Thank you all those who have bought our release and for the comments
! I would like to encourage those of you who have purchased it to please share a review on Amazon, as that may help people become more interested in perhaps purchasing a copy.
I know that some of you have reservations regarding the song selection and I respect that. I did try hard to create an interesting mix of religious hymns and more modern songs. Yorkie is correct in that we are trying to target the Christian market here in the US but I also wanted this to appeal to fans and show the diversity of the group. In the end, we could not please everybody. As TullyBascombe stated, St. Philips probably sang, on those early albums, 90% hymns so there was not too many options in choosing a more "Libera" like song. Although, I feel "Evening Falls" is a good precursor to the Libera material. Also, it is not like Libera do not sing any of these songs anymore (one need only look on Free or Visions to hear some) and when they do record a new version is it really that much different? In the end, all Libera/St. Philips songs promote a spiritual/religious feeling.
Also, the more I listen to these older songs the more I feel that Libera material is not really too far removed from this but only a further development. If you listen carefully you will hear that the songs seem to be recorded in a studio, not a church like other cathedral choirs, and that there is a distinctively modern new-age approach to the sound already. I cannot think that anyone would say that St.Philips sounded like Kings College, Choir of New College Oxford, etc. other than in the use of treble voices. They were truly more modern and less rigid than the other cathedral choirs, even back then. The main differences with Libera now are that the songs are mostly original ones written by Prizeman (or others) and there is more sophistication in the overdubbing of voices/arrangements than the St. Philips period. If Prizeman was not involved at all back then it would be a different story, but he was and it is interesting to hear his growth as a composer/arranger for the group. This is a natural development with pretty much any artist you can name. That being said, I don't think this undermines anything he did during this period, it actually helps you appreciate his commitment to this style of music and his desire that others experience it. As BenJ stated, it is a good idea for fans of Libera to appreciate their history and hear how the group has developed over the years. Truly, they are a unique choral group.
Peace and Love
