Japan 'Beyond' Tour - October 2018

[filiarheni]

So I hear that Robert's Ave Maria is sung by Merlin and not much less than half of the boys only. How I'd love to hear it! As I consider the new sound of this one as tonally outstanding, which means: smooth like no other, a reduction to only 11 boys makes sense to me, because it is certainly beneficial for even more gentleness. Well, without having heard it of course , but I imagine it to sound that way. And if the reduction was due to another reason, the side effect is sure a win though.

I am very eager to hear it; I wish they'll perform it like this in December, too.

[fan_de_LoK]

The gathering of the M&G started at 6:00 and we entered the hall at 7:00.
During this time we were sorted and arraged in a queue, so everyone entered the hall in the order of the reference written on the tickets.

References were composed by a letter, A, B, C... up to letter I for what we know, and a number.
The first to enter was the holder of ticket A1, then A2, etc.

For the sorting, they first gathered people by groups based on the letters (all the A put together, next was set the B group, etc.), this being on sides of the main hall, including in some stairs.

When all the letter groups where done, at about 6:30, they moved the groups in a room located in front the main hall, and they called people one by one by shouting numbers.
First to be moved was group A and the guy shouted 'ONE please' in japanese, a lady walked to the guy and he made here to start a queue in front of the door. Then he called 'Number TWO please', and a second person was positioned behing the 1st. And so on.
Group A went up to number 40.

Same procedure was applied for group B on the left of group A, then group C on the right, etc.

When the doors to the main hall open.at 7:00, we entered in a line as we were arranged, and we were free to choose our seat, on the basis of 1st entered, 1st served.

After an introduction speach, where it was said that taking photos or recording video was not permited, the M&G started in the like of something 'Spooky': lights turned off so the room was really dark, only light coming from a staff using flashlights, sound of siren alter, and the boys entering in a live, from a bzck side, all wearing their massive hood on their head.
Under the applauses tjey walked to the chairs in front of the public

[fan_de_LoK]

The boys were seated in a long line of 26 chairs, facing the public. At the center were prepared 3 handed microphones. They were collected by Alex M, Alex G and Daniel, as previously arranged. These three took position behind or before the others. They were in charge to bring the microphone to whoever boy had to speak, so the whole hall can hear him. Each of the microphones holders covered a third of the chairs line, Alex M on the left, Alex G center, Daniel on the right. The two Alex being the tallest, they where behind the chairs. Daniel was before.

Each of the boys started by introducing himself to the public, saying his 1st name on the mic.


The M&G was devided in 4 parts:
First, gift giveaway
One by one, starting from the left (Leo), a boy put a hand in a cardboard box filled with the detached parts of our tickets, he blindly chose one and announced the ticket number on the mic.
Funny moment: these tickets were complicated, covered by various codes and numbers everywhere. Instead of announcing the ticket number like B 25, he started to read another reference, composed by many many numbers like a phone number. Everyone laughed, including the other boys. The athmosphere was really decontracted and the kids look to enjoy being there, even though it was a bit confused at times.
After reading the seat number on the mic, the boy stood and walked to the left were the staff put in hos hand a gift box. Meanwhile, the holder of ticket also walked to the staff on the front left, and once there the boy personaly gave the price to the person. Prices decreased in size along the procedure.

This gift giveaway procedure was applied to about 16 boys.

[fan_de_LoK]

2nd part : a game with the public
- A guy from the staff went at the center behind the boys, holding large wrapped sheets of paper.
- Lifting his arms over his head he then showed the public one of the paper, having a word in Japanese written with large letters.
- The public then had to mime the word using hands, and the boys were supposed to guess the word and to raise a hand to present and answer.
- but chosen word were way too easy for the smart libera boys, and instantly almost everyone knew the answers. So you had countless hands raised and every boy to shout his answer, in the biggest funny confusion you may imagine.

Words to discover were as simple as ウサギ (rabbit), with the public mostly mimic it by putting the hands on each side of the head, as long ears. Other words were 'swimming', 'guitar',...

