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Libera (music)
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
vocal group directed by Robert Prizeman. Most members come from the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
choir of St. Philip's, Norbury
Norbury
Norbury is a town in the London Borough of Croydon, also crossing the London Borough of Merton. It shares the postcode London SW16 with nearby Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross.-History:...
, in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. The albums, tours and TV appearances they do as Libera are in addition to their regular singing as part of the full choir of men and boys at parish choral services. They come from a variety of backgrounds in the London area, attending many different schools, including local state schools, church schools and performing arts schools. Libera recruits boys from any religious denomination and even those with no religious affiliations. Most join between the ages of seven and ten, however older boys may join if they have the appropriate singing abilities.
According to a Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
TV special that aired January 25, 2009, the group has approximately 40 members between the ages of seven and 16, including new boys who are not yet ready to fully participate in albums or tours. Nineteen boys participated in their 2008 US tour. Twenty-four boys sang for the album New Dawn.
The group's name comes from its signature song. "Libera," which is based on the Libera Me
Libera Me
Līberā mē, Libera me is a Roman Catholic responsory that is sung in the Office of the Dead and at the absolution of the dead, a service of prayers for the dead said by the coffin immediately after the Requiem Mass and before burial. The text of Libera Me asks God to have mercy upon the deceased...
portion of the Requiem Mass. "Libera" is the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word for "free".
Albums
The Anglican parish of St. Philip's, Norbury has a long choral tradition. Their first non-traditional commercial work was in 1984, when the boys of the St. Philip's Choir backed Sal SoloSal Solo
Sal Solo Sal Solo Sal Solo (born Christopher Scott Stevens, 5 September 1961, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England is an English singer.-Career:Solo began his career with an obscure band called The News, who only released one 7" single on GTO Records...
on his song "San Damiano." In 1987, the boys of St Philip's Choir released the single "Sing Forever." In 1988, the choir released the single "Adoramus." In 1988, the choir released their first full commercial album, Sing For Ever under the name St. Philip's Choir. The title track for this album was chosen by the BBC as the first Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
telethon anthem.
The second album, New Day, released in 1990, was the first album to use the name Angel Voices. During the 1990s, the names "St. Philip's Boy Choir" and "Angel Voices" were both used to refer to the choir. The third album, Angel Voices, was released in 1992. It was rereleased in 1993, with the choir referred to as the St Philip's Boy's Choir. Angel Voices 2 was released in 1996 and Angel Voices 3 was released in 1997. Both were released under the name of St. Philip's Boy's Choir, by the record label MCI.
In 1995, Robert Prizeman released a single and a CD entitled "Libera". The CD contained seven remixes of his original song, "Libera". The first 4 tracks feature Libera with Daren Geraghty as the main soloist; the last 3 tracks are performed by other artists. In the same year, the choir, calling itself Libera, performed the song on the TV program "Sunday Live". In 1999, the choir released another album entitled Libera, published by Warner Classics. From that point on, the choir has been consistently referred to as "Libera" when acting in its commercial capacity. The next Libera album, Luminosa, was released by Warner Classics in 2001. In 2003, Warner Classics rereleased Libera and Luminosa as a two CD set entitled Complete Libera. Ever since 2004, Libera has been under contract with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. Their first EMI album was Free. Visions came out in 2005. Libera's 2006 album, Angel Voices, was nominated as Album of the Year by the Classical Brit Awards. New Dawn was released in March 2008. In December 2008, they released their first double CD entitled Eternal (The best of Libera) which contains 26 tracks taken from earlier albums and six new tracks. Their latest album was released in 2010: 'Peace'
November 1st 2011 sees the release of Libera's "Christmas" album, a first for the group in their own right, although they have supported Aled Jones on two previous Christmas collaborations, one of which is a DVD.
Television
Major roles in the 1992 TV programme Titchmarsh on Song, presented by Alan TitchmarshAlan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
, and the 1993 TV programme Thora
Thora Hird
Dame Thora Hird DBE was an English actress.-Early life and career:Hird was born in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. She first appeared on stage at the age of two months in a play her father was managing...
on the Straight and Narrow, introduced Angel Voices to a wider public. The show featured the first public performance of the song "De Profundis", which would become "Libera" and give the choir its name. Libera has made numerous music videos for Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
and Classic FM TV
Classic FM TV
Classic FM TV is a web based internet channel owned by Classic FM. Until 14 December 2007 it was available as a television channel on the Sky Digital and Virgin Media cable TV services. Classic FM TV now only broadcasts online in the United Kingdom via the Internet.- Other media :Classic FM TV is...
