Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

Talks and reviews about Libera concerts or public appearances

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maartendas
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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john45 wrote: <span title="Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:54 pm">5 years ago</span> Leo has had a fairly dramatic voice change and is now in the back row with the basses. Thanks Leo for all your wonderful treble performances in the past.
Indeed, Leo, you can be proud of your achievements so far. I compare your treble career to a meteor in the sky, shining bright and moving in a flash. It seems fitting for your energetic personality. Best wishes on now being part of the honourable back row.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

Post by Benjo »

Based on the seating capacity, the Meralco theatre may just be a little bit smaller than the one in Moscow where Libera performed last. Not as fancy, but also beautiful.

When the concert began, i first checked where Mr. Prizeman was standing and noticed he was younger! So i realized it wasn't him. It wasn't until after the concert that I verified from Patrick & John that it was Sam Coates. If it was his first time conducting he certainly looks seasoned already.

Libera is in great hands. Josh too did some directing with the crew during the second half of the show. He was observing every detail, every note like a hawk.

Do You Hear What I Hear? -- There couldn't be a more dramatic entrance. This is my favorite Christmas song so I don't mind listening to it on February. Very artistically choreographed. Daniel's rich voice stood out. Those watching Libera for the first time will immediately realize that this is not an ordinary choir.

Sanctus -- the similarity to Pachabel's Canon in D major which is my favorite is what made me first notice Libera. With more lines added, making the similarity longer, need I say that I like this new version better? But hearing them sing it live is the best!

Welcome Speech -- Peter did his best with his "Magandang Gabi" (Good evening) and thus receiving the first non-song applause for the evening. Joseph had the perfect serious expression on his face and as he spoke as he introduced The Prayer by Daniel. Joseph for me was the best speaker of the night.

The Prayer -- Daniel's incredible voice immediately jolted the audience as he received an applause rarely done during the first few lines of a song. (From those that I've attended in the past, these were only done to Orinoco Flow, White Christmas and the 2 Tagalog songs.) To emphasize that it's not just the song but his voice, Daniel received another thunderous applause during the first verse.

What's unique about Daniel's rendition is the humility he expressed as he sang every line. A humble boy asking for guidance from the divine. I've seen many singers showing off their technical skills through this song. But only Libera's version felt sincere to me in expressing the true message of the song.

Gaudete -- this isn't a known Christmas song here so it passes off like an upbeat regular song. Performed many times by Libera, but this one's the best for me. 2 members from the orchestra came forward to show off their skills as well.

Ave Maria (Prizeman) -- Ben Bywater looked liked he's been singing this difficult piece for ages. I was hoping for the Caccini version but the intensity on Ben's face made me forget about it. There's a long list of Libera boys who sang this, but this surely ranks as a masterclass.

In the Bleak Midwinter -- this seems to be a very popular Chistmas song in England but not so here so i usually skip this. But perhaps it's how Victor and Alexandre described how winter is like in England as they introduced the song made me curious. And listening made me feel what it's like as if i were there. I didn't notice how lovely this song was until now.

Stay With Me -- a song forever linked to Liam and Ed. Samuel stood at the upper right side but there was no light focused on him so I didn't know it was him at first doing the high parts. The camera was focused on Oliver Mycka the whole time. Here the depth of Libera's talent was becoming evident. These two are not seasoned as Liam & Ed were yet but they are inching closer fast!

Wexford Carol -- while Tadhg was performing this, I mistook it as Coventry Carol that Josh first sang here in 2011. Upon realizing it was Isaac London who first sang this in 2013, I re-watched his video. So which do I prefer? I'm gonna say Tadhg's, but it is Isaac's birthday and we miss him here in Manila. So, I'm calling it a draw!

Voca Me -- I was looking forward to hearing Leo sing this most difficult song. When I saw that it's Samuel again having the solo on this, I realized what a tremendous pressure it must be for him, suddenly called to step into Leo's shoes. But it must be exciting too! He now belongs to a small group of the likes of Thomas Delgado-Little to have sung this difficult Robert Prizeman masterpiece. And yes, he nailed it!

