Last night’s concert will go down as one of Libera’s best. A bunch of us tried to name any highlights but we couldn’t. The entire concert was a highlight! Usually there are a couple of songs that were a little less excellent than the rest, but last night I couldn’t name any. So this feels more like a review of a single experience, rather than different songs.
Several details stood out though, which I will describe from here on, in no particular order.
Clear voices
Seated on the front row I was able to hear many individual voices directly. I was extremely happy to hear Alex G so clearly again, right at the start in
Do You Hear 
(what an aptly named song
)
During
Angel, I thought I heard new harmonies by Mathias and Samuel. Also on
Angel, the high notes on the right were very strong. I think Luca and Dominik were responsible for those, but Daniel and Neo also contributed a great deal to the high notes from the right last night.
Bouche fermée
Another feature that was new to me was the humming with closed mouth (our conductor uses the French term ‘bouche fermée’). This produces, of course, a ’mmm’-sound, like laying down a carpet for the soloist. Then as the song gets stronger and louder, the boys opened their mouth for their famous ‘aah’s. Please correct me if I’m wrong but this bouche fermee harmonising seemed new to me.
Soloists
As for the soloists, Dominik and Oliver WR were very powerful again. It’s quite something to see Dominik stand so close with his commanding stage presence and complete dedication to the singing. His voice is both delicate and strong – delicate in his tender, almost aching solo in
In the Bleak Midwinter, strong in the heavenly high ‘Abide’ from
Angele Dei. A song that feels like a visit from a being of another world. In a same way,
Walking in the Air feels like a journey to another world, a magical place from dreams. Luca was very strong and has great breath control. I loved hearing his crystal clear voice flow so smoothly and hold those long notes. I wonder where he’ll be in a year or two, if he’s already in top form at this young age.
I mentioned Oliver WR, he is a terrific soloist and his rendition of
In Paradisum was exceptionally powerful. The way he stood there, almost as if he was on his own, singing his heart out in a pleading prayer for the deceased… Supported by the choir, guiding him along in that spectacular ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Aeternam’… I get goosebumps just remembering it.
The lights
I also recall the lights were beautiful for this one, I think it was mostly red but my memory is so dodgy! The space of St. John’s Smith Square was tricky to use for lights but there was always a hue or glow of mostly red or blue if I remember correctly. Sitting in the front row does not allow you to fully appreciate the lighting so others can comment better on this, but the overall effect was very warm and almost dreamlike throughout the concert.
Conditor alme siderum
A wonderful surprise came at the beginning of the second half, when only the boys from the back row appeared and Alessandro started off the Gregorian Advent chant
Conditor alme siderum. This piece forms the basis for the Libera song
Sempiterna on Visions, but here it was ‘merely’ used as an intro to
Carol of the Bells. Conditor is associated with Advent, a prayer for the coming of Christ and as such very solemn and fitting for the time of year – Advent having started only this week. I was amazed that the back row was featured exclusively, and their sound was like the colour of gold. The string section supported them with a gently flowing accompaniment. The rest of the boys filed in during the last verse and ended the song with a harmonious ‘Amen’. When
Carol of the Bells started, the solemn atmosphere of Conditor still hovered over this lively song. Cassius' mini-solo at the end is sung more slowly now, a change made in Japan. It emphasises the closing of the song and Cassius sings it with precision and care in his most charming voice.
Powerful first half
As for the second half, I thought it was a bit more lightweight than the first one, which had a sequence of very powerful and moving songs:
Angel,
Gaudete,
In Paradisum and
Sing lullaby.
Gaudete was so lively, colourful and joyful. Contagious in its pushing rhythm. Again I could hear so many different parts so clearly, like being able to see distinctly all the colours in a painting, without losing sight of the whole.
Sing lullaby again was deeply moving, perhaps the most moving song of the night. Not just because of Dominik’s solo, but the entire song. It is so solemn and sad, and then the turnaround at the end makes it even more moving!
