The Christmas Album CD (2011)

[dearmadine]

Got my copy this morning! I'm definitely the happiest person in my company!

[EMImusic]

Hello again Libera fans!

Just a brief note from us - currently The Christmas Album is on the Amazon charts at #11, and is in the running for #1 classical album in the U.S. for next week (it would be Libera's first U.S. #1!). We're very excited here and are hoping to have a big first week of sales, so we're asking U.S. fans that if you or your friends are planning to buy the deluxe album, either for yourselves or as gifts for friends and family, that you purchase it this week before Sunday so it counts to their first week of sales and helps boost them to the top of the charts!

The best way to buy it is through the Libera Amazon store, as they will get a percentage of all sales (http://www.libera.org.uk/shop/us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Thank you again for all your support of Libera and their music, and here's hoping that we can get them a number 1 album to help really spread their music all around the U.S.!

best wishes to all!
The EMI Classics U.S. Team

[dearmadine]

Hello again Libera fans!

Just a brief note from us - currently The Christmas Album is on the Amazon charts at #11, and is in the running for #1 classical album in the U.S. for next week (it would be Libera's first U.S. #1!). We're very excited here and are hoping to have a big first week of sales, so we're asking U.S. fans that if you or your friends are planning to buy the deluxe album, either for yourselves or as gifts for friends and family, that you purchase it this week before Sunday so it counts to their first week of sales and helps boost them to the top of the charts!

The best way to buy it is through the Libera Amazon store, as they will get a percentage of all sales (http://www.libera.org.uk/shop/us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Thank you again for all your support of Libera and their music, and here's hoping that we can get them a number 1 album to help really spread their music all around the U.S.!

best wishes to all!
The EMI Classics U.S. Team

Check again- Libera is #9 on Amazon now

[jennaluvspbr]

Hello again Libera fans!

Just a brief note from us - currently The Christmas Album is on the Amazon charts at #11, and is in the running for #1 classical album in the U.S. for next week (it would be Libera's first U.S. #1!). We're very excited here and are hoping to have a big first week of sales, so we're asking U.S. fans that if you or your friends are planning to buy the deluxe album, either for yourselves or as gifts for friends and family, that you purchase it this week before Sunday so it counts to their first week of sales and helps boost them to the top of the charts!

The best way to buy it is through the Libera Amazon store, as they will get a percentage of all sales (http://www.libera.org.uk/shop/us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Thank you again for all your support of Libera and their music, and here's hoping that we can get them a number 1 album to help really spread their music all around the U.S.!

best wishes to all!
The EMI Classics U.S. Team

Check again- Libera is #9 on Amazon now

myin is comeing this fridqay or monday i am so exiced i can not wit to hear it all

[Rebecca (:]

Woohoo!!! Mine came today while I was at school! I literally sprinted to my car when the bell rang, and sure enough, my mom had the package!!! Everyone looked my way when I screamed... Anyways, I'm about to listen to it!! Sooo excited! yay! Although, my mom said that some guy in a car dropped it off, and not the normal Fed-Ex or UPS truck, so I'm a little curious about that! But who cares! I'm just so glad I have it!

[emmaclaire]

I ordered mine today and I get it tomorrow (or at least I should..) because my mom let me do one day shipping! I'm a littttle bit excited not going to lie...

[hannah_kirstin]

Rebecca, Emma and other US fans, excited for you all to hear the Christmas Album! Post your reviews and favorites!

[Yorkie]

Woohoo!!! Mine came today while I was at school! I literally sprinted to my car when the bell rang, and sure enough, my mom had the package!!! Everyone looked my way when I screamed... Anyways, I'm about to listen to it!! Sooo excited! yay! Although, my mom said that some guy in a car dropped it off, and not the normal Fed-Ex or UPS truck, so I'm a little curious about that! But who cares! I'm just so glad I have it!

Your car? You sprinted to your car? But you're like 14, how can you have a car?

[emmaclaire]

,
Your car? You sprinted to your car? But you're like 14, how can you have a car?

