New album is called Hope

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JimmyRiddle
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by JimmyRiddle »

Great reviews everyone. Most of them line-up with my thoughts. I’m not going to provide an in-depth review of all songs but will leave a few impressions.

My top 3 of the album are;

Benedictus Deus
The Three Ravens
From A Distance.

Too many superlatives for Benedictus Deus, it’s a perfect recipe for getting the best out of a boys treble and choir. The complexity is thrilling but also means it’s unlikely to make the live concert repertoire anytime soon. The solo is very demanding and it's taken one of Libera’s finest; Thomas DL to do it justice in the studio. The Amen at the end just seals it.

I’m surprised by how much I like From a Distance. I’ve got to say it’s won me over and the arrangement is superb. I was in the sceptical club when it was first announced but maybe softened by recent events, the song has taken on profound meaning.

The Three Ravens improves on my likeability scale with every listen. Gregor has excellent clarity in his voice and I can visualise this being performed in a stage production of some sort. I thought it would be a little one dimensional when listening to the preview clip but it’s proven to be quite dynamic and maintains interest from start to finish.

I was hoping Alex Montoro’s high treble would last just a little bit longer than nature decided for him, because his solos on the album were of a fine calibre. I hope that 360 video (Angele Dei) surfaces at some point.

I’d like to add that England has been violated in recent weeks by terrorist attacks. The Manchester one in particular targeting innocent youth attending a concert hit home quite hard. I’ve been to the MEN arena on a few occasions over the years and walked across the very foyer were that lowlife destroyed so many lives. So this album ‘Hope’ has arrived just in time providing much needed solace and comfort.
Last edited by JimmyRiddle on Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Surpinto
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by Surpinto »

Thank you for the review, Jimmy. All 3 of your top favorites are excellent songs. I agree about "From a Distance", a song like that is very apropos given what has occurred of late in the UK.
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by filiarheni »

filiarheni wrote: <span title="Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:32 pm">6 years ago</span> I did even send the website contact form to the Libera staff already two days ago, after considering for quite a while if I should really do that. Also without success so far.
:D :D
Apologies and many thanks to Libera! :) They did react and they did so without any moment of delay. :!: Today, the CD has arrived at last with an invoice dated 6h June, which is the day I asked Libera for help. IHM didn't write anything, but added the "Libera At Christmas" album. Everything is fine. (I suspect that IHM forgot to really ship the CD.)

I feel very strange now: nothing to wait for?? :shock: :? ... :mrgreen:
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Re: New album is called Hope

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filiarheni wrote: <span title="Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:40 pm">6 years ago</span> :D :D
Apologies and many thanks to Libera! :) They did react and they did so without any moment of delay. :!: Today, the CD has arrived at last with an invoice dated 6h June, which is the day I asked Libera for help. IHM didn't write anything, but added the "Libera At Christmas" album. Everything is fine. (I suspect that IHM forgot to really ship the CD.)
Great news!! :D :D. I'm so happy for you :D :D

filiarheni wrote: <span title="Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:40 pm">6 years ago</span> I feel very strange now: nothing to wait for?? :shock: :? ... :mrgreen:
Take it slowly and get used to it. :lol: :lol: You may not believe it right now, but this is the state people are usually in. :lol: :lol: Unless you decide to order something again. :lol: :lol:

I hope, you won't keep us all very long waiting for your 'Hope' review. :wink:
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by filiarheni »

Haha, I have been working on my review today, but the album's arrival disturbed! :shock: I'll try to hurry up with it now or else it might get mingled with the reviews of the U. S. tour concertgoers. But since I have to do it in two languages, it takes more time. I'd suggest you order something meanwhile ... :P

andmar wrote: <span title="Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:33 pm">6 years ago</span> Take it slowly and get used to it. You may not believe it right now, but this is the state people are usually in.
I'm so lucky to be in this forum, it is so instructive and illuminating here around. :idea: :mrgreen:

(By the way, I've just found an message by IHM in my corresponding e-mail account which they sent to me yesterday, very short with an incomplete greeting at the end. They say that they had had IT problems, so couldn't answer. Seeing the invoice's date I don't believe that, but it doesn't matter anymore.)
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filiarheni
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by filiarheni »

From tragedy to comedy. :D
There is another "Hope" on its way to me, due to the fact that Invisible Hands Music thought I hadn't received the other one, because my confirmation e-mail landed in their spam folder. So they decided to better ship a second album!
Isn't it great? I love it! :lol: I've already started waiting 6 hours ago, so daily routine has got me back.

