My Moscow adventure came to an end. It's time to share my experience with you.
The Moscow concert on the 28th of December 2018 was my 6th Libera concert and a special one. Special for a couple of reasons. First of all it was the first concert I attended outside of the UK, when Libera was on tour – even if it was a small tour only. Then it was the first time I was able to hear Libera in a concert hall rather than in a cathedral or a church. Finally, a trip to Moscow was another adventure for me. I have never been there before and actually never really thought about visiting there.
The concert venue was a brand new concert hall – opened only in September 2018. The hall is a part of a new park complex in the very heart of Moscow – close to the Moskva river, the Kremlin and the Red Square. All of them to be reached within a 10 minutes of walk. It was for sure a privilege for Libera to be invited to perform during the opening season of the prestigious “Zaryadye” concert hall among a bunch of other world famous performers including The Vienna Boys Choir and Bobby McFerrin.
- The concert hall
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- The concert hall
- ConcertHallExt.jpg (231.86 KiB) Viewed 7426 times
The only advertisement of the Libera concert I saw was a big display on the concert hall’s wall, on which the upcoming events were presented. A few day before the concert there were still pretty many seats available. I suspect, the reason might have been the high ticket prices. The best premium seats were priced at 7000 RUB and this in a city where you can have a good meal in a restaurant for 1000 RUB and a single journey on the underground costs around 50 RUB.
On the concert night the attendance turned out to be not that bad. I estimate it to 80-90%, though there were quite many premium seats still free. This was used by some visitors who upgraded their seats during the interval.
There were no usual Libera concert programmes this time. Only very tiny leaflets prepared apparently by the organizers and not Libera themselves. The set list was identical with the one from the Brighton concert – which could be expected. Actually, this is what I was hoping to be, as I loved the Brighton concert and especially the Christmas music by Libera which is normally not performed during concerts except of the Christmas season. As you can see on the picture, all information was given in English and Russian. Though, some translations were funny – like “Voca Me” being translated into “You love me”.
I was seated in the second row, very close to the stage and to the conductor’s spot and the seat in front of me was not taken. I was excited not only to see the concert from a short distance but also to see Robert Prizeman conducting. Soon the musicians entered as well as Robert himself. This time he didn’t manage to get to his spot unnoticed by the audience (like in Brighton) and received a short welcoming ovation. The concert was about to begin.
“
Do You Hear What I Hear” was the first song. Four boys entered the stage: Oliver WR, Camden, Ben B. and Sam. Oliver started and Sam with Ben echoed his words. While there were singing the intro, the choir entered the stage. I must say at this moment, that I was really very nicely surprised by the hall acoustics and my seat in the front. Just after the first notes it was clear, that the sound experience would be great. Even though microphones and electronic audio equipment was in use, it felt to me as if the sound came to me directly from the stage. I was so glad to hear the natural pure voices. The echoing intro of “
Do You Hear What I Hear” was the more enjoyable as I could hear the echoes coming from different directions. When the choir joined, it was again a joy to hear the natural sound of the choir. They were so good on that evening. And again I was able to hear the different parts and even sometimes individual voices coming from different directions. No, the sound was neither incoherent nor distorted because of that. It was just perfectly located on the stage.
“
Sanctus” was next up. The new version starts with a couple of parts (4?) sung initially acapella. I liked it so much earlier at Westminster Cathedral and in Brighton and now they sang it even better. I really don’t get it, how is it possible to sing something else than the person next to you and not to get confused. Apparently it’s not a big deal for the Libera boys, as the parts were clear, easily distinguishable and without a single false note. For “
Sanctus” the 4 older members: Alex M., Camden, Alex G. and Marc left the stage.
