Libera Dreams

We have not heard any hints about where Libera are planning to perform this summer. Because it's fun to guess, and because everyone has been really quiet on LD lately , I suggest we speculate about the possible where and when of the next show!

My guess is that since they have been to literally all of the usual countries they go to in East Asia within just the last year (Japan, Korea, and Philippines) that those are most likely out. They visited Japan several times because they had support from Libera Records and Universal Studios Japan. But there has been no activity at the Libera Records website so while there may be a surprise visit to Japan I would personally count that out. As we get ever closer to the normal window of time during which they do their summer touring the likelihood of any international tour decreases due to the need to start the ticket selling and promotion process. The average announcement time prior to a major international tour for them appears to be 2 months on average. So with their late July, early August timeline that would mean they would have to announce something very soon.

With them having done a US tour about a year ago, and cancelling another this past Fall, I would say it's pretty unlikely that any North America visit is in the cards. Asia, as I already said is also not a likely candidate.

So my bet is on them either going somewhere new (continental Europe?), or a repeat of last summer with a UK concert.

What do you all think?

I wish you were right because, as a brand new Libera fan (I heard of them first in January), I haven't seen any concerts so far, but I wish, I dream, I pray ( ) to be able to attend one as soon as possible.

My money would be on somewhere in the UK for the same reasons that you outline. The two concerts they had last summer were well attended and well received. The April concert was also in the south of England and again tickets sold out with very little lead time. Trips abroad are exciting for the boys but they cost $$$.

filiarheni wrote:I wish you were right because, as a brand new Libera fan (I heard of them first in January), I haven't seen any concerts so far, but I wish, I dream, I pray ( ) to be able to attend one as soon as possible.

Hey! I see that this was your first post. Welcome to Libera Dreams! You should introduce yourself over in the introduction sub-forum if you are feeling up to it. We would love to know how you heard of Libera, what your favorite songs are, and so on.

I have only been to one single concert myself, so a repeat is very much desired. I may even travel to the UK to do it if I have the money and if the concert is announced more than a few weeks in advance.

Yorkie wrote:My money would be on somewhere in the UK for the same reasons that you outline. The two concerts they had last summer were well attended and well received. The April concert was also in the south of England and again tickets sold out with very little lead time. Trips abroad are exciting for the boys but they cost $$$.

Good point about the cash involved. When they came to the United States the Libera of the US affiliate was trying to raise something like $200,000 or thereabouts to fund the tour.

filiarheni wrote:I wish you were right because, as a brand new Libera fan (I heard of them first in January), I haven't seen any concerts so far, but I wish, I dream, I pray ( ) to be able to attend one as soon as possible.

Hello and welcome!

Yorkie wrote:My money would be on somewhere in the UK for the same reasons that you outline. The two concerts they had last summer were well attended and well received. The April concert was also in the south of England and again tickets sold out with very little lead time. Trips abroad are exciting for the boys but they cost $$$.

That's true. Also, the parents might be getting a little weary of their boys being out of the county every holiday. I'm guessing that something closer to home is called for. Wasn't the Chanel Islands mini tour rather successful?

Don't they usually do at lest one summer UK concert? I think RP uses the summer UK concert to give some of the mini-boys a taste of concert experience before integrating them to the main traveling choir.

Good question - I've been wondering myself.

I see that they haven't been to Taiwan since 2013, and not to Singapore since 2012, and not to Canada since 2011. And in Canada they squeezed in 7 concerts in 8 days.

I would imagine that Taiwan and Singapore are roughly similar in culture to South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines - not having a cultural history of beautiful treble voices, and therefore somewhat enamored by them.

Personally, I think their style of music and lyric content lends itself well to cathedrals/churches, although I know that's not always possible.

I agree that, if they've done well on 'home turf' lately, that it makes sense to go with the flow, and save some dough (honestly, I just typed that without thinking.)

I would think that they would some market for them in Europe, especially since there are already numerous boy choir groups in existence - and of course plenty of cathedrals. Perhaps national pride might produce a little natural resistance to an outside English group, who knows.

I'm sure that there are always considerations that we aren't aware of - subsidies from record labels, special donors, political and religious affiliations, and then special projects like the live ice skating accompaniment and the USJ summer recording.

They have had a particularly busy last 9 months, however, and might enjoy just staying close to home. Just some random thoughts.

Thank you for welcoming me!