But seriously: I find IHM was very kind now. They tried everything to make up for all the trouble and today's e-mail was nice and humorous. I feel very pleased.
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by andmar »

filiarheni wrote: <span title="Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:20 pm">6 years ago</span> From tragedy to comedy. :D
There is another "Hope" on its way to me...
That's really awesome. Your long period of waiting and confusion is double rewarded now. Great. :D

filiarheni wrote: <span title="Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:20 pm">6 years ago</span> I've already started waiting 6 hours ago, so daily routine has got me back.
You got used to waiting so much, that you feel kind of uncomfortable without it :?. :lol: Not good, not good ... :lol: :lol: :lol:

filiarheni wrote: <span title="Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:20 pm">6 years ago</span> But seriously: I find IHM was very kind now. They tried everything to make up for all the trouble and today's e-mail was nice and humorous. I feel very pleased.
Great respect IHM! Mistakes can always happen, but if a company can deal with them in such a way - really cool. :D
This shows also, that Libera and IHM really care for the fans. :D :D
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Re: New album is called Hope

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JimmyRiddle wrote: <span title="Wed May 17, 2017 6:06 pm">6 years ago</span>So as we can see they have never charted higher than 8th in the Official UK Charts, and no higher than 2nd in Classic FM’s. 8th is the best placing in both charts for a non-Christmas album
Edit: a correction to my earlier post. I went back to the week following the Songs of Praise 'Libera' special in 2009 because I recall this had a positive effect on album sales, and low and behold.. http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/cl ... 90201/147/ it catapulted Libera's 'Eternal' to No2 in the charts. It remained inside the top 40 until May. So the highest ever chart position for a non-christmas album is No.2 but this was a re-entry. Still 8th for a new entry. The UK Classical charts update tomorrow.
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Re: New album is called Hope

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Well, I wrote my review for Amazon first to hopefully entice others to buy the album, and I’ve finally gotten around to writing a review here. I would suggest that others give Hope 5 stars and a good review on Amazon, even a short but genuine review – there are only 6 reviews on Amazon US and 4 on Amazon UK at the moment.

Here’s my review:

I started listening to Libera shortly after Peace was released, and this is really their first non-Christmas full studio album with brand new songs including new originals by Robert Prizeman since then. So this almost feels like a new experience for me, even after being a fan for more than 6 years. I have been thoroughly enjoying Hope, listening to it over and over again. It has multiple songs that are just really good, which is something I wasn’t really expecting. I thought there would be maybe two or three standout songs. I’ve managed to narrow down my favorites to three, but there are 5 or 6 others that could have been my favorites if the whole album wasn’t so good.

My top 3 songs are I’m Dreaming of Home, because it is just so beautiful; From a Distance, which I absolutely did not expect to be a favorite, but it is; and Venite Adoremus, which, for some reason, I can’t stop listening to. My other favorites include most of the other songs, so it would be kind of pointless to list all of them. :lol:

Song by song:

Salve Regina – I enjoy this song. I think what it really needs is a more climactic final verse. The first verse is a nice start, and I love the second verse, but then the third verse starts off sounding like the first verse all over again. I wonder if other people would like it more if that had been different. Still, I think Salve Regina is beautiful, if simple, and I do keep listening to it. It’s also kind of neat that it’s a prayer I grew up saying – the Hail Holy Queen – although RP didn’t include all the lines.

I’m Dreaming of Home – This is so incredibly beautiful and moving. If there was one song I would pick as my single top favorite, it would be this one. I have to be careful listening to it while driving because it makes me tear up a bit (which is unusual for me, actually). I enjoy Camden’s solo. I can see why people would want to hear Tom sing it, and I think it’s too bad we can’t have recordings of both of them. I imagine they each add something different to the song, though I’ve never heard Tom sing it.

Angele Dei – This is very interesting and I really like it. I don’t know if I’m as big into it as some people are, but it’s a neat arrangement of another prayer which is very familiar to me.

Smile – I was surprised to find that really like this one. Gabe’s voice is absolutely perfect for the solo, and the harmonies are very nice. Some of the lyrics spoke to me as well, which may be another reason I like it.