I'm pretty positive she means her mom's car

[Rebecca (:]

,
Your car? You sprinted to your car? But you're like 14, how can you have a car?

I'm pretty positive she means her mom's car

Yep ( Although, I'm hoping to get a pickup truck January 2012 )

Well, I've listened to the whole album twice, and honestly I can't pick a favorite song! Loving Still, Still, Still, Veni Veni, In Dulci Jublio, Sing the Story, Coventry Carol, and Jubilte Deo the most so far!

[dearmadine]

Here is my long, long review... lol

I had the album delivered to work simply I couldn’t wait till I get home! It arrived around 10am and I audibly shrieked that a lady across my office instantly knew my long-awaited package has arrived. After much admiration and frantic Twitter updates, I started listening to the album for the first time.

Did everyone catch Tom Cully’s name in the album? He was listed as an assistant with Ben Crawley. It was so relieving to see his name. Tom has taken off the white robe but it’s truly lovely to see him around Liibera, doing his things. Someone told me before that in the last album (Peace) there were less harmonies compared to the older songs. I agree with this person. As much I love the Peace album, like how the choir sounds in the Christmas Album better because I think the lower harmonies make each song more substantial and fuller. So big thank you-s to all Libera tenors (Jonathan, Tiarnan, Liam, Alex, Sam, Josh and Ben) for adding another layer to the harmony

Joy to the world
The most perfect opening song for a Christmas album! As soon as the celebratory trumpet sound begins the song, you know you have stepped into Libera’s winter wonderland. I’ve been listening to this song when EMI made it available for a free download so I don't really have much to say. Lol.

Still Still Still (solo: Ralph Skan)
Still Still Still is a peaceful song like its title. I’ve been trying to find more appropriate words to describe Ralph’s voice other than bluntly saying “I LOVE IT!” I think his voice is like a soft blanket that holds a baby. Just about to get cozy surrounded by Ralph’s voice, a Josh-like voice joins and creates another dimension of subtle beauty. I bet this is the lullaby the angels sang for baby Jesus

Carol of the Bells
The more I listen to Carol of the Bells, the more I realize how complex this song is. Loved the way all the voices are woven together to create the perfect pattern of harmonies. Every voice, every effect and even every breath was coordinated with precision. I’m sure every Libera song strives for perfection. It’s just that the effort is more evident in this song.

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (solo: Daniel Fontannaz)
The late blooming flowers surely more beautiful! (related post: Daniel Fontannz: Late-Blooming Flower) Daniel’s voice has gone deeper from the previous album but I’m really glad he got another solo. Really loved the part where the full choir sings together. It created a powerful sound.

Once in Royal David’s City (solo: Eoghan McCarthy)
I knew I’d fall in love with Eoghan’s voice when I first heard Glory to Thee during the US tour 2011. Eoghan has a voice that you want to listen over and over because he sings each note and each word with so much sincerity. It’s like he is singing about something above and beyond my comprehension and I’m here trying to catch a glimpse of it. Again, love the full sound of the choir.

O Holy Night (solo: Ralph Skan)
O Holy Night is another breathtaking solo by Ralph. His voice is just as embracing as his personality—warm and kind voice from a warm and kind heart. You know how he swings when he sings? (Watch Song of Life music video if you don’t know what I’m talking about) I could picture him singing this song, swaying as if he’s conducting himself.

White Christmas (solo: Stefan Leadbeater)
Stefan’s unprecedented voice shines through White Christmas. He owned this song with his confident yet delicate voice. He even expressed the subtle presence of loneliness in the song as the “speaker” longing for a white Christmas in sunny and green Beverly Hills. I found it incredible that Stefan captured all that emotions and poured into a song. How can you not fall in love with that?

Corpus Christi Carol (solos: James Mordaunt and Ralph Skan)
Everyone who listens to this song will terribly miss mini James. I know I did. Only mini James has feathery-like voice that freely swings between each note. His pure and innocent voice illustrates absolute transparency like an angel made of glass. Earlier in the post, I’ve mentioned that Ralph’s voice is like a soft blanket. Adding on to that analogy, mini James and Ralph’s duet reminds me of a feathery blanket, if that makes any sense to you...but it does make whole lot of sense to me! Lol. Their duet was just as wonderfully harmonious as Tom and Josh on Love and Mercy.

