Libera Dreams

maartendas wrote: ↑<span title="Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:57 am">5 years ago</span> Thanks, Surpinto
And indeed, fan_de_LoK, great to have such detailed information about the Halloween event

One thing I forgot to mention about the concerts: the flute-player Eimear McGeown. Especially her intro to Wayfaring stranger I found to be a wonderful addition. The song has a dramatic build-up which starts with her flute solo. It conjured up images of a lone figure finding his way in the woods, like the forest grounds at one of the major Shinto shrines I visited

I very much agree with you Maarten. I looked forward to Eimear’s flute intro as much as I looked forward to the boys’ singing. In fact, when I was strolling through the tranquil grounds of the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, the wistful lilting notes of Wayfaring Stranger surfaced in my mind.

P.S It appears I’m unable to PM you Maarten, could you please contact me through Instagram or Twitter instead. Cheers!

justin wrote: ↑<span title="Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:08 am">5 years ago</span> In fact, when I was strolling through the tranquil grounds of the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, the wistful lilting notes of Wayfaring Stranger surfaced in my mind.

P.S It appears I’m unable to PM you Maarten, could you please contact me through Instagram or Twitter instead. Cheers!

That's the shrine I was referring to as well Definitely one of the most beautiful places I visited.
I sent you a message on Twitter

This is largely a repost of my thoughts posted on Twitter a few days ago, but hopefully this typesetted version (with some minor editing and additional comments) is easier to read.

Introduction

It’s a wrap! The 4 day Japan tour is most definitely a resounding success. It was 3 years ago when I attended my first Libera concert, and almost 13 years ago when I first listened to their incredible music. I must admit that when I attended the 2nd Tokyo concert (unfortunately due to other commitments I was not able to attend the 1st Tokyo concert last Sunday), I went in with some trepidation and cautious optimism. Trepidation because it’s been a long time coming, and I worry that my expectations (which were probably unfairly based on hazy memories of the 2015 UK Xmas concert, recordings and music videos) might not be met; cautious optimism because the Libera I knew always delivers solid performances, even if there might be minor hiccups here and there. I can now say that the concerts I attended were all very well done. Despite some vocal difficulties (solos were taken out and replaced by a group; songs were replaced) and minor illnesses faced by some of the boys, they delivered solid performances which impressed everyone who attended.

Were there any highlights?

For me personally, I particularly liked “In Paradisum” and “Wayfaring Stranger”.

Rocco and Oliver W-R have been remarkably consistent for the 3 concerts I have attended, delivering strong vocals and hitting most high notes with good accuracy. I also noticed that Merlin has provided supporting vocals for the highest notes of the song (i.e “Jerusalem”, “Aeternam” and “Requiem”). Perhaps this was done to ensure the soloists don’t stress their vocal cords too much, and Merlin has done well in that regard by blending his voice with Rocco's. Rocco has a strong and colourful voice, capable of ringing high notes and silky low notes. Oliver’s slightly breathy harmonies works so well by adding another layer to the already impressive sound. This powerful, dynamic and soaring sound gives me goosebumps every time.

Victor’s solo of “Wayfaring Stranger” is an emotional journey. It reminds me of Sam Wiggin’s rendition because of some similarities between their voices. I have also always liked this song because of its contemplative, wistful message. Victor’s slightly raspy but sweet voice works well in conveying this message.

I also enjoyed “I am the Day”, with Dominik providing a lovely solo; Daniel’s “The Prayer”; and last but certainly not least, “Nearer my God to Thee”. The acapella performance of “Nearer my God to Thee” nearly drove me to tears by its sheer beauty.

Lastly, I think Alex G, Alex M and Camden must be commended for being the anchor of each performance. Their powerful low voices are crucial for creating a balanced sound.

Are there any things which I wish was done differently?

Sure, perhaps the sound mixing could be improved, as sometimes the soloist/high descants could not be heard over the chorus and instrumentation. There were also times when the lights would blind the audience, though that might be by design? I would also like to see the return of some body movements if possible, for example, like the raising and lowering of arms during “Libera”.

Conclusion

I have greatly enjoyed all three of the concerts, although the one regret is that I could not hear Leo sing Ave Maria (Caccini) one more time during this tour. That incredibly beautiful but difficult piece with its stratospheric high notes is truly a wonder to behold.

Excellent summaries Justin, Patrick and Maarten. I intended to fill in some details and found very little missing.
I will simply reiterate the previous comments that this was a very successful tour. Just like in the USA tour, the first concert was a bit slow but things picked
up from there. It was hard for me to pick a favorite from the remaining three shows due to the uniformly excellent level of performance.

Congratulations to first time soloists in verse Koji, Leo, Sam, Dominik, OWR, Mathias and Tadhg. Each should have left Japan proud of their results.