Stabat Mater – This has such a beautiful melody and I love it. I do agree with Surpinto that the balance is off during the solo parts, and Isaac’s solo “rings” a bit, especially when I’m using headphones as opposed to speakers. However, I enjoy it nevertheless. With the mood it creates, and the strings, it reminds me a little of Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, although the melody is not the same.

Benedictus Deus – This definitely feels more complete now, compared to the previous version. I absolutely love the new middle section.

From a Distance – This has turned out to be one of my favorites on the album, very surprisingly. The arrangement is just really, really good. When I’ve heard this song by other artists, I’ve had a hard time not finding it “cheesy,” but I don’t feel like that at all with Libera. Perhaps it is also good timing for this song, given the current state of the world.

Three Ravens – This really isn’t like most of Libera’s other music, but it’s fantastic. Gregor nails the solo, and Alex Montoro’s high notes are amazing. It reminds me of a music soundtrack in places. I debated about whether to list this as one of my top favorites, since it’s definitely one of the best on the album.

Angel – I still don’t particularly like this song, as I still think some of the English bits are not that well written. Isaac pronounces everything so clearly that I can’t pretend not to notice the lyrics, and they bother me every time. There are parts of the song that are quite nice musically, however.

Wayfaring Stranger – Alex Gula’s solo is good, and this recording is a bit more polished than the live version, but why did they add maracas? It’s a really nice recording, though, other than that. I think it’s my sister’s favorite song of any Libera’s ever recorded (other than San Damiano), so she was pretty thrilled that it was included.

Hymn to Mary – I’ve had this song since it was released on iTunes, but I haven’t listened to it a lot until now. Isaac’s voice fits the song very well. It’s a very sweet and gentle song, and I like it.

San Damiano – It was high time for Libera to re-record this song, and I’m glad they did. The new recording is really nice. It's also a good addition to the album, being probably the most upbeat song.

Venite Adoremus – This has been another surprise favorite. The first time I listened to it, I thought I would get kind of tired of the repeating lines and high notes. However, the way the harmonies keep changing throughout somehow keep me wanting to listen to it over and over again.

Home – I’m not a big fan of this song, either. It definitely has its good parts, but it’s a little slow to get started, and it’s just not a favorite of mine.
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by andmar »

Thank you chris17 for your excellent review. It was a pleasure to read it.

chris17 wrote: <span title="Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:39 am">6 years ago</span> ... I thought there would be maybe two or three standout songs. I’ve managed to narrow down my favorites to three, but there are 5 or 6 others that could have been my favorites if the whole album wasn’t so good.
Yes, indeed. I agree. The album is so good, that it is hardly possible to select just one, the most favourite song.
Last edited by andmar on Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by Surpinto »

Excellent, thorough review Chris! :D Thanks so much for sharing it with us. "I'm Dreaming of Home" is a fantastic song and I completely understand why you like it so much. Your top 3 are all excellent. Even the song "The Three Ravens" which I at first did not find particularly interesting (as I am usually more into their classical-type repertoire) I found myself listening to over and over again. Like you, I think that this has been an excellent album with many top-notch songs. While we all have different favorites, I think everyone has found the album as a whole to be one of their better releases.

Thank you again for writing your review, it was enjoyable to read. :D
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Re: New album is called Hope

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This will be terribly long now, and I apologize in advance to all who must read it. :shock: :oops: :oops: Since I’ve heard about people in this forum who demand long reviews, I felt like a loose moose …

“Hope” for me is the Libera album not of “a million angels”, but of a million harmonies or rather: a million amazing harmonies! It is fascinating, musically extremely interesting CD with a huge range of everything and brilliant performances of all who were involved. Many reasons for goosebumps!

Two things were conspicuous directly at the first hearing:
a) This is Libera’s most symphonic CD, and the orchestra, with its many different sound colours, stands by Libera’s side. It not only supports them, but also has a distinctly own part.
b) Libera is so unique above all due to the special harmonies. But this album seems to me like one big bathing in them! Only to mention Venite Adoremus. And Angele Dei. And Salve Regina. And … so on. Gorgeous!
Robert had much courage in selecting such a lot of songs with melodies that are very challenging (e. g. Stabat Mater, Three Ravens, Benedictus Deus) and they have all been greatly mastered! Since I have a special affection for beautiful melodies, this album is perfect for me.