. Other TV appearances include guest spots on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, Sunday Live
Sunday Live
Sunday Live was a Sunday morning regional current affairs programme, broadcast on Scottish TV in Central Scotland and Grampian TV in the North ....
, Christmas Cooks, Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
, and Last Choir Standing
Last Choir Standing
Last Choir Standing was a 2008 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Broadcast on BBC One in July and August 2008, the series saw amateur choirs competing each week to be the 'last choir standing'....
. In 1994, St Philip's Choir sang in an episode of the TV series Poirot. In 2003, Libera was the last act to perform on the UK version of the famous TV series This is your Life
This Is Your Life (UK TV series)
This Is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary, based on the 1952 American show of the same name. It was hosted by Eamonn Andrews from 1955 until 1964, and then from 1969 until his death in 1987 aged 64...
; they performed for guest Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
. During the episode, it was mentioned that Libera had performed at Aled Jones' wedding. In February 2007, Libera appeared on the television contest When Will I Be Famous presented by Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
on BBC 1. They won, and were invited back the following week. Libera has made several TV appearances in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Libera also recorded the signature tune for Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
. Their rendition of "How Can I Keep From Singing" was featured on a British television ad for Waitrose.
On May 30 and May 31, 2007, Libera recorded two free concert performances at the Pieterkerk in Leiden, Holland, with the cooperation of the American Public Television
American Public Television
American Public Television is the largest syndicator of programming for public television stations in the United States.-History:...
. Footage from the performances was combined to create the TV special Angel Voices: Libera in Concert. The programme was featured on Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
channels in the United States and released by EMI on DVD and CD. The DVD includes a bonus feature entitled "Libera in Their Own Words", which features interviews of some of the boys.
A thirty minute special about Libera aired on the BBC1 TV show Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
.
On April 14, 2010, as part of their 2010 Summer Philippine tour, Libera appeared as guests in the hit daytime tv show, Showtime, and sang Bayan Ko
Bayan Ko
"Bayan Ko" is one of the most recognizable patriotic songs in the Philippines that, because of its popularity, is sometimes assumed to be a folk song and the unofficial national anthem of the Philippines...
.
Concerts
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, they have performed at the Grassington
Grassington
Grassington is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England.The town is situated in Wharfedale around from Bolton Abbey and is surrounded by limestone scenery...
Festival, Arundel Cathedral
Arundel Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Arundel, West Sussex, England. Dedicated in 1873 as the Catholic parish church of Arundel, it was not designated a cathedral until the foundation of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton in 1965...
, Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
, Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
, St John's Church in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, St. Wilfred's Church, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
Fairfield Halls, the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
. Libera has also made several highly successful tours in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
In April 2005, Libera visited Japan for the first time. They sang at Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
BRITZ in the Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. In October, they visited Japan again. They sang at Aichi Prefectural Art Theater
Aichi Arts Center
is the main venue for the performing arts in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The center consists of:*Aichi Prefectural Museum*Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater**Main Hall**Concert Hall*Aichi Prefectural Arts Promotion Service*Aichi Prefectural Library...
, Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 and Bunkyo Civic Hall. In April 2007, they sang at The Symphony Hall in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Aichi Prefectural Art Theater and Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Bunkamura
The Bunkamura is a concert hall, theater and museum located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyu Group.- Venues :The four main venues are:*Orchard Hall: 2,150 seats*Theatre Cocoon: 747 seats*The Museum - Changing art exhibits...
in Tokyo. All concerts were a great success.
In December 2007, nine boys from Libera sang at the Kennedy Center Honors Awards, attended by the then-President of the United States George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and a host of celebrities. As part of a tribute to Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, they performed his song "Love and Mercy". For this performance, the boys from Libera were backed by a chorus of boys from St. Albans School
St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
, which is affiliated with the Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
. In April 2008, Libera made its first concert tour of the United States, performing in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and Riverside Church
Riverside Church
The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture—which includes the world's largest tuned carillon bell...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York. On April 20, they performed for the "Concert of Hope" prior to the Papal Mass in Yankee Stadium.
In January 2009, Libera visited Japan to help promote the movie, "Nobody to Watch Over Me." Libera sang the film's official soundtrack, You Were There.