In Dulci Jubilo
In Dulci Jubilo is such a delightful song. It reminds me of an enchanted heart when you are taking first steps into the fresh snow. Loved the sound of an instrument (recorder?).

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (solos: James Mordaunt and Ralph Skan)
Well, we've heard this song long, long time ago. Here is the post I wrote a while ago regarding mini James and this song, James Mordaunt: Mini is the New Big.

Sing the Story (solo: Luke Collins)
Oh my goodness, Luke Collins!! Where have you been, superstar?!! What a wonderful and soothing voice he has. I’m so glad that Luke got a chance to shine. I sincerely believe that everyone deserves a solo in his Libera career, not just in concerts but in albums as well. I’d hate to see precious talents come and go without given a chance to demonstrate their full potentials. But then, I think Robert Prizeman knows what’s best for the group.

Coventry Carol (solos: Josh Madine, Ralph Skan and Stefan Leadbeater)
Before listening to the song, I was slightly confused why/how Josh got a solo. Don’t get me wrong. As his biggest fan, I am and will always be happy for every activity Josh partakes in an album or a concert. I just thought it was a bit untraditional. Time, Faithful Heart and Lullabye were more understandable since his voice was still higher. However, Josh’s current voice (or as of May-July when Libera recorded the album) is so much deeper that his solo seemed discordant in an album full of treble voices. Well, after I listened to the whole song, it turned out that Robert Prizeman is a genius and I just needed to shut the hole in my face. Lol. I love when Libera proves me wrong!! Let me tell you, the solo for Coventry Carol had to be Josh Madine.

Coventry Carol is about the Massacre of the Innocents when Harod the King orders all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be slaughtered. The lyrics illustrate unimaginable sorrow of every mother in Bethlehem. Coventry Carol is a song about mourning, not celebration. Imagine an angel’s voice singing about slaying of hundreds and thousands of innocent children? It might sound melancholy on its own but the lamenting ambiance of this song will never be captured in the same way. It had to be Josh. No further argument there. This is the first Libera song where tenor is the main melody and treble is the backing vocals. I’m sure Coventry Carol was a risky experiment for both Robert Prizeman and Josh. However, Mr. Prizeman trusted his veteran chorister and Josh trusted his director, we the listeners were able to experience a natural paradigm shifted.

It was a heavy song to listen to since Josh’s solemn voice mounts weigh on the already-very-sad lyrics. Coventry Carol could’ve been heck of a depressing song but Ralph and Stefan saved it from potential disparity (lol) with their supporting melodies and descants. Again, Robert Prizeman is a genius I wonder if the lowest voice in this song belongs to Mr. Prizeman. That would be wicked awesome.

The First Nowell (solo: Freddie Ingles)
I think Freddie’s tender and innocent voice has the same texture as mini James’. They sounded like newborn angels when I first heard them singing a duet to Prayer in 2009. Since then, they have sung more duets and they have grown enough to carry their own solos.

Jubilate Deo (solo: Jakob De Menezes-Wood)
I really loved Jakob’s solo in Lead Kindly Light in the previous Peace album, so it’s safe to say that I had predetermined expectation on his voice and he exceeded it (obviously). In recent concerts, Jubilate transited into Libera so I was wondering if it would do the same. It didn’t but every time the song reaches that bridge point, I couldn’t help but sing Libera in my head

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (solo: Cassius O'Connell-White)
Everyone is required to tell Cassius how wonderful his solo was before asking him to do another meow or Donald Duck sound! Lol. I think the song overall sounds very similar to the one from Aled’s Christmas DVD (2008). Pretty nostalgic.