Salve Regina

Usually, I’m no friend of this kind of Libera pieces that are based on classical music. The Fountain eventually managed it and, after a long time, even Going Home, too. I always think that if the composer had wanted to have it sung, he would have composed it like this himself. Probably, I’m somewhat puristic. :roll: The greater was my surprise that I immediately agreed with Salve Regina. Although it is not really that surprising. Schubert was the very composer for singing of all, and you can hear that also in his instrumental compositions. I certainly believe that Schubert would not be turning in his grave because of the conversion into singing, and, without any problems, the order could have been reverse as well: originally a singing composition by Schubert and afterwards a piano version derived from it.
This is a particularly peaceful piece, which once again calms me very well. A prayer, intensely warm and very quiet. When, in the second verse, the deeper voices sing, my heart becomes wide. I find this deep choir sound incredibly beautiful! At the end there is an increase in the music giving me goose bumps. It has not become a favorite piece for me, but I find it quite a beautiful song.
Would I have put it at the beginning of the CD? I do not know, but perhaps Robert’s intention was to make the listener come to rest before listening to all the songs.
Rocco, super soloist! He has a crystal-clear voice and is an outstanding singer, as we experienced in Ely. He would have deserved more solo! Why wasn’t he given a whole stanza? I am eagerly waiting for more songs (recordings) with him, which hopefully will be there!


San Damiano
This song with a new sound I had wished for - here it is. Wider, clearer, more self-assured than the 1992 version. I feel, in fact, motivated with "heart and soul". It is the liveliest piece of the CD. I like the somehow dramatic beginning, but as an introduction to this piece, I don’t find it harmonious: I think, what is coming now, prepare myself for something “heavy”, and then it becomes all harmless. The same music used as an interlude later on is quite different to me: no more strain, but a powerful commitment to Mary instead.
The easy-going San Damiano brings a breather under so many serious or “heavy” pieces of the album. However, it is SO easy-going that it might be precisely because of this that in both versions of the CD it has a position more at the margin.


Smile
Musically not mine. The harmonies create a strange mood in me that I don’t like. The lyrics are very encouraging, even though I do not agree with everything. Now … Libera! They sound very, very beautiful here! Also, I like Gabe’s solo and the duet with Alessandro a lot - this is always a pleasure: when the soloists sing together! Gabe’s voice is very clear. It is the sound of the voices, which will help me not to skip the song so often. All the more, as long as I have no other Gabe song at my disposal. But generally, I hope that they won’t go on singing this kind of music, and hopefully, Libera will give us more songs with Gabe as a soloist.

[I just wanted to say something with “salami” to my son and began to say “salve regina” instead.]


Stabat Mater
This song captured me within seconds! I felt strongly drawn into the music at once and had only one thought: "O God, how beautiful is this song! Robert, what have you done? "Each time I listen, I sink into this song again. It is filled to the rim with intimate feeling, with an extraordinarily fine, round melody, and then this changing between minor and major key sounds! I love this kind of music. Only the string sound is too sugary to me here and there.

Robert’s setting is a perfect implementation of the text. Distress and grief are fully lived out. It moves me to the core. What touches me most is "cruce" (2:32). The music completely takes me over here.
Isaac's sensitive, painful, vivid (urgent?) and affectionate singing moves me to tears - Isaac, what have you done? Do you know what you delivered here?
The choir sings particularly emotionally as well. I am deeply impressed by the overall performance of this very serious song.

It is a quiet song, but that makes it clear all the more: Despair is there, but you also know that it can’t be changed and that you have to deal with it. Towards the end, the music suddenly becomes more urgent, it accelerates clearly and gets louder. Here, once more, something rears up and then withdraws and calms down. But Maria's pain remains: "dolorosa" is the last word.

Interesting is a comparison with the Stabat of 2001, which was one single revelation for me. I feel Stabat to be a silent, introverted, sympathetic, praying pain (small tone steps make it clear) with a focus on the harmonies, and it seems to me that the pain is more observed and described with sympathy. Somehow, it is obvious that the purpose of the whole situation ultimately was a good one. Stabat Mater is quiet, too, but at the same time screams with despair, with many sighs, prolongations of central words (like "dolorosa") and big musical intervals. Robert has put everything into the melody. Mary herself seems to talk about her suffering, and at the same time I share it directly with her, I feel her pain. Stabat - heart-softening; Stabat Mater - heartbreaking. I am at the mercy at both of them. Robert knows extremely well how to handle Stabat Mater words!