In addition to the obvious front line soloists, I try to keep my eye on the other singers during a concert to find the choristers hitting certain notes and to discover
members who are fun to watch as well as listen to. In this tour, I was really pleased to see and hear Neo with a major supporting contribution on Libera
and Emanuele who was providing primary support on a number of songs. In this current era of many solo opportunities maybe these guys will get a spotlight too. If not, give them a watch next chance you get.

My favorite performances in this set list were: For the Future, I am the Day, Stay With Me, The Wayfaring Stranger and In Paradisum.
I was happiest to hear How Great Thou Art by OWR however. I was really curious what he could do with this song after reading the reviews at Westminster
and was thrilled not to have to wait until well into next year to find out. I was very impressed with the job he did on this song and in this tour in general. He has a pleasant voice and a long future (I hope) of quality solos.

The Japanese concert experience is unique in all of the places I have gone to hear Libera perform. The combination of big audiences, friendly people, large concert halls and the way that crowds are managed by concert staff is an experience that I would wish for every serious Libera fan. I am very grateful for the friendship and support extended to me by a few Japanese fans who made it possible for me to experience this tour. I know I've said it before, but the camaraderie between fans is a serious bonus of the concert experience. It provides an additional source of motivation to get off my couch and make another trip happen.

Libera is in a good place right now. Those of you in line to see the December shows will be very happy with the results and I will eagerly await your reports of the goings on in Brighton and Moscow.

It was a pleasure meeting you in Japan, Tom! I wholeheartedly agree with you that being able to enjoy Libera performances with fellow fans elevates the entire concert experience. Thanks also for your remarks about Neo and Emanuele, I'd sure keep an eye out for the supporting vocalists when I attend the next Libera concert.

Thank you Tom and Justin for your reviews and highlights. Always good to be kept up to date on the latest happenings.

Not sure it has been reported on LD, here a two parts interview from the Japanese site USEN, through Google Translator.

Part 1 : a general presentation of Libera and the 'Beyond' album

Part 2 : an interesting long dialogue between Kameda Seiji (the composer of the 'For the future' song) and Kodama Yoko, which is the producer behind Libera Records Japan.

Very interesting to read about. Especially interesting that Mr. Kodama was acquainted with them through EMI and that is how Libera Records was formed. Thank you.

If anybody is interested in purchasing some items from the tour, please check out my post in the chat section. I've got some programmes, music books and folders for sale. And also some posters and postcards from San Francisco. All to raise money for Libera. Thanks.

Part 1 of the tour blog is now available https://libera.org.uk/blog/japan-journey/
Let the author speculation begin.
My guess: Nathaniel

Mental picture: Libera boy punching away at the keyboard, thinking of all the lazy stuff they do on the plane - suddenly realises all the parents who will be reading, adds: "Plus ofcourse we do our homework."

I can agree about the noticeable difference in energy between the first two concerts in Tokyo.
Also, I know what it feels like to arrive in the land of the rising sun while it's dark Seems like we arrived around the same time.

I love the self-conscious reference about being distracted during sports
And enjoyed the wry comment on the fountain in London...

I wonder who this is in reference to:
"...one of the old Libera soloists who is now a pop-singer, and who had been in Tokyo the week before us."

All in all, an enjoyable read, glad the blog is being brought back to life. It gives some nice insight in the touring life - basically their side of the adventure

Definitely a fun blog to read. Funny how they comment on every meal and snack time as these must have been a major respite on this arduous tour. The distractions during soccer (football) were also hilarious.

Guesses as to authorship? Nathaniel would make sense as John45 mentions, but I would not have a clue! In the past I felt like it was easier to narrow down the list to maybe a maximum of 3 or 4 boys who were older members. These would be boys who seemed like they had the personality and intellect/writing ability to put a blog like this together. But at this present moment it would appear that there are quite a few more with these characteristics than usual.

maartendas wrote: ↑<span title="Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:09 am">5 years ago</span> I wonder who this is in reference to:
"...one of the old Libera soloists who is now a pop-singer, and who had been in Tokyo the week before us."

maartendas wrote: ↑<span title="Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:09 am">5 years ago</span> Mental picture: Libera boy punching away at the keyboard, thinking of all the lazy stuff they do on the plane - suddenly realises all the parents who will be reading, adds: "Plus ofcourse we do our homework."

I can agree about the noticeable difference in energy between the first two concerts in Tokyo.
Also, I know what it feels like to arrive in the land of the rising sun while it's dark Seems like we arrived around the same time.

I love the self-conscious reference about being distracted during sports
And enjoyed the wry comment on the fountain in London...

I wonder who this is in reference to:
"...one of the old Libera soloists who is now a pop-singer, and who had been in Tokyo the week before us."

All in all, an enjoyable read, glad the blog is being brought back to life. It gives some nice insight in the touring life - basically their side of the adventure

Jamie Isaac = Tom Cully