[quote="Surpinto You should introduce yourself over in the introduction sub-forum if you are feeling up to it. We would love to know how you heard of Libera, what your favorite songs are, and so on.[/quote]

Yes, I will as soon as I find some time.

I would love to have another chance in the UK this year, because I was actually offered a ticket for the Romsey concert (first row!!! - an offer which I found absolutely great), but wasn't able to go.
But for you, Surpinto, this would be too far away, I guess?

alcesalcesobservator wrote: Wasn't the Chanel Islands mini tour rather successful?

It was from my perspective! I think they had a backer for that one who covered the cost.

Tullybascombe wrote:Don't they usually do at lest one summer UK concert? I think RP uses the summer UK concert to give some of the mini-boys a taste of concert experience before integrating them to the main traveling choir.

I don't think it is usual for them to do a summer concert in or around the UK but it does happen if they don't manage to get to somewhere more exotic. There is a fairly established pattern of a UK spring and Autumn concert but anything else is pot luck.

Surpinto wrote:As we get ever closer to the normal window of time during which they do their summer touring the likelihood of any international tour decreases due to the need to start the ticket selling and promotion process.
The average announcement time prior to a major international tour for them appears to be 2 months on average

Well, it seems there's no real link between the distance of a tour and the time before its announce.
They used to be late for the announce of the Summer tour, whether the tour location is very close or very far

If we look back on the Summer tours announcements of recent years:
2010 : USA tour, announced on June 21 for a concert on August 1st, 41 days ahead
2011 : USA tour, announced on June 19 for a concert on Jul 27, 38 days ahead
2012 : Channel Islands tour, announced on June 21 for a concert on August 1st, 41 days ahead
2013 : Armagh DVD recording, announced on July 26 for a concert on August 9, 14 days ahead
2014 : Washington DC DVD recording, announced on July 1st for a concert on August 7, 37 days ahead
2015 : Korean tour (eventually postponed to 2016), announced on May 30 for a concert on July 25, 56 days ahead
2015 : Exeter concert, announced on July 4th for a concert on July 27, 23 days ahead
2015 : Osaka concert at USJ, announced on July 23 for a concert on August 5, 13 days ahead

it's difficult to speculate...

If we base on the calendar only, everything looks to be possible.
A short announcement does not preclude at all the destination.
They may as well go to the USA, the UK or even to Japan.

That said, taking into account the lack of signals so far from the US libera site, from the Japanese Libera Records site, of from the already known tour organizers in the US or in Asia, then it seems more likely that may stay in Europe and probably in the UK.

I personally would be very happy to fly back to Japan, but a UK tour would allow me huge saving !

for this Summer my bets are :
- 75% on a UK tour,
- 10% on an European tour,
- 10% on a Japan tour,
- 5 % on a US tour.

Based on the data above, the average announce time for a Summer tour is 32 days ahead.
If this was to apply perfectly, then a concert on Monday July 25 could be announced not earlier than in 3 weeks, on June 24.

Of course, an official announce might as well happen right in the minute that follows the publication of this post

You have all of those dates on hand? I love it

You are right the summer tour announcements have been particularly late in comparison to others, never thought to look specifically at those. Your analysis is spot on. So it looks like we should hear something within the next month.

Yes, we can only speculate.

Ill take a guess at the Japan, but I am usually wrong I think you need tonnes of historical data to analyse as FDL has I would put my money on FDL's prediction, however, Ill stick with Japan, as that was my first though when seeing this thread.

Shall we have a POLL on this?

Where will Libera perform. POLL

I would love to see them announce for somewhere in Western Europe where I have yet to go like France, Belgium, Holland or Germany, but I'm figuring my summer vacation will be in the UK this year.

One place I'm sure they won't be headed is the USA. Until the debts from the previous visits are satisfied, the only way they'll be coming here is in fulfillment of a contract where someone else is paying the lion's share of the bills. I suspect that goes for Canada as well, although summer would be a much better time of year to visit there. It probably wouldn't snow.

Wherever they do go, I hope for decent advance notice and a location with plenty of convenient lodging available.

I am assuming it will be the UK again as the 2 concerts last summer were very successful and it's a lot cheaper to tour here if they have no funding for anything abroad.

Perhaps it will turn as a similar scenario to that of last year, ie 1 or 2 concerts in UK followed by a concert at the other end of the world.
Maybe the USJ will renew its invitation
I would love this to be the case.