Angelic voices, but what about the music?
The voices of the Libera boy's choir from Great Britain are superb indeed, flying like larks; the "Do not stand at my grave" is worth all the stars available. But the arrangement of many songs are flooded with a rather sticky New Age bathos, as is the art direction of the concert. The Pieterskerk in Leyden, The Netherlands, is a beautiful church in its own right, but the use of new age disco lighting will not be to everybody's taste, as well as some of the "choreographies" the choir has to perform when singing.

I really would like to hear this excellent choir attack the great choral traditions of the ages, from Tallis and Allegri to Rachmaninov and Pärt, and it will be memorable... if they can tone down an all too familiar "americanization" of arrangement and performance.

So what do I know?
You know the feeling. You think you know all there is to know about a subject, then something comes along and hits you in the face to show that you actually know nothing at all. So it was for me when I purchased this DVD. I have been a Libera fan for many years and I have every one of their previous albums dating back to their 'St Philips Choir' days. I have met Robert and the boys on a number of occasions and would sit smugly in the knowledge that I knew everything there was to know about this amazing group of boys. Then all that was shattered when this DVD arrived. I realised that I knew precious little about what happens in their live concerts. Not that it was my fault, of course. To attend one of their gigs usually involves purchasing a plane ticket to the Far East and my funds do not run to that. Frustratingly, their infrequent UK concerts seem to be carefully planned so that they fall on an evening when I am at work. So to see them perform live on this DVD was a rare experience for me...and a mind-blowing experience at that. Fortunately, a previous reviewer has taken the trouble to give a song-by-song account of this concert and I can only agree with his findings. Most intriguing of all for me was the bonus track in which the boys are interviewed, reminding us that they are, after all, perfectly ordinary kids. What is far from ordinary, however, is the performance. Having been in the music business myself, I can tell you that the professionalism and polish demonstrated here can only be achieved after many hours of hard work, blood, sweat and occasionally tears. If you think you know Libera, think again. This DVD adds another dimension. You don't just watch it, you experience it...you become part of it. You feel as though you know each of the boys personally and they are singing purely for YOUR upliftment, YOUR everlasting pleasure. Listen to this DVD and you will, I guarantee, be a different person at the end. The final song, 'I Am The Day' - for me their best song ever - is performed superbly. The orchestra augments the synthesiser backing track to provide a fantastic finale and the applause and the standing ovation from the Dutch audience speaks volumes. So what are you waiting for? Buy this magnificent live DVD and try to watch it without a box of Kleenex to hand. Go on, I dare you...

Worth waiting for
I've bought all the Libera's albums on CD, and also their 3 albums under their earlier title of 'Angel Voices'. I've also managed to copy their videos from Classic.FM.TV, so was overjoyed when they finally released a DVD concert.
It arrived on Tuesday - but I delayed watching it untill Saturday, afraid I would be disapointed, which would spoil their music for me (in fact I watched it three times on the trot)...I didn't need to worry. They were great - they transfered their hormanies to the stage well,

1hr 14mins of transcendant splendour!!
This live concert DVD by the Angel Voices of Libera should be high at the top of everyone's wish list.

From tradition well known favourite hymns such as `I Vow to Thee', `Abide with Me' and `Ave Maria' too upbeat, momentum gathering songs like `Libera' and `I Am The Day' with their rousing top note finale's - all aspects of Libera's young precocious harmonies are showcased on this very professionally produced DVD filmed in a superb setting. `Sanctus' will blow you away, `Going Home' will leave you speechless, `Prayer' and `Do Not Stand at My Grave' will leave a lump in your throat. The various speeches by some of the boys will leave a smile on your face, and the wonderful `Libera - In Their Own Words' interviews will provide you with insightful behind the scenes footage of just how this transformation from ordinary schoolboys to white robed heavenly angels is achieved.

This is a must have DVD for anyone's collection - not just for Libera fans, but for fans of beautiful uplifting music of the very highest calibre.


DVD REVIEW - AMAZING PRODUCTION
I am just completely amazed by how good the DVD is! The production company did a brilliant job with both the sound and picture. The DVD consists of 15 songs!

First impressions: The Review -

Adoramus - As an introduction the song was great. There was good camera work with nicely mixed shots of the orchestra and the boys.

Going Home - Josh sings it like he always does, with a smile that
shows you how much he is enjoying himself!

Far Away - Tom gives us his version of this song. He hits all the top notes in his usual style and captures the mood of the song when it was sung by Michael. Brilliant job !!

Prayer - Tom and Ed work well together. Nice lighting and camera shots at the end of the song.

Libera - Liam gets it spot on!

Sanctus - Perhaps the best song on the DVD with a tremendous opening shot from the chandelier.

Salva Me - A great solo by Joe. One to watch out for in the future!

Lacrymosa - The lighting as with all Libera Concerts complements the song very well. Mini-Ben is stands out and is fantastic.

Abide with Me - A captivating song with solo parts from Ed. The camera catches some great close-ups of Ed.

I Vow to Thee my Country - This song was very well done with a nice instrumental introduction by Fiona. Again the camera catches some great shots of all the boys in this song.

Stay with Me - Ed looks straight at the camera at the beginning of this song! A great shot of his face! Nice shots from behind the boys.

Do Not Stand at my Grave - The lighting was very impressive for this song. It was dark enough to create some great effects. There are some amazing close-up shots of Tom. Both Ed and Tom sing well together. Watch Tom's face once he has finished the song!

I Am the Day - My favourite song and perhaps a good one to end the concert.

There are no encores on the DVD as is usual at Libera Concerts, but you can always restart the DVD! Majestic high notes at the end. Just brilliant!

The interview feature is a nice bonus, as is the inclusion of the extra tracks recorded for US television. I won't talk about the interview because you will want to watch it yourself. A nice touch!!

Great production!! Well done Libera!

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