I Saw Three Ships -- I was waiting for the song about 3 ships that Cassius and Koji mentioned, I didn't realize it was this song. A familiar tune, i just didn't know the title. Fast and upbeat, so only the words Christmas Day were clear to hear As fun to hear this song is, I can see why only a few choirs sing it. It's easy to slip up! But Libera cruised through it as easily as one eats peanuts. Thus, the festive intention of the song was joyfully felt.

They forgot to get Moose again during the intermission. Mathew Jensen picked him up.
Last edited by Benjo on Fri Feb 22, 2019 6:53 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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[ 2nd half of the 2019 Manila Concert ]

Carol of the Bells -- this was the most easily recognized Christmas song in the concert. Tadhg and Cassius explained afterwards the difficulty of performing this song. I know, it's what made the tandem of Stefan & Ralph legendary. This time it's Ben and again, Samuel! With another little Cassius at the song's end.

In Dulci Jubilo -- another popular Christmas song in England that is not too familiar here. So it doesn't invoke a Christmasy feeling in me. But that is okay as it is not Christmas anyway! And I honestly enjoyed it. It's livelier than when they sang it in 2011. Dominik did a great job!

At this point the end of the concert was nearing so I was beginning to feel sad. It was the perfect time to introduce Moose. I've heard about the abduction story but never the way the tandem of Cassius & Tadhg told it. The best speech part of the night!

Wayfaring Stranger -- one of the under-appreciated Libera songs, I think. I love this song! After the concert, John said he liked it too. Not only that, for him this is one of the songs that made Sam Wiggin way up among the best ever. So, was he happy that Victor sings this song now? He answered, "Oh, absolutely!" I couldn't agree more! I love how the beam focused on Victor amidst the green luminesence, btw.

From a Distance -- Merlin has visibly grown since his performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Comparing that to his performance here, I like this one better. He is so good here that if I pick only one best solo of the night, it's Merlins. Could it be the acoustics of the theater? Maybe it helped but his voice alone was absolutely spine-chilling.

Smile -- I never liked this song, not even after Libera covered it. To be honest, when i saw the program, half of it were songs i usually skip. But every song so far has won me over. I remember writing before that Libera sounds better live than in the album. That holds true more for me now. Victor was even better here than in Wayfaring Stranger! Him and Daniel will play the biggest roles in Libera in the next 3 years.

But that's not the best part of this song! The audience got to hear the great Alex Gula singing complementary to Victor. The contrasting voices, and the way they were arranged on the stage-- whoever conceived this is an absolute genius!

I think Alex G can easily crossover to pop or r&b after his Libera days. He looks much younger in person than in the Lacrymosa video. While his voice developed even better since, like fine wine.

At this point, Daniel paid tribute looking at his "boss" Leo, who was the at center of it all up to 2 months ago but who is now suddenly relegated to the back row. That must be depressing but Daniel and Joseph did a great job keeping it light. Leo has cemented his name amongst Libera's greatest. No voice change can ever take that away from him.

Amazing Grace-- a song heard too often in any choir. But I'll take any additional song at this point, not wanting the concert to end. This again was credited to Samuel. If I choose to pick the best perfomer overall, it's Samuel.

I heard his brothers Luke and Jude live before, but not Gabriel. So I asked John. And he said, "The past 2 years, Gabe was absolutely phenomenal!" Perhaps Libera should go back to returning here every other year, instead of every 3 years so I wouldn't miss out! Lucky for me they recorded Caccini. Will Samuel be as good? John thinks it's too early to tell.

I Am The Day -- my favorite Libera song so I was eager to see who the soloist is. It's Dominik. It's great to hear another voice on this other than Ben C or Josh's. Dominik has a more distinct voice but the feeling generated by the song remains the same-- Cosmic!

Orinoco Flow -- I haven't mentioned that I watched with 5 members of my family. They eagerly awaited for Orinoco and there was a huge smile on their faces during and after so it must certainly be great!

