Their music lifts the soul

Libera, the chart-topping boys choir from London known around the world for the angelic voices and beautiful renditions of classical songs, is coming back to Manila in October. Libera’s albums have topped both mainstream and classical charts in many countries.

The boys who make up the South London-based vocal band Libera have been described as “normal” and “ordinary.” And with the shimmering, mystical chords and ecstatic harmonies they make, their sound is described as one that “lifts the soul.” Their distinctive flowing white robes symbolize the traditional origins of their style — yet their music reaches across the generations to a new mainstream audience.

Libera, which means “free,” crosses many musical boundaries. With original repertoire, innovative textures and inventive arrangements, the group brings an imaginative new perspective to the landscape of vocal music.

The core of the sound is built around the voices of the young singers — their clarity, enthusiasm and excitement, the haunting yet vibrant sound of the treble voice that has long been a feature of choral music, particularly in the church.

The inspiration for Libera sprang from the ancient music of the cathedrals and monasteries — from the earliest form of choral music — plainsong.  The boys’ robes retain a visual continuation of that history and closely copy what the boy monks then, wore when they sang and were schooled in medieval monasteries. Libera mixes the traditional chants with contemporary instrumentation and arrangement. Songs like Salva me and Libera reflect the shapes and mood of the old plainchant while combining it with new lyrics and harmonies.  The song Libera was the first to be written for the group — it uses a single line of plainsong with many overlapping tunes and harmony, which encompass the full range of the boys’ voices.

Some songs are arrangements of well-known classical works. The famous Canon by Pachelbel, for instance, provides the basis for Sanctus and an opportunity for some of the highest treble notes.

The lyrics of Libera songs, many of which are sung in Latin, are frequently drawn from a variety of contemplative and inspirational sources, both ancient and modern, including the Mass, Requiem Mass, Stabat Mater and the Psalms.

Libera is well-known to British audiences through TV appearances and staged concerts at venues like the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the Grassington Festival, Abbey Road Studios and Arundel Cathedral. Recent appearances have included the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the National Concert Hall in Dublin and at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Belfast.

The boys are regularly heard on Classic FM, and last Christmas scored the top classical song download on iTunes. Libera regularly sings at events and services in cathedrals and churches like Buckfast Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.

In the US and Canada, Libera is known through concert tours and TV appearances. The boys of Libera had their debut at the Kennedy Center Honors, where they performed in a hall full of celebrities — including Robert de Niro, Cameron Diaz, Diana Ross and Steve Martin. The boys were privileged to close the Kennedy Center Honors with a moving tribute to honoree Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. This was followed by Libera’s participation in the Papal Mass at the climax of Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the US. Performing to a capacity congregation of 65,000 at New York’s Yankee Stadium, Libera was the only British artist to take part in this historical event.

In Asia, the sounds of Libera are frequently heard in mainstream TV and radio programs and its CDs ride high in the classical and pop charts of countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. The boys have sung the music for several feature films and television programs. The most recent tour packed the major concert venue in Seoul and the boys were feted by thousands of enthusiastic fans who queued for hours to meet them and collect autographs.

This year, the boys join in the festivities for the Philippine-UK Friendship Week. Presented by Smart, Shell and Philippine Veterans Bank, the boys from London will grace the stages of the Philippines for their Manila concert on Oct. 29 at the PICC Plenary Hall. As part of the first-anniversary celebration of the canonization of the Visayan martyr St. Pedro Calungsod, the Cebu concert, in partnership with Arts Council Cebu, will happen on Oct. 31 in the chapel of San Pedro Calungsod located in SM Seaside Complex, South Road Properties.

In 2009 and 2011, the boys from London impressed the Filipino audience by giving a moving performance of Bayan Ko, which was so beautiful that the crowd obligingly gave them 10 rounds of applause during the performance. For the third Philippine concert, Libera will include another heart-stopping performance of the crowd favorite Bayan Ko, songs from their entrancing repertoire such as Orinoco Flow, Angel From On High, Sanctus and the favorite Christmas songs such as Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, Joy To The World, In Dulci Jubilo and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

For tickets, contact TicketWorld at 891-9999 or log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph.Ticket prices range from P7,000 to P4,000 for VIP, P3,000 to P2,000 for Orchestra, and P1,500 to P800 for Balcony. For Cebu ticket inquiries, contact Arts Council Cebu at (032) 233-0452 or (+63 917) 328-7917 or inquire online [email protected] or[email protected]. For online ticket sales, go to www.ticketworld.com.ph.