This is the song of the CD that speaks to me most strongly.


I’m Dreaming of Home
The piece triggers an immediate longing for a Libera concert in me! Every time I am reminded of the atmosphere in the Ely concert, and during Libera’s days in Japan, as I hereby confess, I felt kind of envious of the concertgoers over there. Although at first, I had thought I might be tired of the song soon. But at the moment, I can’t imagine it. The music is so beautiful, this streaming sound of the choir! When listening, I really feel that "Sound of rivers singing, a song flows through me now, my heart opens wide". After the song, I always feel even-tempered and contented, even if the words look different: The peace you long for is not yet there. But hope exists. The whole music seems to tell a story. It is becoming ever more intense, and in this song, too, the music gets faster towards the end: I want nothing but peace.

Unfortunately, Camden's voice sounds somewhat shrill at one bit in this song which is so soft song. He is notto blame for this - what did the technicians do here? :x I listened to the song on various devices with and without headphones, and it is more or less always there. Camden has such a great voice! It sounds like a ray of sunlight and on the other hand it is like a light, pleasant wind blowing. And it sounds very adult (how old is he actually?). He is so sensitive at 2:14. The seamless changeover between him and the choir from there is a mere delight, and then that mentioned sound at 2:53, too sudden too loud, and Camden's singing steps out of the song here. This doesn’t do justice to him! :!: It’s very short, yet affecting enough. A shame and so unnecessary that it has not been balanced properly.

However, overall the song makes me go weak at my knees.


Angel
The music is comfortable, and I do like the dreamy mood, but it isn’t able to keep up my interest after a while. Somehow, I find it “too” nice. On the other hand, I am very pleased with the trusting text as well as with Isaac's singing. It sounds so effortless! The voice is gentle and light, but never weak. His way of singing Angel requires protection, which fits perfectly with the text. Everything is in harmony.


From A Distance
Regarding the words, I had only known the refrain before. I always thought of it as comforting: God watches us, he may be far away, but he surely is there for us. However, since I know the whole text, I wonder whether it could also be interpreted as a warning. Go on well with each other, for you are seen. Perhaps, I’ll find an answer in your reviews. If not, I would like to ask here and now, because this is very interesting for me. I don’t know if it is only a matter of language. Can the meaning of “watch” be the same as “look after, take care”? For in German, this does not apply, “watch” is neutral there.

In any case, this is an idealistic, longing text full of hope, which I, to be honest, haven’t yet fully understood. In terms of the music, the song sounds especially engaged with an intensive increase in the middle part that gets under my skin! The extended repetition of "God is watching us" shows the focus. Very successful arrangement of Sam Coates!

And at this point, I would like to pay a compliment to all singers that there are no sentimental “curves” at all on the CD, as it was with Eternal Light: This is a beautiful song, but those curves are horrible.


Angele Dei
Aaaahhh! Harmonies, harmonies, harmonies - this song seems like overall rays of light! A totally composed "illumina”!
At the beginning, the introduction seems to tell me something. Then I'm on my way and I know I'm heading for something brighter. It is not the now that is important, but that what lies ahead. Then, suddenly, a radiant light that includes every corner. And I am standing still and full of amazement and awe in the middle of this light, I am part of it.
A breathtaking song with mystic harmonies all over the room and a great solo by Alex M., whose voice is rather mystic here, too. As a live performance, it is unbeatable, no recording can ever be the same. In fact, at the first hearing of the CD, I was disappointed. Luckily, this feeling went away; however, the song does belong to the concert situation, where it can only unfold its full effect: these enormous sounds, which enfold you and soar upwards. A cathedral is the ideal place for this song. I can’t imagine it half as impressive in a concert hall.
I like the unusual text distribution at "of my life with me" after the normal "Ever this night be at my side". That attracts my attention.
Musically, I assign Angele Dei to the category of Beata Lux. I would like a revisiting of this song with drastically reduced drums. But now we have Angele Dei. :D And that may please remain in the concert program for a very long time.