The first speech was done in Russian by Dominik and Oliver M. Dominik started. He made a short pause after the first sentence, which was used by the audience for an applause. And so it went on. A sentence by Dominik then an applause by the audience. The audience obviously loved to hear some words spoken by the choir members in their native language. Oliver was a bit faster and didn’t make pauses, so he received a longer ovation at the end of his speech. Both, Dominik and Oliver can speak Polish, which is a Slavic language just as Russian and the Russian pronunciation was obviously easier for them to learn. I know a bit Russian from my school times and I must say, the boys did very well and the ovation they got was fully deserved. Dominik introduced himself, said Libera was glad to be back to Moscow and thanked the audience for coming to the concert. Oliver introduced himself and announced the next song which would comply with the cold weather outside.
“
In The Bleak Mid-Winter”- a very calm, quiet song full of what we love so much about Libera music – angelic harmonies. As the song developed more and more harmonies joined with a very high part sung by Leo. Well, I’m sure there were some other boys who sang the highest part as well, though I wasn’t able to spot them. It was a joy for me to see Leo doing his amazing job in the very front of the choir. Leo stood in many of the songs on the right hand side quite in the front and was usually turned towards the audience more than the other boys. Leo’s performance in many songs was one of the highlights of the evening for me. Maybe because I decided to pay a special attention to him. Leo was singing the highest notes so flawlessly and easily as it was something he had been doing all his life. Bravo, Leo! Dominik’s solo on the last verse was very good as well.
“
Stay With Me” came next. Oliver M. took his place in the centre of the stage and Sam went to the back. The music started and the intro was played. I was wondering if Sam would need some warm-up for his high vocalizes as it was the case at Westminster Cathedral and in Brighton, but no. This time he hit all notes correctly and was really good. Oliver is better and better each time with his solo. I enjoyed his singing a lot even though it could be a bit louder. Well, to be honest, Oliver didn’t look quite well on that evening in terms of not being quite healthy. The more I appreciate his efforts. Good job, Oliver. The choir did their normal job in the song, which meant being outstanding as usual.
“
Ave Maria” by Robert Prizeman followed. We saw again Ben B. as the soloist – just like in Brighton. Ben did well, but he struggled a bit with the highest notes of the song in my opinion. “Ave Maria” doesn’t belong to my top favourites, though I enjoyed the choral harmonies a lot.
Time for a speech. This time in English. I’m so glad that they did the speeches in English as well and not omitted them like during their previous performance in Moscow a couple of years back. There was a response from the audience, so the speeches were understood. Alexandre and Victor demonstrated the robes, told us about the origin of Libera and announced the next song – one of the oldest Christmas carols: “
The Wexford Carol”.
Tadhg has a very pleasant voice. He did well singing the initial Gaelic words of the song. The very calm carol is one of my favourites and I enjoyed it a lot. The choir was really good on that evening. The unison sound split gradually into more and more harmonic parts. Goosebumps guaranteed. Now I look forward to Tadhg singing the extended version of the solo.
Now it was time for “
In Paradisum”. Rocco took the place in the middle of the stage with Oliver WR two steps behind him, surrounded by a half-circle of 8 other boys. I love the song. I love it a lot and Rocco’s voice is so very special. Though, I don’t know why, but I like the recording on the “Beyond” CD better that the live performances of that song. I have a feeling that the song is simply a tiny little bit too high for Rocco to comfortably sing it. Somehow, Rocco’s voice fits much more songs like “Salve Regina” or “Angele Dei” (want a wonderful live performances of that song by Rocco we could experience in past concerts) which are a bit lower. Hearing “
In Paradisum” live I always have the impression that it is uncomfortable for Rocco to sing that high. Or likely Rocco’s treble career is just coming to an end. Anyway, kudos to Rocco for his efforts on that beautiful and pretty difficult song. And of course to Oliver, who did the second part flawlessly.
Mr. “Smiley” Victor came to the front to sing “
Smile”. Oh, how concentrated he looked this time. It's hardly possible, but there was no smile on his face. I think, he must have remembered his little black-out in Brighton on that song. Now Victor’s singing was perfect, though we missed a bit of his smile in the “
Smile”.