The too easy words prevented to identify any winner. The boys were very enthousiasts to that game, quite all of them tried to be the 1st to answer, so it was almost by random that one of them was invited to give the answer on the mic.

[fan_de_LoK]

3rd part : Q & A.
Since a couple of days the public was invited to submit questions online. The staff chose some of the questions and made a list, with the nickname of the submitor and seat number.
To chose a question it was the same process as for the 1st part, a boy had to randomly pickup from the cardboard box a ticket number. Then the corresponing question was read loud in Japanese and Engish, the boy answered in english on the mic, and his answer was translated to Japanese for the public.

This was made by the boys that were not involved in the 1st part, meaning for about 8-10 boys. Questions were like 'How do you manage stress on stage when comes your turn to sing?' (Daniel makes deep breathings). 'What was your scariest thing ever?' (Camden related about a nightmare, Merlin about a scary film he saw on TV when aged 5,...)

Each question asked had at least one answer, by the boy that pickup the tickets, but many of the others kept raising their hands to bring their own answer to the same question. Again, they were almost all very implied and participative to that event, and that Q&A session could have lasted for hours. But time was limited sadly.

[fan_de_LoK]

4th and last part : professional photo session.
Chairs were arranged to sit the public by group of ten, with the boys standing behind. The photographer set two large devices to have flash lights, and he was carefull to have every boy visible on the photos.
The public was called there in order said by the tickets.
This was a bit long but the boys did the job with fun, interacting with each group of people, doing high fives, etc.

At the very end, when the last batch of ten had its photo taken, they were really happy to have the chairs available for themselves.

The libera boys left the main hall before the public, to make a line in the room next, like a guard of honor. To leave the place the public had to pass before their line and they greeted and thanked the public for coming, with many hands wavings.

[fan_de_LoK]

I will later include a few photos here, can't do that now. You may have an idea of what this M&G look like, on twitter, some photos start to emerge.

[maartendas]

"Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been..."
These words from Orinoco Flow describe exactly what Libera has done to me this year.
When I came to Los Angeles to see them, it was the furthest I had ever been away from home. I had visited the US before, but never the West Coast. While gazing out over the Pacific, I felt as though I could take off right then and there and see what lay 'beyond' the horizon.... And I ended up doing just that, by going to Japan!

The two concerts in Tokyo were both very special to me.
On Sunday I celebrated a small anniversary as it was my 10th Libera concert - in the 5th country I visited to see them (the other four being Ireland, England, Germany and the US).
On Monday the boys sounded better than on Sunday, probably helped by a good night's sleep and having had the kick-off of the tour. All in all there were a number of times where the performance brought tears to my eyes. It was also nice to see them in a theatrical setting once more and I loved the use of the stage lights, sometimes pointed to the audience, causing a glow through the room, or giving dramatic or moody effects (such as in Salva Me, where Oliver WR was in a single violet beam and the group was shaded in deep blue).

Below are personal impressions of each song.

Joyful joyful - the boys filed in procession from both sides as the strings started plucking and the concert began. A gentle, upbeat start, where I could distinguish several individual voices on Sunday.

The Prayer - only the second song and already tears in my eyes. Daniel sings his solo very calmly and confidently, taking time for the long ending notes. He seems to really 'own' this song by now. On Monday, it truly seemed like a prayer to me, not only from Daniel but everyone. It was wonderfully moving to see and hear them sing these words.

Ave Maria (Prizeman) - there were grey lights shaped like fans with smoke blown upward, very atmospheric. Merlin sang his solo with wonderful stage presence, however, he was searching to reach the notes at some points. Even so, I admire how he stood his ground. The overall choral sound was once again full and rich. Everytime they sing this, this song too feels like an actual prayer to me. As said before, on Monday Merlin's solo was adapted to become a "group solo" (if you can call it that). This, though new, sounded very natural.

Stay With Me - Oliver keeps getting better at this one. Just like The Prayer is Daniel's song, this is definitely his. His voice keeps reminding me of shining gold or another precious metal. I was moved by how he sings these words time and again and they talk about someone who is with him through all the changes of life. The meaning of the song grows, the longer he sings it.