Benedictus Deus
Splendid and sparkling! A feast for the ears. I had liked the teaser snippet very much, and what a gift that it belonged to this song! Together with Three Ravens, it is the musically most complex song, but in contrast, Benedictus Deus is full of joy. Compared with the short former version, this is a real opus now. Mark McKenzie has pulled out all the stops with this extension. It is the chord at 1:19 ("Gloria "in) that indicates that the song continues. With this chord, I feel a physical weakness in myself. I enjoy this feeling, and it echoes for a while.
The central point for me is the “Gloria” bit from 1:56 onwards. Only a few days ago, I became aware that every time, shortly before this bit, my hearts starts beating stronger from a pleasant anticipation of what is coming in a moment. This happens very, very seldom to me. Looking forward to musical bits, yes, of course. But almost never with heart palpitation.
When the “Gloria” bit comes, I pleasantly feel like having given away all control. I’m slowly lifted up, float away, more and more into the height, wow! Until reality brings me back to the ground (I’ve just realized that the melody steps downwards here, too :lol: ), but down there, it is also fine. :) Very good setting of the Gloria statement, by the way.
I like the text distribution of "deo" at 2:04, and it took me several repetitions in listening until I could sing the word correctly. The quiet end of the song is like a long breathing out: the calm after the partly stormy feelings before.

Do you also hear this special kind of sound of single notes? For example at 0:30 "BeneDIctus", 0:41 "NOmen", 0:43 "Je-e-E-esus)? This sounds like a glow. I like it very much, it sounds like an additional lighting up.

How I’d love to see the marvelous Benedictus Dei live one day! But it will be difficult, because this song requires an exquisite soloist like Thomas Delgado-Little who did an 1A job here. The next boy to sing it is going to inherit a huge challenge.


Three Ravens
Gregor's masterpiece! Magnificent, magically attractive piece with a scary content – it’s a ballad, isn’t it. :wink: Dramatic, morbid, stirring, gripping, overwhelming. Here, all musical possibilities were sounded out. Text and music form a unity, the orchestra reflects the events.

The arrangement is, with some changes in the instrumentation, that of John Harle's original version of the song, just adapted to a choir. Already with the first flickering sounds, a sense of threat creeps over you. Then very quickly, the (supposed saxophone) runs begin, imitating the nervous flapping of the hungry ravens, who don’t achieve their goal and therefore cannot calm down.
I love the moving rhythm of the stanzas, it pulls me right with it. After the 4th stanza, there is a roaring interlude, in which the already high excitement increases once again. Pure adrenalin! The tension simply does not decline, there is no relief in the whole piece, not even at the end. That sharp screams (e. g. 4:53) - that's Alexander, right? The atmosphere remains eerie. Finally an exceedingly long ending tone, which gives you the time to adjust your pulse beat again.

Gregor, Three Ravens is your true work of art! The sound of Gregor’s voice is as beautiful as never before when I heard him, and his expression is just perfect. That consternation in his voice in the 4th stanza from "She got him up ..." – his voice nearly falls over itself! In the next "down, derry" I can almost see him singing with horrified widened eyes. And the last "down" here is sung in a way that I’m not able to describe.
The melody has violent jumps, then those many dissonances - a challenge to all singers, and they did very well. A fantastic piece whose attraction I can’t escape! Turn it up loud :mrgreen: Live, it must be gigantic.

Three Ravens has been very special to me all the time, since I was kept so busy with it last year. I was eagerly waiting for the result and now I’m very pleased. I’m also very happy that it obviously is very well received. It is, of course, something entirely different from anything else Libera has sung so far. But why shouldn’t they go on an excursion now and then as long as they come back?


Transition from Three Ravens to Hymn to Mary
This is worth an own point, because putting the order like this is simply brilliant Even better than Angel on the international CD, because it totally goes from one extreme to the other. Hymn to Mary brings exactly the rest that is so urgently needed after the uproar before:
Fear and horror - security and tranquility. Choir and several soloists - complete solo. Maximum orchestra with its own role – very restrained accompaniment. Extroverted - introverted. Very dissonant - very consonant. Threatening - friendly. Whipping melody - gentle melody. All is terrible – all is fine. Like a nightmare - like a good night song. With Hymn to Mary, you can recover.