In April 2009, Libera returned to Japan and performed a concert in Miyagi Hall in Sendai, and two concerts in Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo. They also performed a charity concert. From Japan, they flew to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to perform in St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
and at the Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
in Garden Grove
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
During the summer of 2009 Libera performed concerts in Dublin (National Concert Hall), Belfast and Edinburgh, all to sell out crowds.
In October 2009, Libera toured the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(sponsored by the British Alumni Association). On October 25, the boys performed at the Philippine International Convention Center
Philippine International Convention Center
The Philippine International Convention Center is a convention center located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines...
Plenary Hall in the Manila Metropolitan Area
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. On October 28, they performed at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
. The Manila concert was sold out. The concert repertoire for the tour included "Orinoco Flow
Orinoco Flow
"Orinoco Flow " is a 1988 single written and recorded by Enya. It also featured on her second studio album, Watermark.-Background:...
," by Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
, which makes reference to the island of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
. The encore song was "Bayan Ko
Bayan Ko
"Bayan Ko" is one of the most recognizable patriotic songs in the Philippines that, because of its popularity, is sometimes assumed to be a folk song and the unofficial national anthem of the Philippines...
," which is in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
.
Libera returned to Asia in April 2010 for a series of concerts, beginning in Tokyo Japan, where they performed in Bunkamura Orchard Hall on April 8 and 9. From there, they traveled to Seoul, South Korea where they performed at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on April 11. Libera then flew to the Philippines for their Philippine Summer Promo Tour 2010. They had two showcase performances (matinee and gala) at the RCBC Plaza Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium on April 16, to promote their latest album, Peace.
In the summer of 2010, Libera returned to the United States for another tour. They performed in Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Returning to England, Libera performed four cathedral concerts at Bristol (Clifton Cathedral), Chester (Cathedral), London and Beverley (Minster) respectively. They also performed a concert at the Epsom Playhouse in March 2011.
Libera started their first tour of Canada on 14 April 2011. Their seven-performance tour consisted of Saint Michael's Catholic Cathedral in Toronto on 14 April 2011, First St. Andrew's Church in Toronto on 15 April 2011, Islington United Church in Toronto on 17 April 2011, Centre in the Square in Kitchener on 18 April 2011, St. Paul's Congregational Church in Chatham on 19 April 2011, West Highland Baptist Church in Hamilton on 22 April 2011 (Good Friday), and concluding at Church of Our Lady Immaculate in Guelph on 24 April 2011 (Easter Sunday). The shows at Islington United Church and West Highland Baptist Church sold out.
Libera's next major tour of the USA took place in the summer of 2011 and saw them appearing in six concerts and a church service. These were: Minneapolis (Basilica of St Mary) on July 27th, Saint Paul (Cathedral) on July 29th, Morning Worship at the Moody Church and a concert at the Rockefeller Chapel on July 31st, the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis on August 3rd, Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, on August 7th, and Houston on August 9th.
On September 25th 2011 Libera shared a stage with Andrea Boccelli, Katharine Jenkins, Aled Jones, and others, in a concert from Alexandra Palace, London, UK, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the BBC's Songs of Praise programme. Tickets were just £12 each and the programme was duly broadcast a week later on BBC television.
Libera toured the Philippines during the October 2011 UK school half-term period, with sell-out Christmas album concerts in Manila and Cebu. Meet and Greets were also held at both locations and television appearances made. The Christmas Album went straight to the top of the music charts there.
On Saturday November 5th 2011, ten boys from Libera performed three tracks from the Christmas Album live on the QVC shopping channel in the UK, and that album was extensively plugged during the session.
They are to return to St George's Cathedral in London for a Christmas Concert on Friday 25th November 2011.
Further concerts in Japan are to take place Easter 2012.
A European tour is planned for Easter 2012, though no details are currently available.
Libera have also put out a call for funding and sponsorship for tours and concerts worldwide, inviting any interested parties to contact them directly via their main website.
Supporting roles
Libera has provided choral backing to a number of artists, including Aled JonesAled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra
Hayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
, Peter Skellern
Peter Skellern
Peter Skellern is an English singer-songwriter and pianist.-Career:Skellern attended Derby Grammar School and studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He later joined pop groups called 'Harlem' and 'March Hare'...
, José Carreras
José Carreras
Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...
, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, and Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
. Libera has also sung for several film soundtracks, including Romeo & Juliet, The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, Shadowlands
Shadowlands
Shadowlands is a 1985 television film, written by William Nicholson, directed by Norman Stone and produced by David M. Thompson for BBC Wales. Its subject is the relationship between Oxford don and author, C. S. Lewis and Joy Gresham....
and Hannibal. A movie preview for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
uses a brief selection from one of their songs. It is not yet known if the song will be heard in the actual movie or will be released on the movie soundtrack.
Several Libera members have performed solo work outside of Libera while still members of the choir. For example, Tom Cully sang for Silence, Night and Dreams by Zbigniew Preisner
Zbigniew Preisner
Zbigniew Preisner is a Polish film score composer, best known for his work with film director Krzysztof Kieślowski.-Life:Zbigniew Preisner studied history and philosophy in Kraków. Never having received formal music lessons, he taught himself music by listening and transcribing parts from records....
, and can be heard singing in an episode of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series Foyle's War
Foyle's War
Foyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
. In 2002, Libera member Steven Geraghty was a featured soloist for the soundtrack of the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game ICO
Ico
is an action-adventure game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was designed and directed by Fumito Ueda, who wanted to create a minimalist game around a "boy meets girl" concept. Originally planned for the PlayStation, Ico took...
. Libera member Ben Crawley did solo work for Paul Joyce's production of The Snow Queen in 2004.
Music
Libera has a distinctive sound. All of its singers are boys, most with unchanged boy sopranoBoy soprano
A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
(also known as treble) voices, with those boys in their early teens singing the lowest parts. Almost all their songs are either new compositions by Robert Prizeman or unique arrangements of classical and contemporary tunes. Prizeman often composes and arranges pieces with individual soloists in mind, to emphasize the variety of characteristics and qualities in the boys' voices. His compositions blend innovative textures, meditative soloists and vibrant ecstatic chorus harmonies that stretch across the full range of the boys' range. Libera's music frequently combines elements of Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
, classical composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s such as Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
and Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
, as well as contemporary pop and new age music. Some of their songs, such as "Sanctus", have appeared in different versions on several of their albums. Some more contemporary songs have been covered by the group, such as Enya's Orinoco Flow.
Most of Libera's lyrics come from traditional hymns, the Latin Rite liturgy, and contemporary songs by artists ranging from Brian Wilson to Enya. However, lyrics from various poems and original lyrics are also used. For example, We are the Lost uses the poems "In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields
"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most notable poems written during World War I, created in the form of a French rondeau. It has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period...
" by John McCrae
John McCrae
Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres...
and "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon
Laurence Binyon
Robert Laurence Binyon was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. His most famous work, For the Fallen, is well known for being used in Remembrance Sunday services....
, along with a single stanza from the English hymn, "O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, Our Help in Ages Past is a hymn by Isaac Watts and paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five and nine...
" by Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...
. While most of the Libera's original lyrics are written by Robert Prizeman, other individuals, including former Libera soloist Steven Geraghty, have also contributed new lyrics to recent albums.
Libera uses a variety of instrumentation. Robert Prizeman, Ian Tilley and Steven Geraghty play electronic keyboards, piano and organ. Steven Geraghty also played clarinet for Free, Visions and Angel Voices, and percussion for Visions and Angel Voices. All of their EMI albums feature Fiona Pears on the violin. Angel Voices: Libera in Concert has additional backing by Il Novecento Orchestra. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra provides backing to their album, New Dawn.
Clothing
For most of their performances, the boys of Libera wear distinctive white hooded robes based on monastic cowls. The choir's use of white robes goes back at least to 1987. The boys can be seen wearing the robes on the cover of their first single, Sing Forever. Other Libera uniforms include white or black hoodies and dark blue slacks with light blue shirts. Some of their videos have featured the boys wearing regular, casual clothing.Cover art
Common motifs in the cover art of the choir's albums include birds, clouds, light as well as pictures of the choristers. The 1993 release of Angel Voices, Angel Voices 2, Angel Voices 3, Libera, Luminosa and Welcome to Libera's World all feature white birds on their covers. Sing Forever, the 1992 release of Angel Voices, Angel Voices: Libera in Concert and New Dawn show several of the boys dressed in white robes. Free and Visions both show a single, ghostly figure in white robes against a cloudy background. On album Free the ghostly figure featured is Callum Payne. The 2006 Angel Voices album shows several boys wearing what appear to be white hoodies.Sing For Ever
- Release Date: 1988
- Vocal Soloists: Jaymi Bandtock, Jonathan Arthey, Ian Grimley, Sam Harper, Gareth Lowman, Mathew Arthey
New Day
- Release Date: 1990
- Vocal Soloists: Robert Chee-A-Tow, Jaymi Bandtock, Gareth Lowman
Angel Voices
- Release Dates: 1992, 1993
- Vocal Soloists: Oliver Putland, Daren Geraghty,Anthony Maher
Angel Voices 2
- Release Date: 1996
- Vocal Soloists: Chris Baron, Daren Geraghty, Liam O'Kane
Angel Voices 3
- Release Date: 1997
- Vocal Soloists: Liam O'Kane, Steven Geraghty, Adam Harris, Chris Baron, Alex Baron
Libera
- Release Date: 1999
- Vocal Soloists: Liam O'Kane, Adam Harris, Steven Geraghty, Alex Baron
- Instrumentalists: None are credited on the album, however Robert Prizeman did the keyboard work.
