My Reviews
Short TL:DR Review
This album is extremely well done. There isn’t a single song on it which I dislike. Almost all of the new songs are fantastic and if I had to pick the absolute top of the top they would be:
- "Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)" and "Poor Little Jesus" because they are strikingly beautiful.
- "Noël Nouvelet" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" which are great new songs that I could listen to over and over again.
- "I Saw Three Ships" and "Ding Dong Merrily on High" because they are great, catchy, and fun new arrangements
But there are many other gems on this album!
Full review
The Angel Gabriel
A beautiful song and a good choice as the first track on this new album. It has many of the quintessential elements of the “Libera soundâ€; including the high soaring descants and harmonies. Victor does a good job on his solos contrasting nicely with the higher parts.
In Dulci Jubilo
While this song is arranged almost identically as the previous versions Libera has recorded there are subtle nuanced differences with the instruments and the tempo seems a bit increased to me. At about 1:58 a new part of the song begins which is without words until about 2:10 with the melody being sung with “aah’sâ€. But the part that always sends shivers down my spine is the part where the choir sings “…there are angels singing...†followed by a high descant which seems to be the very angel being portended by the verse. Not sure why but that verse is just so cool. Anyway, the song is great and the slight modifications are most welcome.
Do You Hear What I Hear
The song starts with multiple single voices echoing the song title. The production is obviously more sophisticated than the last time they recorded this on
Angel Voices 3 back in the 1990’s. It’s a pretty song and well done with lots of instrumental ornamentation. I could see this one getting radio play.
In the Bleak Mid-Winter
The song started off as expected (with the added benefit of the Libera-style instrumental and vocal flourishes) but with every verse I was drawn in more and more. There is something special about Libera’s take on this song and when the choir starts singing acapella the climax of the song seems to be nearing, and then enter Dominik’s solo. His voice is very pure and well suited to the song. Then suddenly the piece is over much too abruptly and I am left wanting more. WOW. I love this song.
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Likely the most controversial song on the album (akin to “Exsultateâ€). First I want to say that regardless of what anyone thinks of the song personally, the arrangement is undeniably brilliant in the way that the song is constructed and the voices, beat, and instruments work together. I’m going to have to say that I like it
. It’s catchy, unique, and fun. Clearly not meant to be a serious or heart-wrenching composition, I like the playfulness of the song and its design. My only critique is that it ends on 3 repeats of the same verse which would work wonderfully in a live concert but is less advantageous on a recording; but as far as critiques go that is a very mild one.
Sing Lullaby (The Infant King)
Achingly beautiful with Dominik’s flawless solo (with all parts backed by lower voices doing the “hmmmm†thing) elevating the song further. This is clearly one of my favorites on the entire album. The gentle ending to the song is a lullaby in and of itself to me. This is one of those songs which I find so beautiful that I fear over-listening to the piece lest the effect of it be somehow inextricably lost.
I Saw Three Ships
Upbeat and fun; this is also a brilliant arrangement combining the best of the choral nature of the song with a more modern arrangement. This one will get stuck in my head!
Walking in the Air
While I know that this is a classic song, it has never been a personal favorite. I like it but I don’t love it type of thing. The arrangement is fairly predictable in that there are no major deviations from previous versions done by others and the song is well recorded. Luca is absolutely stunning on this as the entire piece is basically him soloing. I would enjoy hearing this performed live but it’s not going to be a go-to song for me. Yet, Luca’s singing cannot be understated given that he was only 9 when he recorded that. That’s CRAZY!
Once in Royal David's City
The same arrangement as in
this music video and very similar to previous recordings. A good, solid, and well-known song which Libera has always recorded well.
Carol of the Bells
Same arrangement as before with no marked changes so I will not comment further.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
I didn’t think that I would like this song too much, but enter Oliver WR starting off the song perfectly and suddenly it’s lifted up. The song has a very peaceful quality which I greatly enjoyed, and the string parts also elevate the piece nicely. The ending with Oliver’s voice closing the song just as he opened it rounds out song for me and makes it one to which I would return.
Poor Little Jesus
One of the best songs on the album. There is a solemnity and earnestness in this song which touches the heart in a unique way. Without any of the flourishes or the elaborate harmonies Libera often delivers, this song has a sort of raw quality to it which I am having difficulty categorizing; but which is very moving. Luca’s performance is incredible too.
Noël Nouvelet
With French and English being intermingled this song stands out just from that point of view. Also the explicit contrasting of the higher notes with the lower ones using both the voices and instruments is a cool feature. It’s an excellently done song and very catchy in it’s own way. A favorite!
Silent Night
Sung acapella with the classic arrangement I can find no fault with this song other than the fact that I may never hear it sung live.
What Child is This
This is the same arrangement as on the
Ireland live album. I liked it a lot then and I like it a lot now. The soloists are solid on this but I’m afraid that I miss Isaac’s voice which was so well suited for this song. Although maybe I’m just so used to that version that it will take me time to acclimate.
Wexford Carol
As this is one of my top Libera favorites I’ve looked forward to this new recording for some time. There are no discernible differences between this version and the last studio version; although the instruments sound a bit clearer to me. Despite the fact that Tadhg has a great voice with a lovely gentle quality to it, I think I genuinely prefer Isaac’s voice on this piece. Tadhg’s voice is more breathy and less sweet than Isaac’s; and while that is no dig on Tadhg, Isaac set the bar so tremendously high on this song that I am doubtful that any soloist will come along anytime soon to better his recording of “Wexford Carolâ€.
Gaudete
Identical to what was recorded previously on no less than four prior albums. Good song but no further comment is needed.
How to Get The Album Early
Per fan_de_LoK’s
post on twitter you can now purchase the full album (Japanese version) at
Ototoy with payment via Paypal available and no geographic restrictions.
Thank you fan_de_LoK!!
The files are only available in
FLAC or
ALAC formats rather than the traditional mp3 or m4a formats people are used to. If you have trouble playing these I recommend using VLC (Windows, iOS, MacOS, Linux) or if you prefer something a bit more high-end
Aimp (Windows and Android) and Vox (MacOS and iOS) will do the trick.
But I plan on waiting the international album. Every minute is going to be torture, and I might be off this site at some point when I suffer too much from reading people's reviews 