Daniel and John spoke in Tagalog as they bid everyone goodbye. They spoke about how they have to go back to school too. Filipinos are surely gonna miss them!

Libera-- Before the concert, Patrick assured me that I will still hear Rocco at least in 1 solo. I wasn't lucky enough to hear him sing In Paradisum live so i'll take this. His voice is still quite high, very rich. In the second half of the song they arranged themselves and Leo was at the center of the arc so they paid tribute to him too. A well deserved standing ovation!

Bayan Ko -- no, they're not going away without singing this! It's simillar to the 2013 version where there was no prominent soloist. If they keep this arrangement then Mini Ben will be the only known Libera soloist for this historic song!

For those young enough, you'll know what an impact that 2009 concert at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC) was. Someday they will return there again and they will sell out again!

But this 2019 tour will just be as memorable! So much drama: Mr Prizeman's absence, Sam's directorial debut, a sudden changing of the guard with the trio of Alex G, Rocco, and Leo all now down from their main soloist stature. And made difficult by some absences of other emerging soloist. But everyone stepped up. Even the youngest ones. Has there been that many soloist before? Of course it wouldn't have that Libera sound without the harmonizers or non-soloist. They all gave another phenomenal show Filipinos will never ever forget!
Last edited by Benjo on Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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maartendas
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Thank you Benjo and John for your reviews! It sounds like a special night for sure - and with not one but two songs where Alex G had a significant part... You Filipinos are so lucky! :D
Also a historic performance by Samuel-Francis. Wow. Looking forward to witness his development.
Benjo wrote: <span title="Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:40 am">5 years ago</span> Libera is in great hands. Josh too did some directing with the crew during the second half of the show. He was observing every detail, every note like a hawk.
What do you mean by "directing with the crew"? :)

Glad you also enjoyed Ben B's solo in Ave Maria so much. He has such a wonderful rich voice and he has grown very much in his performances since last year.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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It's nice to chat with you again maartendas. It's been a while. I added an o to get a new username.

After the intermission, Josh joined the crew on the floor who were in charge of the electronic equiptment, sounds, videos being recorded and those that were shown on the big screen. On the left side, the crew were all foreigners. The right side were all locals. He was in the middle of both monitoring both sides.

I noticed there was no one on the piano during the second half of the show. So it must have been him there during the first half. The orchestra was behind the choir onstage and there were no lights focused on them so it was difficult to see.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Thank you all for your reviews and explanations ! :D

I understand that Victor, Daniel, Dominik, Ben and Merlin were just as good as usual... and that the surprises came from Sam-Francis playing a huge part in high notes - was he up to the challenge in your mind ? His voice is beautiful but I always found him a bit shaky. I just checked on him on Libera-passion and he seems to still be very young ! And also a surprise from Alex G having the opportunity to show his abilities with his new deep voice. I sure am jealous that you get to hear that, I was always a huge fan of his silky voice. :P

It must have been wonderful to hear them twice for those who got that chance, or even once for the others !
We might expect Christmas songs all over the year, then ? If their new album is coming for the autumn, it is a possibility that we get a nearly full Christmas songs concert in december. I would be glad to be lucky enough to hear some of these they do not often perform on stage... :roll: I am wondering though which boys will be the soloists in a few month :D Children grow up too fast. I'm looking forward on discovering new talents ! Hopefully Tadgh will get other solos !
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Hi Benjo,

It seems that in times gone by Libera did a better job with marketing and promotion in certain places like the Philippines but was unsuccessful in others. Now the situation has changed. Your reference to the particular personalities involved in promotion at the time attests to this. While it might be easy to attribute Libera’s success in promotion to those same personalities, I think this would be a mistake because the current group has an equivalent of those very same personality types and traits; and it's simply a question of the marketing and promotion being implemented. I think you and I agree on this point I'm just reiterating it in my own words LOL. Without intending it you sort of made me repeat my gripes about concert notices; because you are right that they could have filled a much larger venue if they had chosen to simply announce the concert well in advance. I don't mean to be overly critical of them for this as there are likely circumstances we do not know or fully understand. Furthermore, it's also a question of funding. Perhaps they were unable to announce a concert with many month’s notice because the tour was not a guarantee; or funding wasn't in place; or sponsorship. My understanding of how they fund and organize these tours is woefully incomplete and so I'm speculating as to the possible causes.

