Libera Dreams

Starting this topic because I couldn't see one, and because although there are posts on Archie White and Max Thomas there aren't many on the choir they both came from! Also, because, at the end of March, finally, after several years waiting, I heard them on their own in concert, not once, but twice!

They sung Buxtehude's "Membra Jesu Nostri" in Temple Church in London, and after booking a ticket to that I decided on a whim to book the one in their chapel in Oxford the day before too. And oh, I am so glad I did, it was a magnificent piece, with eight separate treble solos and just a fantastic sound. Plus, as I sat outside the chapel in Oxford who should walk in to be ushers for the evening but Archie and his mother, who I chatted with before taking my seat.

I would highly recommend Magdalen's 2014 recording of the piece! I even went to talk to Scott P. after the CVMS Handel concert to recommend it and of course he knew all about it, knew the recording, and even has one of his former singers as a choral scholar in the Magdalen choir currently!!!

I'm so pleased to have finally heard the choir on their own in concert and that, as I hoped/expected they were fantastic!

They have a lot of great recordings and count Daniel Hyde, current director of King's, as a former director of their choir too. In fact, he directed them when that 2014 recording was made.

They're a really good choir judging from the recordings.

Here is some more polyphonic stuff.



Some more Christmassy stuff



They've of course done the regular liturgical choir music thing as well.

Thanks for the tip about the album, I'm going to look into it!

They're an excellent but less well known choir. I was fortunate to hear them sing one of my favourite choral pieces, Salvator Mundi by Thomas Tallis when I visited Oxford after the first Libera concert in Ely. They have some nice Christmas albums too.