Speculations about the Japan tour 2018 songs

[fan_de_LoK]

The forum is a bit quiet these days.
It will change in one week of time with the opening of the Japanese Fan club.
While waiting, why not speculate about something, as we are used to ?


I looked to the 'Beyond' tracks list and I wonder which of the songs will be sung on stage in the coming Japan tour, in less than 6 weeks.

The track list in alphabetical order is this, including the DVD songs :
- Ave Maria (Caccini)
- Ave Maria (RP)
- Benedictus Deus
- Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
- For the Future
- In Paradisum
- Lacrymosa
- Mother of God
- Salve Regina
- Sanctus
- The Prayer
- Voca Me


I guess the chances for these songs to be sung on stage is :
- 100% : Ave Maria (RP), For the Future, In Paradisum, Sanctus, The Prayer, Voca Me
- 50% : Lacrymosa
- 5% : Ave Maria (Caccini), Benedictus Deus, Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep, Mother of God, Salve Regina


Easy guess for the 6 firsts, it is just obvious.
'For the Future' will most probably have its première reserved for Japan.
I mean, although the concert in Westminster Cathedral and the Japan tour will likely share quite the same songs, the new song fully in Japanese can be sung only but in Japan for the first time.

There is a precedent : the song 'Angel' had its première reserved for Japan, it was first sung at the USJ Park in Osaka in the 2015 Summer, and was not sung in UK Christchurch and Exeter despite these concerts being just one week before the Japan tour.


For 'Lacrymosa' I'm not sure. The song was not sung recently but they made a video of it and put it on the DVD that comes with the Japanese edition of 'Beyond', so I guess it might be in the set list.


I don't think the last 5 songs will be sung on stage, although I'd love them to be.
There is already the 'Ave Maria' RP version sung in concert. Do you think Robert may choose to replace it by the Caccini version ? Or to have both Ave Maria sung during the same concert ? It seems unlikely to me.

what are your predictions for the "'Beyond's' songs?

[maartendas]

I share your predictions about the 100% and 50% chances. Personally I very much hope they will sing Do Not Stand in Tokyo. Fingers crossed!

In addition: I wouldn't mind another chance of hearing Stay With Me with Oliver and Wayfaring Stranger with Alex

[fan_de_LoK]

Personally I very much hope they will sing Do Not Stand in Tokyo.

It would be nice but I'm not counting on it too much, the song is rarely performed in concerts.

I dug into history :
- it was on tour in Spring 2007 (ed Day, Tom Cully)
- five years later at the Spring 2012 tour (Ralph)
- And again five years later, only once, at Westminster Cathedral 2017 (Gabriel), as we all remember.

The two last time it was sung it was on special circumstances, the last concert with solos of Ralph at Arundel 2012, the last concert of Alessandro and Isaac at Westminster and quite the last solo of Gabriel.
So it is not an everyday song

There is quite a good possibility that the version of Do Not Stand At My Grave on the Beyond CD is performed by Gabriel, as it could have been recorded in late 2017. It would decrease even more the chances to have another boy already put in charge of this special song so early.

[Surpinto]

I think your guesses are fairly accurate. But I would quibble with "For the Future" at 100%. I would put it instead at 95% On the surface it would seem to be logical that this Japanese language song must be debuted in Japan, but we do not know anything about the song or whether they would want to sing it live -- maybe it requires a soloist no longer in the choir. I checked and as far as I know "Home" was never performed live in Japan even though the music was writtenby Japanese composer Mr. Muramatsu with whom Libera has collaborated before.

They make strange decisions sometimes that seem to defy logic. For example, "Salve Regina" was not only the leading track on Hope but was also deemed important enough for a music video, yet it has never been sung live. In the case of that song I assume it was due to it's length being deemed unsuitable for a live performance. But for that reason and so many others I never assume anything 100% with Libera.

At the same time they will want an encore or regular set-list song exclusive to Japan like "For the Future" which is why I lower your number from 100% by a mere 5%.

As for "Lacrymosa" I would say that it has a low probability. According to the relevant Libera Passion page they haven't sung Lacrymosa since 2008 and I would wonder why they wouldn't get the practice on it in Ely or on their US tour as it is not the easier song to sing.

My own guesses are that the set list will be similar to Ely/US with some changes:


Ave Maria (Caccini)
Very unlikely

Ave Maria (RP)
Very likely

Benedictus Deus
Very unlikely

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
Very unlikely

For the Future
Likely

In Paradisum
Almost certain

Lacrymosa
Not likely

Mother of God
Not likely

Salve Regina
Very unlikely

Sanctus
No doubt

The Prayer
Almost certain

Voca Me
Very likely

[dani]

I still have hope that Benedictus will be sung as there has to be a reason why it has made the last two albums. It makes no sense to give it to a new soloist and then not to perform it live. Also the powers that be must known that everybody is desperate to hear this song in a live setting.


These concerts seem to be a launch for the album so we know 5/6 songs already as they have been sung in recent concerts. So I can definitely see a few other songs being performed so my bet is on Lacrymosa, Benedictus and For the Future.

I have zero hope for this but I hope that Ava Maria Robert version is dropped and we get the solo version. But I doubt this will happen.