

America the beautiful – The boys were all smiling during this song, clearly enjoying the end of the concert and tour. Victor Wiggin and Daniel White had the biggest, sweetest smiles. When they finished, the audience again gave them a standing ovation with shouts of appreciation and lots of applause.

Victor Wiggin came to the front and with his radiant smile, pointed to the other boys and the musicians, with both hands, so we would clap for them. Mr. Robert Prizeman then came up and was properly appreciated by louder applause.

The venue – The Christ Cathedral Arboretum is a rectangular building with two levels. The floor is level so, the further back you are the less you can see the stage because the people in front of you block your view. I was in the sixth row and had trouble seeing past the tall people in front of me. The orchestra could have been a bit less intense since they were louder than the boys in a few songs. I suppose it was difficult for the boys to move around on the stage because of the three steps on it. At least the younger, shorter boys got a lift and looked taller when they were on the steps making it easier for us to see them.

At the meet at greet the boys were delightful, well mannered young men. The line was long and it was after 9:30pm when the boys sat down for signing, so there was not time for even a short conversation. I greeted each by name and thanked them for the specific song they did or for a great concert.

I want to thank the Libera sponsors, chaperones, and parents for making this USA Tour 2018 possible. Most of all, I want to thank the Libera boys and Mr. Robert Prizeman for sharing their extraordinary talents with us. God bless them all!

[Surpinto]

What a beautiful review Maartendas. You made me feel like I was right there with you. Once again I am so happy that you were able to make the long journey to see them on this tour, not once but two times!

"Smile" was the emotional highlight? No surprise as it is very well done by Victor. You are right in describing his solo style as adding a certain simplicity to the song. An elegant simplicity I would say.

Thanks again for the review and you'll probably see them soon if they do their usual UK concert in December and you are able to make it.

[Surpinto]

The concert was wonderful and I'll write a detailed review of the concert after get home or tomorrow.(6 hour drive) I really had a great time the pass few days, sad that's it's now come to an end. Have a safe journey home to the fans who attended last nights concert.

Looking forward to reading it.

[TimS_TheToolman]

I'm not going to say much about the Concert Tuesday (Aug.7) evening as others have already posted some excellent reviews.

I attended the two concerts in Texas and then this last one in Garden Grove. All I can say about this last concert is that the boys were "spot-on" with their performance. Of course, they were at the previous performances also. Very well done Lads.

The M&G afterwards was held outdoors along one of the building wings. I don't know if it was the last concert or something else but the boys were very animated and eagerly engage with the fans, even those who are normal quiet. A couple of the boys who usually don't say much (to me at least), were chatty, one even asking my name.

There were some tired boys there, which is always the case after a day of activities. I noticed one youngster zoning out just after he signed my program. I asked if it had been a long day, he agreed.

Some of us have had the opportunity to interact with the boys on various occasions, getting to know them a little better. As is always stated in the choir description, they are normal boys, yes, very much so. But I have to admire their work ethic and dedication to their music and the presentation at their concerts.

It was a wonderful experience, looking forward to their return.

And lastly, a big SHOUT OUT to John45 on attending his 100th Libera concert on Tuesday. Congratulations John45.

[maartendas]

Thank you Egorbea2018 for making me relive that night! I agree with your comment about Ben B keeping his composure. A great feature of any stage performer is being able to do that and Libera boys are among those who have shown that they can (on the rare occasion that a minor error happens).

[Surpinto]

Thank you Tim and Egorbea for your reviews! I am always surprised that so many of them are as awake as they are after these long concerts for autograph signings.

[TimS_TheToolman]

If I may add a note here about "Nearer My God to Thee:"

I sat on the edge of my seat as if hypnotized by the perfection of it.

At the Plano, TX concert the audience was so transfixed by the performance that at the end of the song no one clapped. Transfixed, hypnotized, not sure it was over? It wasn't until the choristers stood backup that the applause began. I would hope this song will be recorded on an album, with the same boys who sang it. Rocco finishes it off with great emotion. Well done Lads, well done!

[filiarheni]

If I may add a note here about "Nearer My God to Thee:"
[...]
At the Plano, TX concert the audience was so transfixed by the performance that at the end of the song no one clapped. Transfixed, hypnotized, not sure it was over? It wasn't until the choristers stood backup that the applause began.