Talking about smiling. Robert’s conducting was another thing I tried to pay special attention to during that concert. I was seated not further than maybe 1-1,5 meter left-behind him. It was really interesting to see him conduct. First it was the choir discipline, which was stunning. The boys didn’t make any move on stage without prior getting a sign from Robert. This applied to all position changes on the stage, start of the speeches, bows and of course to all music. It was great to see the boys focused so much on the director. They know, Robert is the one who holds the whole performance together. On the other hand, Robert always humbly remains in the shadow and for the audience, the show belongs to the boys. Amazing. So, Robert often reminded the boys to smile and it was fun to see how they responded.
Oliver WR was next in the middle of the stage for “
How Great Thou Art”. This hymn was one of my highlights in Brighton and now I was looking very much to hearing it again. I wasn’t disappointed, though the Brighton version was better in my opinion. Oliver and the choir did a great job. I love, when Libera sing traditional hymns in their own arrangements, in which each stanza is sung in a different way – from simple unison melody at the beginning to amazing multipart harmonies soaring in the sky at the end. “
How great Thou Art” is one of such songs, which have a great impact on me. Tears and goosebumps as usual. Still for this song I like the solo by the former soloist - Alex G. most, but Oliver is improving all the time.
Koji and Cassius – the youngest members at this concert – did the following speech. Koji explained, both of them had been on their very first Libera tour in the previous summer. Cassius announced a break after the two following songs and explained how they needed to be careful about the robes when having a drink.
“
Voca Me” – a highlight of the evening for me. Especially, because of the concert hall acoustics and my seat I was able to enjoy the incredible harmonies of “
Voca Me” not only in terms of time but also in terms of space. I was able to locate the individual vocal parts on the stage, which together with the whole sound was an incredible experience. For me this was the best “
Voca Me” I heard live ever. Very powerful and moving. Thank you Libera for that. And of course there was Leo, who performed perfectly on that evening. He stood behind the choir on the right hand side with his hood on, which gave his vocalizes an additional mysterious tone. Superb!
The last song of the first part started with a percussion sound even before the applause for “
Voca Me” finished. The highlight of this season: “
I Saw Three Ships”. Oh, how I loved the song in Brighton. Again, the choir sang the song in an outstanding way. So energetic, so joyful, so brilliant. I loved the song and the arrangement so much again. The only thing I was missing were the powerful lower voices, who were present in Brighton and were missing in Moscow (well, the four baritones present in Moscow were simply not enough). “
I Saw Three Ships” is in my opinion the hit of the season. I think, if Libera decide to do a video for it, it will be equally frequently viewed as the “Carol Of The Bells” video.
In the interval I was able to have a walk in the venue and take some pictures. The concert hall is really nice and has a good acoustics, which I had been appreciating since the beginning of the concert.
- The concert hall and the programme
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- The concert hall and the programme
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“
Carols Of The Bells” opened the second part of the concert. A Libera Christmas classic was a great joy to hear live again and again with the voices distributed across the stage. Very well sung. Bravo, Libera! And Cassius on the final “Ding-Dong” just earned the audience’s appreciation.
Tadhg and Romeo introduced the Moose in a very funny way. I really love it, when Tadhg says “This is Moose, the REAL Moose…” . So funny.
Merlin is one of the most experienced soloists. The only song he still sings as a soloist is “
From A Distance”. Merlin was so good in Brighton and he was just perfect in Moscow, as was the choir. A very good and enjoyable performance. Good job!
The long flute introduction for “
Wayfaring Stranger” was played by Eimar McGeown. She was absent in Brighton and I was happy to see her again in Moscow. The song is Victor’s! He was really good. Very concentrated again, he sang clearly hitting all notes perfectly. The whole choir did very well. It was definitely one of the best “Wayfaring Strangers”, which I heard in all concerts.
Sam’s solo on “
Gaudete” was ok, but a bit shaky. The song joyful and energetic. I’m not quite sure, but I think, a new melody or new harmony was introduced in the song.
