Libera Dreams

The official twitter account of BBC Songs of Praise announces that libera will be among the artists that will perform this Sunday 10 September at the Royal Albert Hall, London, at the Big Sing 2017 event.

Two tweets:




More information on the R.A.H page:
https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets ... e-big-sing

And on the S.o.P. page:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/article ... e-big-sing

Great news, that means more videos to see!
Maybe it's still just a broadcast specialized for the UK only, but I'm sure we'll get it somehow...

I wonder how many songs will they sing? And will there be collaborations?

kinda_k00l wrote: ↑<span title="Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:18 pm">6 years ago</span> Great news, that means more videos to see!
Maybe it's still just a broadcast specialized for the UK only, but I'm sure we'll get it somehow...

I wonder how many songs will they sing? And will there be collaborations?

There will be two UK tv shows produced from the event, one to be aired just before Christmas and the other just before the New Year. These things have a habit of making it on to YouTube....

If I'm correct the previous libera participation to the S.O.P. 'Big Sing' was in 2013.
They sung 'Silent night' (watch here) and they backed Susan Boyle on 'In the Bleak Midwinter' (watch here), thank you Jimmy )

kinda_k00l wrote: ↑<span title="Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:18 pm">6 years ago</span> I wonder how many songs will they sing? And will there be collaborations?

FDL will be able us to tell us on Sunday - or should he keep us in suspense?
I predict "Carol of the Bells" and one other. I would like it to be "Still,Still,Still" but they are bit short on the lower voices right now which are an important feature of the Libera arrangement.

Yes, as the show will be Christmas themed, 'Carol of the Bells' is a good candidate.
But on the other hand haven't we heard it a little bit in recent years?
I mean, I hope for something else, more recent, like Dreaming of Home as example, it would be a delight to have it sung in the R.A.H.

Wow, thank you for this information. It is very exciting. I look forward to seeing the videos.

Remember that Songs of Praise is a religious program so my bet is that it will be a religiously themed carol. I wonder if they will be singing on their own or as part of an ensemble.

Thanks for the info Patrick, I'm looking forward to seeing what their contribution will be. If they are involved in the Christmas broadcast, a full choir rendition of CotB would be thrilling to watch, but maybe their version is a bit too thrilling for the typical SOP audience. If it's the New Year show, the song options are endless. In any case, I'm hoping they'll sing at least one song on their own.

I'll try to record as I did in 2013.

TullyBascombe wrote:Remember that Songs of Praise is a religious program so my bet is that it will be a religiously themed carol.

JimmyRiddle wrote:If they are involved in the Christmas broadcast, a full choir rendition of CotB would be thrilling to watch, but maybe their version is a bit too thrilling for the typical SOP audience.

Yes, you are both right, I forgot that the 'Big Sing' is a S.o.P. show at first.
Too bad but I have to admit that 'Dreaming of Home' does not fit the religious requirement.

Nevertheless I want to believe that if they sing a song on their own, it will be a new one, or taken from the last CD 'Hope'.
C.o.t.B. is really nice but is was released 6 years ago on the Christmas Album, since we heard it often.

Let's start to speculate a bit in the wait of the answer on Sunday

If we take the 14 songs of the UK version of 'Hope', which songs could fit both criteria of being religious enough for S.o.P. and not too thrilling for the R.A.H. attendance and the TV broadcast ?
01. Salve Regina
02. Dreaming of Home
03. Angele Dei
04. Smile
05. Stabat Mater
06. Benedictus Deus
07. From a Distance
08. Three Ravens
09. Angel
10. Wayfaring Stranger
11. Hymn to Mary
12. San Damiano
13. Venite Adoremus
14. Home

(click here to listen a sample of each track, if needed)

Another criteria would be that the song has to have a current soloist to be performed.
I mean, Benedictus Deus would be fantastic on both stage and TV, but as far as we know the song is unsung since TDL recorded it years ago.

Are they likely to sing one song on their own only?

Angele Dei

It's their own song, has proved very popular, is well practised and fits the religious theme. I hope for this song. (But I'm not at all familiar yet with the SoPs, not to mention Big Sing, so ...)

And as second, if so: From A Distance? To give the people something they know ... and with the hope, harmony and peace theme, it would go into the Christmas direction.

Yes, there is a quite good possibility, based on their previous participation to a 'Big Sing' show

See above, in 2013 they sung two songs, 'Still Night" by their own and "In the Bleak Midwinter" as backing for Susan Boyle.

None of the "Hope" tracks would really fit the SoP special which, despite recent multi-denominational trends, will probably be very much focused on a traditional Anglican Christmas with well known hymns and carols. Patrick: don't forget that you are expected to dress appropriately displaying red and green, tinsel, and to wear a silly hat (reindeer or preferably moose antlers would be acceptable). Have fun.

Oops, while you were posting your answer, I edited mine and added "From A Distance". However, if they are rather supposed to sing real Christmas songs, then maybe we have to look at the "original" Christmas song repertoire?

I too would be extremely happy if they sing Angele Dei, it's a wonderful song that would amaze thousands on TV

The little down side I see is that this song could be a bit too sharp, too 'libera-ish', not enough 'easy listening', to be served on TV to millions of people.
(just my personal perception of course).