Thanks very much to all who have answered so far. I enjoy reading it all and hope that some more will feel inspired to tell us their thoughts and views. Actually, I'm fascinated about the variety in views we have on the music, while we all conform with each other in our love for Libera.
My personal choices at the moment are:
a)
Salva me
That stays. "Libera in one song" for me has always been this one. And although I know many more songs now after two years, it's still
Salva me that unites everything what I consider as characteristic of the Libera style:
- mystic sound
- vocalises (not pure here, but the vocalise-like "salva"s come close enough, so it's good)
- Latin and English lyrics mix
- calm beginning, then developing a radiating sound (I called it "flourishingly developing" once; is that understandable or can someone help with a better expression?)
- and it's Robert's own composition
In addition, I believe that this song is quite universal in its appeal and so probably matches the taste of a heterogeneous audience.
@Surpinto
I was so surprised to find my own choice directly in the first answer to my question
- and yet, on the other hand, how could it surprise me, when I indeed think that it's this very song that stands best for all what Libera is! Because I find that there are quite objective criteria to label it like that.
Choosing
Salva me is undisputed. The only song, which I ever started to think about for 25 seconds, was
Angele Dei, as it also is an own composition, mystic, bilingual and has that huge development in sound. But it couldn't rival
Salva me, as it lacks the vocalises, and these are a hard criterion - they are so very typical.
b) Me too, I had by far more difficulty in determining a set of songs for b). I did spend time on it - never knew it would be so hard to answer my own question.
Although I have practical experience from my beginning ... but now I know so many more songs.
You are right, Surpinto, in your systematic approach to first define categories and then choose one song out of each of them. What differs for me is the number of them. I am not able to keep it at 5 songs, as I find Libera to cover more categories, and I also would want to have not only the different musical styles represented, but also some other criteria, s. below.
All this made it hard for me and it resulted in many songs, but that only speaks in favour of Libera, doesn't it? You just cannot press them into a drawer, they cover a
huge musical territory! And that makes me very contented again!
What criteria would I take into account?
- Typically Libera songs in full, see a)
- Composition by Robert
- Modern style
- Adaption of classical music
- Simple song form / hymn
- Folk
- Classical original
- Opus-like, "big" song
- Mystic
- Festive
- Cheerful/faster song (since the majority is slow)
- Reduced, non-full-choir song
- Outstanding soloist
- Extremely unique song, I don't know how to describe that (here I'd need all songs, because they are so different ... naturally)
- Songs probably known to people
- Songs that are so important for me personally or I find so very brilliant or so extremely touching that I couldn't relinquish them
Of course, there's plenty of overlapping here!
And so, here is my reply to b) with the main reasons why I'd choose them in brackets:
- Salva me (1, 2)
- Voca me (9, 14, 16)
- Mysterium (9, 14)
- How Shall I Sing That Majesty (10, 13)
- Time (3, 16)
- Mother of God (5)
- Do Not Stand (12, 13, 16)
- Benedictus Deus (8)
- Wayfaring Stranger (or From a Distance) (15)
- Salve Regina (4)
- Three Ravens (14)
- Ave Maria (Vavilov/Caccini) (7, 16)
- Adoramus (11)
- Exsultate (6)
- Angele Dei (16)
As I can't deny the very high number of songs, I would hope to prevent overstraining the listeners by getting them hooked song by song I have presented to them.
But if I go back to just fathom Libera's
range, then I live fine with these 15 - 18 songs.
@andmar, kinda_k00l, also Tully
I very much appreciate your replies. In fact, you didn't exactly match what I wanted to know, which probably my wording is to blame for. However, your answers open up my questions to a wider field to talk about,and that is what I'm very grateful for!
andmar wrote: ↑<span title="Fri Feb 09, 2018 11:01 pm">6 years ago</span>
Let me assume, that I want to do some advertisement to arouse interest for Libera. Would I pick a song which just covers a wide musical range of Libera? Probably not. Especially when the musical taste of the listener is not known I would pick rather a catchy song with a nice melody and lots of harmonies, quite easy to listen, not necessarily containing many of the musical elements present in a variety of Libera songs.
This I see completely differently. Trying to evoke interest for Libera, for me the highest priority would be to show the other person why Libera is so unique, and therefore I definitely would choose a very Libera-esque song, which is not exchangeable with any other choir/music.
@kinda_k00l, first of all, I find the differing in naming categories totally interesting again. I wouldn't have put
Wayfaring Stranger into the hymn category, although I now must admit that you're right somehow ... but when I think of that arrangement, I would take it away from there.
And just say to my addressee: You sure know this song, but look what marvellous interpretation Libera made out of it!
kinda_k00l wrote: ↑<span title="Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:52 pm">6 years ago</span>
a) Well, I'm thinking of something that can make people's mouths drop, but at the same time not too flashy because I always think that they should dig those songs up themselves after they've become a fan - the impact of the songs would be stronger that way. So I'd agree that 'Sanctus' or 'Angel' is a safe choice. I cannot choose between the two for now, so I'll decide which one for each person based on the feeling I have when I talk to them. In fact, my case is pretty much like andmar - I did introduce 'Angel' to my friends and all of them like it, not all of them became Libera fans, but all of them enjoyed that particular song. (At first, I thought of 'Benedictus Deus' but that one is just too strong and too complicated, and I also don't know their music preference, so it is not as safe.)
Ok, now I'll have to ask you, andmar and Tully to please answer again: My question is not about creating a new fan, but to show who Libera is, what makes them unique in your eyes? Maybe it's easiest to just think with regard to yourself (leave other people apart):
a) Which is, in your opinion, the song that contains most of the Libera features YOU consider as typically Libera?
b) How many and which songs represent the whole Libera style range for
you?