Hymn to Mary
This is a lovely song that - even though the choir is completely excluded this time – I like very much, which is exactly because of its simplicity and, also resulting from that, gentleness: just a fine melody and a fine accompaniment. It is soft and unobtrusive and makes me feel just comfortable. If I couldn’t sleep I wish that someone would sing this song to me. An ideal song for Isaac with his so friendly voice. He sings in a fully balanced manner, and this is immediately transmitted to me.
Again, something appealing in one word: Singing "run" in the 2nd stanza, Isaac obviously runs out of air, and with this, he sings this "run" particularly irresistibly. And at "my" a bit through the nose. These small charming things in the songs! :)


Venite Adoremus
Really wonderful, Gregorian-influenced song and in every respect Libera-typical! The introduction is an overabundance of sound! Just stunning! Exceptionally long and a unique play with sounds, an ever-increasing interweaving of voices and harmonies. I don’t know where this comes from, but I have an underwater vision, where the long stalks of aquatic plants move easily back and forth in the current. Another picture I get is monks in a medieval monastery. They appear, move through the corridors, meet, go through each other like ghosts and disappear again, and they become more and more. Then the “Venite” begins with a full, streaming choir sound, and I have the feeling of stepping out of the old masonry into the warm sunshine, and the subliminal uncanny is banished.
Merlin's clear vocals fit very well into the character of this song, and the strong reverberation also adds its own. Now who sings the vocalises? There is a very successful change from soloist to soloist at 3:32, and I would have liked to make a compliment here by name. Outside the rather “down-to-earth” (?) Gregorian/choral part a spherical, floating song. It breathes deep and I feel calm and serene.


Home
The song where Muramatsu stole from himself too clearly ... This was the snippet of which I thought it was Angel. And promptly, this picture has been fixed in me, and I do not get rid of anymore (well … I make no effort in this direction.) At "spreading its light …" I believed it was the angel who spreads his light over the sky. . :lol: Don’t you think this idea is beautiful enough to keep it? But of course I also accept that the new day does the same ...
I like Home better than Angel, because it is less predictable, and I enjoy Ciaran's gentle singing, he has a very good voice as well. The choir sounds cautious, softly rocking at "Not a bird ...". As if they would protect this bird. Then the sound increases to the most touching lyrics, which are, by the way, great and fit perfectly to the worries of now, especially:

„In our mourning can we hold together? / How can we face a future all alone? / For the hope we hold amid the crying / is the dream we find a way back home.”


Extra bonus to Robert! Very consoling words; also sad, yes, but above all, filled with hope. It is absolutely right to let both album versions end with Home!


Jupiter
Let's leave that text aside and focus exclusively on the music. I like all three versions of this piece, and Jupiter is suitable ice-skating music in a wide hall. Solemn and well orchestrated, even with organ sound and gong. I like Isaac singing in Japanese, even if I don’t understand anything. And Taichi solo could never have been omitted, of course.

Can anyone transcribe the words? I’d love to be able to read them.


Choir
The frequent use of the lower register suits me very well! Radiant sound of the high register is an absolute pleasure, but the warm, calm sending sound of the lower one is equally loved by me.
And otherwise? Libera is Libera, with their so wonderfully pure singing and their clear, beautiful wonderful choir sound, which can make me take pleasure even in the songs I like less.
I simply cannot grasp how Robert always brings the best out of these children, not only technically, but above all, in terms of expression.
My deep admiration and respect, Libera, and again and again thank you so much, Robert!

I leave it at that – because referring to Libera I ran out of superlatives already a long time ago!


Soloists
I just love this colorful mix - so many different soloists on one CD! I always prefer musical variety, especially with the Libera soloists. Accordingly, I feel very well served by "Hope". And I won’t make any sort of ranking among the soloists, because they are all good.
I only want to write a small tribute to Isaac, because I admire his special versatility and expression. He sings, for example, Stabat Mater in an entirely different way from Hymn To Mary, as it should be with such different songs, but you have to be capable to do it! Basically, his voice is light as a feather, gentle, it is like a smile. The friendliness in his voice is its main feature, in my opinion. But it can also be so haunting, sad and longing. And yet he is still - :wink: - such a rascal. He reminds me of Tom Cully: rascal, too, and both pert and fooling around, but at the same time both of them take the music so seriously, with all their devotion and are capable of deeply felt interpretations; they are both very musical. That touches me a lot. I have a great weakness for this combination.
Here, Isaac convinces me without any restriction. He can be very satisfied with his treble life. He made the most of his voice.