The first half ended with
Ding dong merrily on high which I would describe as Christmas confetti in every shining colour possible
)
Warm glowy songs
Just as in Japan, the fact that there were so many Christmas songs on the setlist didn’t mean it was all the same thing. The entire scope of emotions and meaning associated with Christmas was presented in the music, from quiet reflection to bouncing joy.
Some of the songs were a bit of both, where a warm glow gave a joyful feeling without all the dancing around. Those songs were
Wexford carol, with the gorgeous pairing of Eimear on her flute and the boys harmonising;
O little town of Bethlehem – slowly, gracefully unfolding the mystery surrounding the birth of Jesus – and
Noel Nouvelet, where Victor is an ideal soloist and Neo on the far right formed a wonderful duet with Oliver WR on the far left, creating a marvellous stereo effect. Great feeling for the tummy via the ears
Noel Nouvelet is deceptively simple, enchanting and rich in dynamics.
Speeches
Normally I don’t write about the speeches, I think because they don’t form part of the emotional and spiritual experiences during a Libera concert, but I would like to make an exception for Daniel. He had two speeches that were new for this concert and which he performed with an eager cheekiness. One was about the fact that the concert took place on a school day and some of the boys had been up since 6 am – at which he made a face as if to say: can you believe it, that’s unbearable! The other new speech talked about the history of Walking in the Air, and Daniel mentioned Aled Jones as one of the boy singers who made this song famous. He then went on to remark that Aled probably won’t be able to hit those high notes as well as he used to, which caused a good deal of laughter from the audience. Cheeky!
Wait, what did I forget?
I haven’t yet mentioned
What Child is This – a friendly, lovely tune where Daniel did a fine job, calm and confident;
The angel Gabriel, with its rousing build-up, especially strong last night;
Poor little Jesus – where Luca shone and the boys were really strong in singing the climactic final verse – and
Silent Night – not mentioned in the program but expected nonetheless. I thought the tempo was just a tiny bit faster than what I was used to. I thought of using the word exceptional again but then realised it is used to describe an exception and in fact, for Libera, these exceptional performances have become the norm. The way Luca harmonised with Ben and Mathias joined in – just three pure voices, all tuned to the harmony and the rhythm and the meaning of the words – was just magnificent. They looked and sounded just like the King’s Singers, only younger. When Dominik and Victor joined, five boys filled the entire room like a full choir. Luca closed off the song to a clear and bright ending, shining like the star of Bethlehem.
Sanctus was the only Libera standard still standing on this set list and called for a full stage, making sure the light and colour of this song were performed to the max.
An aside…
We talk about the songs, the soloists and so on. What we see and hear is not just that. It is all the effort put into it by so many people, more than we know. It is also the seeds of what will follow, how the boys will grow and mature. This is what moves me sometimes the most – all the love and energy poured into this music and then poured out again into the world. It is not just the notes, it’s everything.
Now, for the...
Finale!
The irresistible cheer of
In dulci jubilo was followed by a generous applause, still audible during the first notes of the encore.
I Saw Three Ships sent us out with a bang and a standing ovation – for the boys, for Robert, for the musicians, graciously acknowledged as usual by Victor, and even for Moose in his sparkly Christmas outfit.
What will the future hold for Libera next year? One can only guess – but as we do so, we bask in the afterglow of this amazing night, leading up to the glory of Christmas.
I can't wait ! 
One cannot expect from me that I get it right in a foreign language !
) French. Sam’s arrangement is undeniably catchy and we also had a duet with Neo and Oliver WR mixed in. Not in the official set list but correctly anticipated by our very own Padmachou was Silent Night. It was arranged with just five boys (Luca, Dominik, Mathius, Victor Ben) who joined in the singing in turn (very similar to the way Nearer My God To Thee was sung). The final song of the night was In Dulci Jubilo before the encore of I saw Three Ships which is still a very unique arrangement of this song and is nice upbeat finish for the evening.