Ave Maria (Caccini) - Leo's high notes brought tears to my eyes... They moved me greatly, especially on Monday, He had some difficulty finding the notes for the words, but once he goes for the stellar part, he soars effortlessly.
I wonder how Robert helps the boys centre themselves when they sing a solo. It seemed to me like Leo was trying very hard to find his balance and sing from there. He is a hard worker in the group and can perform different roles convincingly, that's for sure.

Amazing Grace - Peter sang the solo on Sunday and it was pleasing to hear his friendly voice once more (I sometimes see vague colours with certain sounds, Peter's voice to me has a light grey/blue tone). On Monday he was replaced by Samuel, who has a smooth and shining voice, also very pleasant, but different and higher.

In Paradisum - Rocco's voice is so powerful and rich. The first crescendo, with "Jerusalem", once again brought tears to my eyes. I was also reflecting on how this song has been part of 2018, starting with the performance in Ely and still going strong.

For the Future - the live premiere on Sunday went down very well. I had not seen the whole video yet so I was still in for a surprise when I saw the other soloists step forward. I really love this song since I first heard it. I can bask in its changing colours and lightness and it's been stuck in my head a lot Also: Oliver WR's Japanese sounds fluent.

Voca Me - I could see Rocco working hard towards the final crescendo, adding visual drama to the building tension. On Monday I was once again deeply moved by Leo's high notes, so powerful, I could literally feel them.

Orinoco Flow - happy and colourful, in contrast to a mostly solemn first half. On Monday especially I enjoyed very much hearing all the different voices and instruments, like a bright and cheerful mosaic of sound.

During the interval I was able to chat with several Forum members, as was also the case before and after each concert. It feels less strange to be at the other side of the world when you can share the same experiences of a Libera tour Special thanks to all the Japanese fans who are so helpful and thoughtful for us foreigners!
Next up, part 2:

I Am The Day - touching and enchanting. I was struck by the part where the soloists only whisper and the boys bow their heads. Such a mysterious part! Dominik is a perfect soloist for this song - his voice sounds so natural for it that I immediately forgot that he is a new soloist (and as a result I also forgot to listen for specific characteristics of his voice ). I sat next to his parents on Monday and I told them how he always seems so engaged in the singing. They confirmed this 100%.

From a Distance - Merlin again as soloist, in tiptop shape. The full choral parts are always engaging to listen to and to watch. On Monday I let my gaze wander from left to right and notice each individual boy, as they were all facing the audience. The last two were Leo and Daniel, which was a touching sight, in light of the recent interview they did at Garden Grove (where Daniel talks about Leo as his treble "boss" who is teaching him )

Wayfaring stranger - Victor's voice fits this song very well. I was moved by seeing the light right on top of him, creating a figure of both shade and light, a powerful image. On Monday he really delivered, as did the whole group in that stirring finale. Especially Dominik gave it his all in that one.

Angel - sung by both Ben and Daniel, which was a nice surprise. Ben's voice is quite rich (though this may not be the perfect song for it). I always compare it in my mind to a solid bowl, carrying something precious. Daniel clearly enjoyed his part of the song. On Sunday I noticed a beautiful clarinet sound in this one. Hearing this favourite of mine made me very, very happy

Sanctus - the instruments were much softer in this song, as the boys themselves form an orchestra of their own with their voices. A warm, delicious sound to bask in, truly fitting the lyrics. On Monday Rocco stood out with his high part, just lovely to hear and see.

Salva Me - on Monday, Oliver WR's Salva's sounded exactly like the original recording. I was stunned and just loved it. Very, very well done. I was able to give him a compliment for that in the signing on Monday and he seemed happy to hear that

Eternal light - a joy to hear Ben's voice again. The group as a whole conveyed the lyrics with conviction, very calming and uplifting.