That makes me very happy! Perhaps part of the audience in fact wasn't sure if it was over, but I have witnessed a performance of this song myself and I'm sure that many listeners didn't clap at once, because they actually were bewitched, transfixed, hypnotised, mesmerised and what else vocabulary fits here!

This is what I am convinced of: Remaining silent for some seconds after a song does not mean that the audience didn't like it, as they will always clap at least for politeness, but it does prove the audience being particularly touched by the music, not able to make a move. You can't imagine how much I love to read this now. I myself have experienced it once, with Do Not Stand last year in London, when a short moment of silence followed the song, something that touched my heart and that I'll never forget.


*******************************************

Once more, thank you all for your reviews!

The concert in LA was my first Libera concert across the pond and in some ways it felt like my first ever Libera concert. There were so many impressions and it all went by in a flash.

That sounds wonderful and isn't it encouraging for those who envy others for having first Libera experiences! There are chances ...

Nearer my God to Thee was filmed last night! So a recording now exists [...]. Hopefully we will get to see it someday. Until then, it's very nice to know that those voices have been preserved.

In the times we live in such banning on recording devices is actually possible , so it must be called a crime not to record things in time.

Mysterium [...] The ooh's in the intro sounded lovely and mysterious

Oh yes, those oo's impressed me in Ely this year too.

Ave Maria followed and this felt like a genuine prayer to me. Merlin sang with calm and great sensitivity and the choir sounded exceptionally powerful and colourful. Again wet eyes.

Thank you! So glad to finally have a review of this one. I know what you're talking about here, both Merlin and the choir, certainly enchanting and deep.

No time to recover [...]

[...] was there no end to the treats they were giving us?

Well, what did you expect sitting in a Libera concert? And the song titles can probably be any for anybody.

Voca was performed flawlessly and the buildup to the climax took my breath away - more than any other time I heard this song live.

Wow, yes, the dramatic effect of a well-balanced building up in this song is fantastic!

Eternal Light next - was there no end to the treats they were giving us? Almost not I remember the clarinet sounding especially beautiful in this song and in fact the musicians deserve a mention as well.

I love clarinet and I love to read this.

What came next was my first ever proper M&G which is an experience in itself

Hm ... hm ... the M&G in Vallendar was none? Ok, that one was more a get-together, that's right.

Also nice was Ben B's question which song I liked best - I loved how he threw me off by asking that Also I was not allowed to say Nearer my God or America the Beautiful

Smart move by Ben!

It has all gone by so quickly... As is often the case with great experiences. This was the last concert of the tour and my 2nd one. Knowing what was coming was new to me. It made me feel like an insider and I could focus more on individual details.

That's the feeling I am absolutely looonging for! Oh, several concerts in a row and if it were only two of them!

The Prayer was done extremely well. It could have been packaged and sold to the public straight away. And it's a joy watching Daniel sing, he radiates his own joy of being on stage. But not only that, he delivers his solo with great precision and has a very friendly voice.

Very nice description of how you felt this song.

I have mentioned soloists so far but what stood out to me as well was the overall choral sound.

The unexpected emotional highlight for me was... Smile! The simplicity of Victor's solo, his smile, his gentle voice and the lyrics just got to me.

"Simplicity" is really the right word and it's just so good.


Thank you, Maarten, for both your reviews. It is very interesting to read all the comparisons and development. Have safe travels home!

[maartendas]

Thanks for the replies! I got home safely today Already I miss the tour...

I had not mentioned, nor had anyone else yet, that on the day of the last concert the boys (or some of them) were interviewed for radio, probably CBS if I'm not mistaken. So let's keep an eye out for that

P.S.: I also forgot to put a title on my review of the LA concert so I'll just put it here: Angel voices in the City of Angels

[filiarheni]

I had not mentioned, nor had anyone else yet, that on the day of the last concert the boys (or some of them) were interviewed for radio, probably CBS if I'm not mistaken. So let's keep an eye out for that

Thank you for the information! It's not the first time for me to be surprised about the amount of telepathy regarding Libera related issues. Just while I was writing a new thread collecting all the interviews, I thought that there must have been at least one interview during this US tour, wondering that nobody had mentioned anything like that ... and now I find your message that there is one to come! So when it is published, it can be added over there, too.