Title "Hope"
It certainly hits the nerve of the times, and there are definitely a whole series of songs on the CD that will put the theme into practice. Therefore, the title is fully justified. In my opinion, not each individual song of a CD has to subordinate to its title. But even in Three Ravens something positive can be found, if you want (friendship, faithfulness)..


Cover
The DVD/C and the international CD cover illustrate the title "Hope" in a completely different way. The softer Japanese version, somewhat dreamy due to the pastel colour, is the one I like better, also because of the more hidden symbolism. The rising seeds express hope for life, new beginning, and everything aims at one higher goal there. The other cover is completely different, sharper and more direct: a boat with three persons (numeric symbolism, trinity) drives through the stormy sea to a great light, everything in this picture also aims upwards. The journey of life in a suitable Christian way. And its colours are so reserved, not to say: boring, that it does not distract you from the statement. And that is good.


Booklet (CD/DVD version)
Finally, a lot of criticism! :evil: :mrgreen: At first the positive: The lyrics are contained. This is normal, but it should remain that way, so I mention it. But carelessly made. I don’t care for typing errors, but I don’t like the disunity of presenting the lyrics. The selective, partly incorrect translation of the Latin. In addition, I would have wished for a transcription of the Japanese verses of Jupiter.
All this is not really important. However, the following is: Why they didn’t list all singers who were involved, but only the current line-up? Also, the accompanying soloists, I say that again with all emphasis, always deserve to be mentioned. In fact, this has improved with his booklet: Alessandro and Alex M. appear at Smile and Three Ravens. Good! And right! But who is the complementary voice to Thomas Delgado-Little? And, the everlasting question, who are the singers of the vocalises?
An indication of the year of recording each song would also have been an interesting info.
Concerning the "user friendliness"; I find the “here and there” annoying. All relevant information like title, composer, writer, arranger, soloist are distributed over the back of the CD and the booklet, they are all provided, but you never have it all at a glance. I’m permanently scrolling back and forth in search of the details, and this bugs me.


Happy ending
A completely successful CD full of fantastic music! The selection of songs is excellent - a CD that is balanced in every respect: in style, in dynamics, in solos, etc. Mystical Libera songs, classical, folk etc., all united – I find it great!

My favourite songs are (in alphabetical order, as I can’t pick a top one):
Angele Dei, Benedictus Deus, Hymn To Mary, Stabat Mater, Three Ravens

And what about the other Libera songs now? It’s quite clear: Not a single song has lost its previous place. Voca Me has remained my favourite song of all. Still, nothing can compete with this very song. For me, it stays unique. Otherwise, only a few shifts have taken place, because "Hope" fortunately, has added a number of new favourites. In fact, I listened to "Hope" for a few days exclusively, but soon, I felt a very strong desire for listening also to the other songs again. At the moment, I listen to "Hope" predominantly, but not only.

With this album, Robert Prizeman and the choir have developed further and have remained true to themselves at the same time. In my opinion, this is the best thing that could have happened to us. I am very happy with this CD.

Rejoice, I have finished. And now I'm going on a long, long holiday (how nice that would be ...) to read everything, from the speculations about the second teaser up to the most recent review. I'm enormously curious and really looking forward to find out all about your discoveries! Something that feels very nice to me is the thought that we all listen to the same CD most of the time in these weeks and how much we all enjoy it. This is also a sense of togetherness which I appreciate very much.
Last edited by filiarheni on Sat Jun 17, 2017 2:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"But in the dark and cold of things there always, always something sings"
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john45
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Re: New album is called Hope

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Wow! What a marvelous review. Well worth waiting for and a huge pleasure to read. Thank you.
andmar
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by andmar »

@filiarheni
Thank you so much for your amazing review. It was definitely worth waiting for! In many cases you express thoughts and emotions which also are very close to mine, even though subconsciously. It was a great pleasure to read your review. :D :D Writing it must have been a huge amount of work and time, which you devoted. I appreciate it very much. Thanks a lot.

BTW, the review wasn't too long. Not at all. :D :D
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Surpinto
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Re: New album is called Hope

Post by Surpinto »

What a complete and unrivaled review by filiarheni! This was a joy to read as all the analysis you provided on every song made me hear the music through your ears.

I cannot even begin to comment on any of the things that you have written because your review is so thorough. Thank you for writing this. It was a joy to read.
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