Nearer my God to Thee - first of all, special mention goes to Mattias who, with his lower voice, adds a beautiful tone to the harmony. He also made an impression with his small but significant part in For the future.
Then the song itself. On Sunday, I thought the performance sounded more serious and more resigned than I had heard before, perhaps because of the rearranging of soloists.
But on Monday, this song went beyond (!) any previous performance. To me, it was more than "just" music. It touched on something very profound and true. Like something outside of the concert, something deeper about life was revealed. Hard to put it any other way. Also, the voices and their delivery were (to my ears anyway) just perfect from start to finish. It left me deeply moved.

Finale time with Libera, delivered with confidence and power on both nights, and with special mention of Tadhg on Monday.
Great applause followed, especially on Monday the applause was quite strong, also for each song.

First encore was Smile, where Alex M has a wonderful featured role.
Then another long applause before the second encore was announced: another rendition of For the Future, accompanied by a Japanese children's choir, mostly girls, who performed in a disciplined and sweet manner. On Monday two of them announced greetings to the composer who was in the audience. It was nice to hear this song twice at each concert, as it's a rare occasion to hear it live. I love that they had this joint performance, as a cultural exhange between children through music. Oliver WR's final lyric ended the night.

The M&G was a different experience than in the US, more strictly organised and not sure which boys I would be able to talk to.
I was grateful for the opportunity to share with Alex G and Nathaniel on Sunday why the following concert on Monday would have a special significance for me (it was the anniversary of my mother's passing) and then on Monday itself I was offered - completely unexpectedly - very kind words by Daniel at the signing line. A precious moment.
There were other, more funny moments as well, very relaxed, joking and chatting.
The photo opportunity went by superfast but leaves a lasting souvenir.

In hindsight, I would have liked to stay on for the rest of the tour and also see more of Japan. So here's to hoping they return to Japan for another tour one day. Here's hoping... "for the future"

[filiarheni]

Thank you for your wonderful report, maartendas! It must have a been a totally pleasing experience for you, glad that you had such a good time at this special tour.

[Padmachou]

Thank you so much for sharing this with us maartendas. It feels like being there. I hope the boys’ incredible voices helped you through your special sad anniversary. « Beyond » seems like a comforting thought...

[hiskeys]

I was grateful for the opportunity to share with Alex G and Nathaniel on Sunday why the following concert on Monday would have a special significance for me (it was the anniversary of my mother's passing) and then on Monday itself I was offered - completely unexpectedly - very kind words by Daniel at the signing line. A precious moment.

I'm sure this was a very special and rewarding opportunity for you. (It's probably a good thing they didn't sing Going Home; you wouldn't be able to see for 5 minutes.) My mother, in fact, just left this world of woe, and 'graduated' to Jesus last Oct. 23. I imagine a number of Libera songs take on an extra dimension, depending on our stage in life.

Blessings to you.

[maartendas]

My condolences to you, hiskeys. I wish you comfort in your loss.

Libera, to me, is indeed more than just music. They're changing my life in so many positive ways. They added a completely new meaning to the day my mother passed away and gave me the incentive to discover more of the world. Like Daniel said in the Beyond introduction video: "It's amazing when you think about it"

[maartendas]

Libera posted a photo on Instagram of doing some recording in a studio in Tokyo!

[Surpinto]

Thank you to fan de LoK for a summary of the special Japanese M&G. The snippets of information from various fans on Twitter, while useful, left much information still incomplete compared to this detailed and linear summary. Thank you. It sounds like it was a good time!

"Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been..."
These words from Orinoco Flow describe exactly what Libera has done to me this year.
When I came to Los Angeles to see them, it was the furthest I had ever been away from home. I had visited the US before, but never the West Coast. While gazing out over the Pacific, I felt as though I could take off right then and there and see what lay 'beyond' the horizon.... And I ended up doing just that, by going to Japan!

This review was especially fun to read. Detailed and interesting and touching. Especially this....

I was grateful for the opportunity to share with Alex G and Nathaniel on Sunday why the following concert on Monday would have a special significance for me (it was the anniversary of my mother's passing) and then on Monday itself I was offered - completely unexpectedly - very kind words by Daniel at the signing line. A precious moment.

I am touched that you had the opportunity to celebrate your dear mothers life in this special and unique way. I am sure it meant a lot to you.

[maartendas]

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