Lullabye (solos: Josh Madine, Jakob de Menezes-Wood and Benedict Philipp)
I still don’t know how Lullabye is listed in this album but it surely is a good way to compare Josh’s voice. At least Coventry Carol and Lullabye aren’t back to back each other. That would be slightly awkward :p

I love Libera♥

[phlibera]

Corpus Christi Carol (solos: James Mordaunt and Ralph Skan)
Everyone who listens to this song will terribly miss mini James. I know I did. Only mini James has feathery-like voice that freely swings between each note.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. After I learned that Mini James won't be joining the recently concluded Philippine tour, I was kind of shocked and sad. His voice shows so much promise of things to come considering that he's still young enough to cement more of his Libera legacy. A combination of his voice and his enunciation is turning his singing voice into a signature type of singing voice.

[Nikki178]

Coventry Carol (solos: Josh Madine, Ralph Skan and Stefan Leadbeater)
Coventry Carol is about the Massacre of the Innocents when Harod the King orders all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be slaughtered. The lyrics illustrate unimaginable sorrow of every mother in Bethlehem. Coventry Carol is a song about mourning, not celebration. Imagine an angel’s voice singing about slaying of hundreds and thousands of innocent children? It might sound melancholy on its own but the lamenting ambiance of this song will never be captured in the same way.

I didn't know this about Coventry Carol. I listened to it after reading your review and felt a chill run down my spine.

[BruceH]

I was heading out to mow my lawn this afternoon (technically yesterday since it’s already after midnight) when I heard a diesel truck in the neighborhood. Sure enough, it was “Brown” (a.k.a. the UPS truck) coming to deliver the Amazon package for which I’ve been waiting for many weeks. Unfortunately, I had to mow the lawn and run another errand before I could open the package. Finally, I was able to get out the CD, process it into my system, and then listen for the first time to all the songs in their entirety.

Many people have written much more complete reviews than I feel capable of, so I will stick to just a few comments. First, I have to really compliment Ralph Skan for all the work he’s done this year. I was so glad to be able to tell him in person at Frisco how I appreciated all the solos he did during the US tour. Well, obviously he was doing a lot of work for the CD too. As “dearmadine” said, he has such a nice, sincere quality to his singing; and it comes across when you talk to him too. And, thanks Ralph for doing “Oh Holy Night.” It took me back to when I did it for a church program over fifty years ago – when I was your age. I know how difficult it is to sing well. I’m sure your performance here is better than anything I could have ever dreamed of doing.

I’ve got to mention Daniel Fontannaz too. He comes across as so sincere when you talk to him. He does such a wonderful job on “Veni, Veni, Emmanuel.” It’s really enjoyable to hear him on this recording.

“Carol of the Bells.” This is a Christmas song that I’ve known for many years, but early on did not like it very well. The Libera rendition sure changes my perception of the song. It is now one of my favorites. Their strong, accurate tempo and beautiful singing just make the song sound like bells ringing. Congratulations, Robert Prizeman!

When I listened to the short previews in MP-3 of “Coventry Carol,” I just wasn’t sure about Josh’s singing on this number. But, oh it comes out great when you hear the whole thing. I really had to listen to it on my “good” equipment to really appreciate how fine he sounds.

An interesting comment came from my wife about the album. She heard it in the background as I was first playing it an asked me, “Is that Libera?” I assured her that it was, but she was surprised and delighted to hear the lower voices. R.P. has really added a great thing to Libera with using the lower voices. I was blown away with “Te Lucis” in Frisco, Texas, and the “back row” really adds such a beautiful dimension to this album.

And then there’s “Julbilate Deo.” For a few seconds, I felt like I had been instantaneously transported back to Frisco, Texas with the lighting and everything. What an insane feeling. For me this is a real treasure.

Finally, a big “Thank You” to Robert Prizeman and the other arrangers and non-singers! The music just comes off so well. It is so tastefully and artfully done. The album has such a beautiful balance and continuity to it. The new and special arrangements add tremendously – even to songs that we might have known for decades. I have many Christmas albums, but his is moving to the top of the stack.

[Yorkie]

Coventry Carol is about the Massacre of the Innocents when Harod the King orders all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be slaughtered.

King Harod

Hand up here but I have yet to get in to this song. It just doesn't do it for me if I'm honest, and it can sound really good sung by Trebles (The Choir Boys). All about personal preference of course.