Having said that I do agree with your gripes but ultimately they have the right to do things in whatever manner they choose to and unfortunately the consequences are on them. As fans we want them to be as successful as possible and to have enormous audiences and sold out venues with much profit being made which then contributes towards the free musical education that Libera provides to the boys. So I constantly have to remind myself that while I want them to be successful - I'm even rooting for their success - I can't try and dictate to them what they ought to be doing even if I think I know better. That and no one would listen even if I tried :lol:

But anyway, it's probably time to move on to your excellent review! Thank you so much for giving us your insights about this concert. I really enjoyed reading the review of someone who knows Libera’s history and can give proper annotations to compare with recorded versions and past concerts. It's very clear from reading your review that every song touched you in a unique way. What struck me in particular was that you found that the songs which you normally skip when listening to the recordings were suddenly quite pleasant to listen to when performed live. It's my theory that a live concert commands a certain level of attention free from the distraction that we normally have when listening to music. Many, like myself, listen to music while commuting, working, or some other task which engages our attention. In a concert hall this just is not possible, and it allows us to truly relax and take the music in without being bored of old songs that we normally skip or ones we don't find as pleasing. On so many occasions, both with Libera and otherwise, I have acquired a taste for pieces of music I had dismissed in the past because of the live concert experience. Of course, Libera’s live shows are at a much higher level and have a much greater affect than those of many other performers!

Thanks again for the review! :D
john45 wrote: <span title="Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:54 pm">5 years ago</span> Happy ending to a perfect day was finding my missing luggage returned.

The perfect day (or evening I should say) was thanks to a wonderful concert at the Marelco Theatre.
Thank you so much for your review and I am glad that your luggage made it to you safe and sound. Please enjoy the next concert and any other fun activities you have planned in Cebu!
Padmachou wrote: <span title="Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:16 pm">5 years ago</span> Thank you all for your reviews and explanations ! :D

I understand that Victor, Daniel, Dominik, Ben and Merlin were just as good as usual... and that the surprises came from Sam-Francis playing a huge part in high notes - was he up to the challenge in your mind ? His voice is beautiful but I always found him a bit shaky. I just checked on him on Libera-passion and he seems to still be very young ! And also a surprise from Alex G having the opportunity to show his abilities with his new deep voice. I sure am jealous that you get to hear that, I was always a huge fan of his silky voice. :P

It must have been wonderful to hear them twice for those who got that chance, or even once for the others !
We might expect Christmas songs all over the year, then ? If their new album is coming for the autumn, it is a possibility that we get a nearly full Christmas songs concert in december. I would be glad to be lucky enough to hear some of these they do not often perform on stage... :roll: I am wondering though which boys will be the soloists in a few month :D Children grow up too fast. I'm looking forward on discovering new talents ! Hopefully Tadgh will get other solos !
I too was pleasantly surprised that Sam is now playing such a prominent role - good for him. Do you think they will continue this unorthodox trend of singing Christmas songs throughout the year? Or was this just a one-off?

I would be very surprised if they continued on in this way; but it would make sense if they've been actively rehearsing a lot of Christmas music for the recording of their new album.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Hello Padmachu! Samuel took the cudgels mainly due to Leo stepping down. That was indeed courageous of Samuel to step up in such a short prep time at such a young age. He was amazing! As John mention, he was only able to rest his high voice during Smile.

Not just Leo but Rocco too, and the absence of Oliver R-W. All the boys stepped up, the audience were treated with so many solos. The depth of Libera's immense talent was delightfully exposed.

I still heard the silkiness in Alex G's voice so it may still be in transition. It's even smoother than in the Lacrymosa video, to my surprise.