Luminosa
- Release Date: 2001
- Vocal Soloists: Steven Geraghty, Ben Crawley, Sam Coates, Simon Beston
- Instrumentalists: None are credited on the album, however Robert Prizeman did the keyboard work.
Complete Libera
- Release Date: 2003
- Vocal Soloists: Liam O'Kane, Adam Harris, Steven Geraghty, Ben Crawley, Sam Coates, Simon Beston, Alex Baron
- 2 CD set with Libera and Luminosa
FreeFree (Libera album)-Track listing:1. I Am The Day 4:432. Stay With Me 3:333. Voca Me 4:484. A Song Of Enchantment 4:335. Ave Verum 4:216. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep 2:407. When A Knight 2:218. A New Heaven 4:089. I Vow To Thee My Country 3:1810. Lament 4:17...
- Release Date: 2004
- Vocal Soloists: Ben Crawley, Joseph Platt, Christopher Robson, Anthony Chadney, Raoul Neumann
- Instrumentalists: Robert Prizeman, Fiona Pears, Dominic Kelly, Steven Geraghty, Chris Dodd, Ian Tilley, Helen Cole
Visions
- Release Date: 2005
- Vocal Soloists: Tom Cully, Conor O'Donnell, Michael Horncastle, Joseph Sanders-Wilde, Callum Payne, James Vereycken
- Directed & Conducted by: Robert Prizeman
- Produced by: Robert Prizeman & Ian Tilley
- Assisted by: Sam Coates, Steven Geraghty & Ben Crawley
- Instruments: Robert Prizeman, Ian Tilley, Fiona Pears, John Anderson, Steven Geraghty & Chris Dodd
Welcome to Libera's World
- Release Date: 2006
- Vocal Soloists: Joseph Platt, Ben Crawley, Liam O'Kane, Michael Horncastle, Joseph Sanders-Wilde
- Instrumentalists: Robert Prizeman, Fiona Pears, John Anderson, Steven Geraghty, Chris Dodd, Ian Tilley
- Released only in Japan. Most of the tracks are rereleased from the earlier albums. It includes only one new track, "Far Away."
Angel Voices
- Release Date: 2006
- Vocal Soloists: Michael Horncastle, Ed Day, Connor O'Donnell, Tom Cully, Joshua Madine, Joseph Platt, Christopher Robson, Anthony Chadney, Joseph Sanders-Wilde, James Vereycken
- Instrumentalists: Robert Prizeman, Fiona Pears, John Anderson, Steven Geraghty, Chris Dodd, Ian Tilley
Angel Voices - Libera in Concert
- Release Date: 2007
- Vocal Soloists: Joshua Madine, Ben Philipp, Tom Cully, Ed Day, Liam Connery, Sam Leggett, Joe Snelling
- Instrumentalists: Robert Prizeman, Fiona Pears, Steven Geraghty, Il Novecento Orchestra
- Released as a DVD and a CD
New DawnNew Dawn (album)New Dawn is a studio album by London-based Libera, released in March 2008 via record label EMI Classics. The album features two renditions of popular songs, Enya's Orinoco Flow and The Beach Boys's Love and Mercy...
- Release Date: 2008
- Vocal Soloists: Tom Cully, Joshua Madine, Ed Day, Liam Connery, Joe Snelling, Benedict Philipp
- Instrumentalists: Robert Prizeman, Fiona Pears, Ian Tilley, Steven Geraghty, Sam Coates, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Prayer ~You Were There~
- Release Date: 2008
- Vocal Soloists: Tom Cully, Ed Day, Joshua Madine, Liam Connery, Ben Crawley, Joseph Sanders-Wilde, Joseph Platt, Christopher Robson, Anthony Chadney
- Released only in Japan. Most of the tracks are rereleased from the earlier albums.
