Libera Dreams

Libera have made a post on the boys safety and if it's jeopardized they will act . I am assuming something may of occurred to warrant a warning going up on the website


http://www.libera.org.uk/about/public_and_private


A quote from it


We wish to be able to continue to travel, perform and record as Libera, but everyone will understand that if ever it seemed that there were a threat to the safety of our boys, real or perceived, it would be necessary to restrict and constrain the public activities and appearances of the group to the detriment of Libera’s future and the continued enjoyment of our many supporters

I think over the last few months there have been postings from people (not generally this website but one of the other Libera fan sites (although we do get the odd posting on here)) where updates from the boys school and/or outside Libera activities are mentioned.

Whilst it can be argued that this info is on the internet and therefore 'public' I think that the Libera organisation & the boy's parents have always felt uncomfortable about this attention; it is unavoidable when they are on Libera duty but most of the time they are not in Libera and I think they want to keep that part separate and private.

I hope nothing has happened and that it is just a gentle reminder to fans to be friends with the group but to also keep a respectful distance. So if you find a bit of news about what boy x is doing or what school he goes to please don't share it. I don't think that extends to things like Tom or Stefan appearing in an opera, but if there is a piece about little Jonny winning a prize in his school newsletter please don't post it.

Do you think the posting about some of the boys singing in another choir or at a musical event might have been seen as problematic? I hope not.

TullyBascombe wrote:Do you think the posting about some of the boys singing in another choir or at a musical event might have been seen as problematic? I hope not.

I honestly don't know Tully, but If it did it probably isn't so much about the concert as the fact that it identifies the school that the boys attend. It's a difficult one really because the info is already out there if somebody is minded to search for it but publicising it just adds to the hype and removes the normality. Also, Libera are very much aware of the risks (sadly) that their fame brings and take all possible safeguarding steps; school choirs and church services may not be quite as aware of the level of obsession that some 'fans' have...

I guess we can only do what we think is right. I read the message as asking for a separation between Libera activity (ok to talk about here) and non-Libera activity (they ask that we not discuss in public) - it's up to us as a community as to whether we respect their request or not but I hope we will.

It is a real thin line on what is acceptable to post, I personalty would not post anything outside of Libera, even if its already in the public domain. Best to err on the side of caution in my books.

I agree with Yorkie--why hand info on a platter? People will find the boys if they want to-- it's difficult to *not* be found, nowadays. But it's easier for parents and management to deal with a few die-hard people who've crossed "the line" than it is to deal with hundreds. Let Tom Cully be a lesson to all of us, and let us continue to be circumspect and cautious; and--if need be--not be afraid to kindly bring an erring fan into line.

Something happened to Tom Cully?

TullyBascombe wrote:Something happened to Tom Cully?

It was several years ago, and I was a new fan then, so don't jump down my throat if I get something wrong, but if I remember correctly, the order of events went something like this: After leaving Libera, Tom Cully posted a few (very good) covers of songs on his myspace page, specifically asking that they not be posted on YouTube. They were posted on YouTube by multiple account holders, and his myspace page was inundated with fan mail; he consequently deleted his myspace account and disappeared out of the public eye, only to reappear years later under a different name as a reclusive artist. The whole thing strikes me as a bit sad. If you want to know more, try the "Tom Cully (former)" thread.

alcesalcesobservator wrote:

TullyBascombe wrote:Something happened to Tom Cully?

It was several years ago, and I was a new fan then, so don't jump down my throat if I get something wrong, but if I remember correctly, the order of events went something like this: After leaving Libera, Tom Cully posted a few (very good) covers of songs on his myspace page, specifically asking that they not be posted on YouTube. They were posted on YouTube by multiple account holders, and his myspace page was inundated with fan mail; he consequently deleted his myspace account and disappeared out of the public eye, only to reappear years later under a different name as a reclusive artist. The whole thing strikes me as a bit sad. If you want to know more, try the "Tom Cully (former)" thread.

He also blocked all Libera fans from following his pseudonym Twitter account and as we can see he had valued reasons .

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There could also be professional reasons for young artists to want to distance themselves from their first musical affiliations. Perhaps Tom was concerned that some might think that he was using his involvement with Libera to advance his own career, and having obsessive individuals trailing him around online made it difficult for him to be regarded as a musician with his own style and abilities.

He blocked the Libera obsessive fans ( I use that term lightly) because of the hassle he would get if they was allowed to send him messages . When he opened MySpace he was just a teenager and yet adults who should of known better kept bugging him and wouldn't just let him be and made his life a misery with stealing his photos and music when he was willing to share it but he didn't want it taken off the site .

Tom & Josh brought in a new era of Libera and sometimes I think people crossed a line with how intrusive they was . They was young kids and got singled out from the rest of the group intensively , I can remember watching a old YouTube video from after a concert and the camera was just on Tom and he was clearly uncomfortable with it yet the person continued to film him.

Indeed, you are right about that, Dani. It is a shame that certain people do not know how to conduct themselves, either online or in the real world, and they come from different age groups, teens or adults. It is no wonder that when the boys age out of Libera, and are trying to make their own way in the music business, some of them wish to disassociate themselves from these people who are more of a liability than an asset to a young musician's developing career.

TullyBascombe wrote:Do you think the posting about some of the boys singing in another choir or at a musical event might have been seen as problematic? I hope not.

Tully, I think Yorkie nailed it. The problem with publicizing the other choir, if it's the chorister's school choir, is that it is difficult to discuss one without revealing the other. I don't think earlier reports about Stefan and Tom's opera/theatre performances have the same potential for mischief. Those perfomances were limited engagements, as opposed to school attendance which could stretch out over many years. Libera members are expressly forbidden from mentioning their schools when in public discussion. Longtime fans may remember a boy (Michael U-R?) getting bleeped when he mentioned the name of his school in a radio interview. Another more recent example would be Cassius refusing to release the name of his school despite a rather persistent line of questioning from that Atlanta radio show this spring.

This is clearly a policy which Libera management would like to extend from its members to its fanbase. Hopefully we will all do our best to comply.

Now that you mention it I remember the problem with the posting of Tom Cully's songs on YouTube.

Regarding the Libera members singing in the other choir, I was under the impression that the members of that choir weren't necessarily pupils at the school, but I may be wrong.

I'm sure it's one or two that spoil it for the majority of the others, and to be honest I'm not sure you're going to ever completely stop those a few sandwiches short of a picnic from embarrassing themselves. I can understand 'Official Libera' strong stance on the issue and the need to minimise the risks.

I never link back to any school, and often have to wait for an alternative source to present itself before announcing any news. The example of Tom's involvement at Glyndebourne which many of us already knew, was only possible when the BBC ran a local news story about it and Glyndebourne then credited him on the actors list. It does makes you wonder if you should ever refer to a libera boy in a singular context for any participation they are involved in away from the group, and therefore should this 'members' topic be removed..... or is that a bit overkill. I'm sure if some people were a bit more tactful and clever about how they went about their business, then we wouldn't have a problem.