The number of Christmas songs, 5 or 6 performed maybe due to the close proximity between the Moscow and Manila concerts. The boys have school in January so perhaps that's why they couldn't change the program entirely. Or maybe as you and Surpinto suggested, it maybe an early promotion to their Christmas album that will be released later this year.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Hi Surpinto! You got everything correct. I was trying to be brief so thank you for expounding. Yes, it's not the personalities, it's simply a matter of promotion. Even a quick 30 sec ad can do wonders especially if it's artistically presented. I think that's what made them click a decade ago. But, as you say, we can only dream. I hope they can still turn things around in Cebu. They always do.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Has Rocco’s voice changed then?

If it has that’s a real shame as his voice was so good. The turn over of the boys seems to happen sooner and sooner it feels like in the last few years.


I would also like to thank everybody for such wonderful in depth reviews.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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I think it only changed gradually dani, because he was still able to take centerstage in the penultimate song Libera.

During the m&g I asked him if he will sing In Paradisum. I was only expecting a smile or a nod, but to my surprise he politely answered that he will not sing it. That caught me by surprise. To be able to see him sing it live was the primary reason me and my family were watching. I was gonna ask how come (hoping he would cite any answer other than voice change), but a chaperone closed in so I just didn't say anything more.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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Benjo wrote: <span title="Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:59 pm">5 years ago</span> I think it only changed gradually dani, because he was still able to take centerstage in the penultimate song Libera.

During the m&g I asked him if he will sing In Paradisum. I was only expecting a smile or a nod, but to my surprise he politely answered that he will not sing it. That caught me by surprise. To be able to see him sing it live was the primary reason me and my family were watching. I was gonna ask how come (hoping he would cite any answer other than voice change), but a chaperone closed in so I just didn't say anything more.
Thank You for the explanation

It’s a shame you won’t have got to hear it live as he did sing it wonderfully well.

At least he can still sing some songs. My favorite two songs in the last 18 months have been In Paradisum and Angele Dei and both songs unfortunately didn’t stay on the set list for long.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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dani wrote: <span title="Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:19 pm">5 years ago</span> Thank You for the explanation

It’s a shame you won’t have got to hear it live as he did sing it wonderfully well.

At least he can still sing some songs. My favorite two songs in the last 18 months have been In Paradisum and Angele Dei and both songs unfortunately didn’t stay on the set list for long.
I have to agree with you and the sadness of not hearing Rocco sing it cannot be erased.
But I would really like to hear one or both of these songs sang by some other soloist, though. I'm sure others could make it beautiful with their own voice. I feel pretty confident In Paradisum will be on the set list again as soon as they find another soloist. The song was of major importance when the album was released and even before.
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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An honest answer by Rocco - but then again, that's what I have experienced before - they are very open and talkative in general about subjects we might think are a bit too sensitive to discuss (such as nervousness, vulnerability on stage, difficulties in certain voice parts and so on).

My guess about the setlist is with Sam stepping in for Robert it was easier to stick to the December setlist, rather than learn new repertoire. I don't think school obligations are a real influence here, as they somehow all manage to rehearse twice a week and sing two services on Sundays ;)
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Re: Libera "The Friendship Tour" (Philippines 2019)

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maartendas wrote: <span title="Thu Feb 21, 2019 9:40 pm">5 years ago</span> An honest answer by Rocco - but then again, that's what I have experienced before - they are very open and talkative in general about subjects we might think are a bit too sensitive to discuss (such as nervousness, vulnerability on stage, difficulties in certain voice parts and so on).

My guess about the setlist is with Sam stepping in for Robert it was easier to stick to the December setlist, rather than learn new repertoire. I don't think school obligations are a real influence here, as they somehow all manage to rehearse twice a week and sing two services on Sundays ;)

I think it’s early promo for the Christmas album. They won’t visit the Philippines again this year so it makes sense to sing songs that will be on a album come November time.

I will be astounded though if they try and sing Christmas songs come July for the U.S tour as it would be so tacky.
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