Libera Dreams

Hey Kjackson, thanks for the reply! I guess I'll probably going, after I manage to convince some of my friends into it! Ha!

I tried to search on youtube trying to find some of the songs that might have performed in recent years, just to get a feel of what I might expect to hear when they come to Singapore, but I can't really find any videos of them in concerts. I'm not really a musical person, or have much knowledge in classical music, could you explain a little about the music by Mendelssohn and the Bach motets?

Also, Manolo Cagnin, who is current conductor of the Vienna Boy's (Brucknerchor) Choir, was an assistant artistic director to Georg Biller in Leipzig and conducted the choir on several occasions.

Wow. Cool. Compared to the Vienna Boys' Choir, does Thomanerchor Leipzig varies too much to them? As in do they sort of sing the same style/kind of music? The titles of the classical pieces are just so weird/complicated and I don't really understand or anything! Haha.

xsakurax wrote:Hey Kjackson, thanks for the reply! I guess I'll probably going, after I manage to convince some of my friends into it! Ha!

I tried to search on youtube trying to find some of the songs that might have performed in recent years, just to get a feel of what I might expect to hear when they come to Singapore, but I can't really find any videos of them in concerts. I'm not really a musical person, or have much knowledge in classical music, could you explain a little about the music by Mendelssohn and the Bach motets?

There aren't many Thomaner videos on YT, but if you have access to iTunes, a few of their CDs are available there...also, the only videos I have posted via my own YT account are extracts from the Thomanerchor's 2000 performance of the Mass in B minor at the Thomaskirche.

A motet is, broadly, a meditative text set to music for solo voices: so basically a prayer or a series of extracts from the Scripture, &c. I'm not familiar with Felix Mendelssohn's motets, although his music is widely admired and it is appropriate that he be paired with Bach, since Mendelssohn, more than anyone else, worked to revive Bach's reputation in the 19th century.

The Bach motets are HARD: I have a copy of the printed music and they're all but impossible for most choirs. For avid Libera fans, Der Geist will be a radical departure from what you may be used to hearing from a treble choir. Komm, Jesu, komm uses a very early form of 'stereophonics,' as the choir will be split in half (maybe even physically, on the stage) to allow them to call back and forth to each other. Der Geist is rather long, compared to the others...

The greatest of the motets, unfortunately, won't be on display when the Thomaners come to Singapore: Jesu, Meine Freude and Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied...you might try putting the piece names into YT for performances of the works by other ensembles...I have several in my YT favourites.

xsakurax wrote:Wow. Cool. Compared to the Vienna Boys' Choir, does Thomanerchor Leipzig varies too much to them? As in do they sort of sing the same style/kind of music? The titles of the classical pieces are just so weird/complicated and I don't really understand or anything! Haha.

The Thomanerchor is much more mainline classical--it specialises in Baroque music in general (and Bach specifically, of course)...their recording of the Mozart Requiem was just released a few months ago. Thomaskantor Biller is also interested in some modern music, which has varied their repertoire somewhat...so they're not exactly like the Weiner Sangerknaben, but very generally in the same vein...

Jude Andrew wrote:Also, Manolo Cagnin, who is current conductor of the Vienna Boy's (Brucknerchor) Choir, was an assistant artistic director to Georg Biller in Leipzig and conducted the choir on several occasions.

Really? I did not know that...for the St Thomas Church itself? Biller collaborates a great deal with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, as well...

@xsakurax:

Here's some useful links:

* Gute Nacht, from the motet Jesu, Meine Freude, given by the Tolzer Knabenchor--very similar to the Thomanerchor:
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* Furchte dich nicht, given by the Dresdner Kreuzchor (again, similar to the Thomanerchor)...this is one of the pieces you'll hear in March:
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* Komm, Jesu, Komm, given by the Westminster Cathedral Choir while in Chicago...the doppelchor (double choir) setup isn't very obvious here because the space is so freakin' huge and the camera audio rather poor, but this is a really powerful piece, especially live:
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I do hope you get to go!

Hey, Kjackson! Thank you for the explanations, now I think I got a clearer and better picture! Thanks alot!

*nudge

found this kid on youtube. I absolutely love this song and finally, America has talent.
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tcliffy wrote:found this kid on youtube. I absolutely love this song and finally, America has talent.
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wow, great song and if I can quote one of the comments on that video "Dude you have great pipes bro..Keep it up!" great pipes indeed !!

Well I like the Vienna Boys' Choir, but mostly their older albums from around the 1980s-1990s. Most of my albums come from that time period when Max Emanuel Cencic (sp?) was a member. The King's College Choir is also good, as well as John Rutter's Cambridge Singers. I went to a performance given by the Minnesota Boychoir once and really enjoyed it as well!

Agreeing with most of the previous comments regarding Billy Gilman, I too liked his voice better before it changed. I was amazed at the control he had at such a young age--such a strong voice. Regardless of that, I do have his newer albums as well.

I like Michael Bannett too. I don't have any of his albums right now but I have listened to some clips. I especially like the songs on his "Journey through the British Isles" album--the last he recorded before his voice change, I believe.

Troye Sivan, who was in the X Men Origins movie, also has a good voice. I found him on Youtube. I think he's around 13, so I look forward to seeing what he does after his voice also changes.

plumpuff6 wrote:I especially like the songs on his "Journey through the British Isles" album--the last he recorded before his voice change, I believe.

What's that? Sounds interesting...

kjackson83 wrote:

plumpuff6 wrote:I especially like the songs on his "Journey through the British Isles" album--the last he recorded before his voice change, I believe.

What's that? Sounds interesting...

Here is a link to Michael B's website: http://www.michaelbannett.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can listen to clips from his albums. =D

tcliffy wrote:found this kid on youtube. I absolutely love this song and finally, America has talent.
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Yay, great song!

plumpuff6 wrote:Troye Sivan, who was in the X Men Origins movie, also has a good voice. I found him on Youtube. I think he's around 13, so I look forward to seeing what he does after his voice also changes.

I have an autographed cd from him. He's absolutely incredible.