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Very nice blending of boychoir voices and contemporary style

Balto Reader | Baltimore, MD United States | 10/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a long-time fan of the boychoir tradition (helped along by having two sons in a boys' choir), I was a little dubious about the idea of bringing in synths, electronic beats, and extensive studio production. I shouldn't have been... the result sounds GREAT. Some of the cuts remind me of Enya, others like Enigma. It's very well produced, and the treble voices work quite well in this context.At least one cut is fully consistent with cathedral boychoir music - the 2nd cut, "Sanctus", done with a minimum of synth. The singing on Sanctus is so beautifully etherial that it brings a tear to your eye; the lead singer on the piece (Liam O'Kane, I think his name is) has a fantastic high treble voice that will haunt your brain long after you finish listening.Some of the cuts don't work as well as the others, and I find myself hitting the "skip" button, hence 4 stars instead of 5. But overall a good bet for boychoir fans, New Age fans, or anyone else who wants to hear some of the finest unchanged boys' voices in the world. If you haven't experienced the unique quality of boy singers, you're in for a treat. (Now if we could only get Billy Gilman to do this kind of music instead of Country...)"

Sweet and Refreshing

Terry H. Slade | Albuquerque, New Mexico USA | 05/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have close to 500 albums, CDs and cassette tapes in my collection of choral music. I have King's College Choir, Vienna Boys Choir, American Boy Choir, and so on. Of all those albums, there are a few that I consider my very favorites. They include Hymn and Trumpets Sound and Voices Ring by the American Boy Choir, Agnus Dei by the New College Choir in Oxford, Requem by Boys Air Choir, and now Libera by Libera.This album presents a very different and refreshing "New Age" sound similar to albums by Enya. The compositions and arrangements on this album, by Robert Prizeman, are stark, lush, exquisite jewels of sound and rhythm that do not follow the "traditional" boy choir sounds of anthems, hymns, folk songs and so-forth. The boys' singing adds a feel of bold innocence as the young voices mix with the instruments in a joyous combination of vocal accuracy, expression, freedom, and a sound that can only come from well-trained boys' voices. I am especially touched by the use of the boys' high registers and crystal-clear high notes, a sound so pure and sweet that only boys can produce.There are only two bad things I can say about this CD: First, it's not long enough. I would like to hear more of this luscious sound; and second, the CD insert says nothing about the choir, its director or composer, or its soloists Liam O'Kane, Adam Harris, Steven Geraghty, and Alex Baron. I especially would like to know when we can look forward to another CD....If you like the sound of boy choirs, then I highly recommend this CD."

Excellent! I have bought several copies to give to friends!

Balto Reader | 03/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The real delight in this splendid recording lies in the first-class singing by the lads from St. Philips in London town. The vocal sound is clear and warm, of the kind that talented boys rigorously trained in the English choral tradition can create. Buy this album for the singing, then enjoy its several benefits. In a dimension beyond that of their Angel Voices releases, this is an album in the truest sense: an original, highly accessible masterwork in twelve movements by Robert Prizeman, with nods to Paschelbel and Tallis in two of them. The New Age synthesizer score complements and showcases the chorister's voices to fine dramatic effect. The piece is an astonishingly successful meld of old and postmodern, of Latin and English text, of centuries-old choral practice and electronic instrumention. This recording sounds great. It is superbly mixed and very well engineered. Hats off to everyone who had a role in making it, with an especially hearty "Well done!" to Mr. Prizeman and soloists Liam O'Kane, Adam Harris, Steven Geraghty, and Alex Baron."