Eternal – The Best of Libera
- Release Date: 2009
- Vocal Soloists: Tom Cully, Ed Day, Joshua Madine, Liam Connery, Ben Crawley, Joseph Platt, Michael Horncastle, Joseph Sanders-Wilde, Raoul Neumann
- Two disk compilation album with a mix of old and new songs
PeacePeace (Libera album)Peace is a studio album by London-based boy choir Libera, which was released in March 2010 by record label EMI Classics.-Promotions:Two singles were released, the first single Sanctissima was released as a free download and featured Benedict Philipp as the soloist...
- Release Date: March 8, 2010 (International) / April 6, 2010 (US)
- Vocal Soloist: Benedict Philipp, Joshua Madine, Tom Cully, Stefan Leadbeater, James Threadgill, Jakob De Menezes-Wood, Daniel Fontannaz, James Mordaunt, Ralph Skan
- Duets: Stefan Leadbeater - Daniel Fontannaz, Benedict Philipp - Jakob De Menezes-Wood
- Directed and conducted by Robert Prizeman
- Produced by Ian Tilley, Robert Prizeman and Sam Coates
- Assisted by Steven Geraghty, Ben Crawley and Tom Cully
- Musicians: Robert Prizeman, Ian Tilley, Steven Geraghty, Fiona Pears, Jonathan Howell
Peace DeLuxe EditionPeace (Libera album)Peace is a studio album by London-based boy choir Libera, which was released in March 2010 by record label EMI Classics.-Promotions:Two singles were released, the first single Sanctissima was released as a free download and featured Benedict Philipp as the soloist...
Celebrating the chart-topping success of Libera's Peace, the recording is repackaged in deluxe formin time for the holidays.
- Release Date: Nov 22, 2010 (EU and Japan) / Dec 7, 2010 (US)
- Credits: Same as for Peace
- Limited Edition Deluxe Package features (refer to album page)
Libera Song of life
- Release Date: 2011
- Released only in Japan. "Song of life" was used in Japanese television drama.
The St. Philip's Boys Choir: The Best of Angel Voices
- Release Date: 2011
- Vocal Soloists: Oliver Putland, Daren Geraghty, Liam O'Kane
- This album is a compilation of songs from Angel Voices (1992) and Angel Voices 2 (1996), from the time period from before the choir became known as Libera.
"Libera-The Christmas Album"
- "Release Date:"' November 2011
Directed and conducted by Robert Prizeman
- 16 Christmas tracks, in the distinctive Libera style.
Track Listings
1. Joy to the World
2. Still, still, still
3. Carol of the Bells
4. Veni, Veni Emmanuel
5. Once in Royal David's City
6. O Holy Night
7. White Christmas
8. Corpus Christi Carol
9. In Dulci Jubilo
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
11. Sing the Story
12. Coventry Carol
13. The First Nowell
14. Jubilate Deo
15. While Shepherds watched their Flocks
16. Lullabye (Goodnight my angel)
Movie soundtracks
- 1995: Twelve Monkeys
- 1997: Romeo and Juliet
- 1998: Cousin Bette
- 2001: Hannibal
- 2005: The Merchant of Venice
- 2009: Nobody to Watch Over Me
Supporting roles on albums and singles
- 1984: San Damiano, by Sal SoloSal SoloSal Solo Sal Solo Sal Solo (born Christopher Scott Stevens, 5 September 1961, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England is an English singer.-Career:Solo began his career with an obscure band called The News, who only released one 7" single on GTO Records...
- 1990: Christmas Wrapping, by Tony RobinsonTony RobinsonTony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
- 1994: The Christmas Album, Vol 2, by Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
- 1997: The Big Picture, by Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
- 2002: Aled, by Aled JonesAled JonesAled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
- 2003: Higher, by Aled JonesAled JonesAled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
- 2004: The Christmas Album, by Aled JonesAled JonesAled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
- 2008: Aled's Christmas Carols by Aled JonesAled JonesAled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
(DVD) - 2009: Tchaikovsky, The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
, with Berlin Philharmonic cond. Simon RattleSimon RattleSir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....