“
I Am The Day” followed. This song has been among my favourites since it came back to the concert set list in December 2017. First I enjoyed Alex G’s singing it a lot and now it became Dominik’s song. First I heard Dominik sing this solo at Westminster Cathedral, than in Brighton, than in Moscow. It was stunning. A highlight of the evening for me definitely. Dominik sings that song with much self-confidence, very smoothly, with a good control over his voice. Obviously he enjoys the song as much as the audience does. Peter and Oliver M. were singing the whispering part. I noticed also Emanuele and Mathias singing the second part for this song with a high level of commitment. During the last verse which is whispered, the choir stood with their heads down except of Leo in the front and Alex M. in the back. Leo did flawlessly the high vocalizes and Alex the low “AAAhhhh”s. Their voices really fit well together.
“
Joyful, Joyful” was sung joyfully. I love it, how the unison sound develops to more and more harmonies during the song. But, wait, isn’t it a landmark of Libera, which we all love so much. A very enjoyable performance by the whole choir and Leo singing the high vocalize.
Now the little Jack appeared on the very front of the stage. He was sorry to announce, that the concert was coming to the end and here was time for the two last songs. Jack thanked the audience for coming and expressed his hope the audience had liked the songs. But wait, Jack said it entirely and fluently in Russian!!!! I think the audience was shocked seeing one of the youngest boys on stage talking so well, without any visible stage fright and in their native language. After Jack’s speech there was the longest applause I have ever experienced during a Libera concert. The applause just continued and continued and didn’t stop and Jack looked so happy still standing in the very front. He smiled with his whole himself until finally Robert gave a sign to start the song. A precious moment indeed. Excellent job, Jack. Well done!
Six boys came to the front for the next song. So, I knew at the moment, they were going to sing “
Silent Night” just like in Brighton. And just like in Brighton the song was not listed in the programme and just like in Brighton Merlin, Ben, Mathias, Victor, Rocco and Leo sang the song so beautifully. I love it, when among all marvellous Libera songs there is just one, which is arranged for a few voices only. A magical moment and again I was thinking, HOW can they sing like that and not get confused. Bravo guys, a superb performance.
Rocco remained in the front and was soon joined by Tadhg for “
Libera”. The most sung of all Libera songs was listed as the last song in the programme. It was sung normally. In Libera terms “normally” means in an outstanding way. What else can be said.
A huge ovation filled the concert hall after the last sounds of “
Libera” had resounded. No-one expected no encore, and soon Robert gave a sign for another song. Just like in Brighton it was “
In Dulci Jubilo”. A joyful Christmas song, which was given a new shine by Libera arrangement.
The concert ended with a standing ovation.
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- DSC07512.JPG (297.45 KiB) Viewed 7426 times
At the end I’d like to add some personal thoughts about the concert.
It was definitely one of the best concerts I was able to attend. The choir sounded just perfect. They were really strong and very confident. The solos very good or outstanding. There was not even one single failure or mistake or lapse. All went smoothly. The boys seemed to enjoy the performance very much. The boys were really very much committed to singing and were singing with all their hearts. Just to mention only few of them: Dominik, Sam, Oliver WR, Alexandre, Emanuele, Mathias, Johnny, Joe, Ben, Rocco.
I really liked the concert hall acoustic. The perception was different than in a cathedral or church. A cathedral or church usually adds much reverb to the sound and electronic correction is needed to ensure proper listening conditions. In this concert hall we could enjoy the very natural voices, which I appreciate a lot. I loved to be able to realize the voices distribution in the space on the stage. A great experience indeed.
I had really difficulties to select my highlights, as actually I’d like to select almost everything. But after a consideration I finally chose:
“
I Am The Day”
“
Voca Me”
“
I Saw Three Ships”
I was quite often watching Leo sing. His performance was a highlight for me too.
I was happy to watch Robert conduct the choir.
I must not forget one more thing which is so important in my Libera experience. It is meeting fantastic people. Thank you for sharing your time and experience and joy. It was great to spend the days in Moscow with you.
Thank you for reading.
This will certainly help people to arrange their travels.
Usually, tickets are sold during the first half of september.
