Libera: Singapore Concert 2012 #2

It took awhile to decide whether I should blog on the Singapore concert. You see, I have not decided how my writing should be positioned given the myriad of excellent fan blogs in the blogosphere. How about blogging on the weather, I thought. After all, a gentleman from the United States has been faithfully tweeting about the gusty winds and rain in Norbury. But given the fabulous job he is doing, my posts would be deemed irrelevant if I wrote about the cloudy skies in South London.

A dearth of creativity was also an obstacle, even when choosing blog names and addresses. Some of the best and finest fan blogs in the blogosphere make reference to individual boys in their blog names. So I considered several options: dearmichaelustynovychrepa.wordpress.com, hellocassius.wordpress.com (with no intentional reference to the Japanese cartoon cat who has no mouth), among many others. Thankfully, whitelibera.wordpress.com was conceived as a result of the creativity of the other administrator of this blog.

But I digress (since this blog has already been set up). I am supposed to write a review on the concert in Singapore. To begin with, I’ve been to Wiener Sangerknaben’s concerts for the past two years, and I respect their dedication to their music. Their technique is almost perfect. But after two years, their performances became “tired”, in my opinion, and I attribute this to a lack of accompaniment and the lack of projection of their voices through the audio system. I craved something a little more engaging, and my call was answered on 5^th December 2011, when Libera announced its Spring Tour to Singapore.

Fast forward to 6^th April 2012. I stepped into the Esplanade Theatre greeted by percussion sets and a stage of blue hues, which gave a mystical feel. It was refreshing. Prior to the concert, part of the set list and the list of boys who were on tour were leaked, but surprises abounded. What was Isaac’s solo? How would Libera sound without a back row? Was “Grateful Heart” a misprint of “Faithful Heart”? But all these questions were put to rest when Cassius made the announcement to request that the audience switched off their mobile phones, and no filming and photography was allowed (Jude did say “recorders” were allowed, didn’t he? ;)).

The set list was a mix of old and new pieces, and included some of my favourites like “Far Away” and “Sanctus”. The musical genius in Robert Prizeman (who has yet to decide between the piano and keyboard) unearthed some of the choir’s “historical treasures” in “Dies Irae” and “Grateful Heart”. Stefan Leadbeater did a great job on “Grateful Heart”, as he did in several other solo portions. The performance, however, also showed that Stefan, at 14, could well be performing at one of his last concerts as a treble. It would certainly be a loss for Libera, but I’m certain Stefan has a bright future ahead, no less.

The concert also unveiled new and/or budding soloists – Matthew Jansen, Ciaran Bradbury Hickey, Isaac London, and Eoghan McCarthy, with “I Vow To Thee My Country”, “Dies Irae”, “Far Away” and “Glory To Thee” respectively. It was a credible effort by each of the soloists. Some of the songs were pioneered by some of Libera’s…well…pioneers. Think Michael Horncastle, Steven Geraghty, Tom Cully. The younger ones looked unfazed at the prospect of filling the shoes of their predecessors, and their confidence was admirable. In all honesty though, it would take an extraordinary performance to rewrite the legacy of the Libera greats. Still, given their youth, Robert has plenty of time to continue to mould the current generation into legends.

Special mention to Ralph Skan for his solo parts as well, and to Matthew Rangel-Alvares, whose pitch if I tried to match would crack my vocal chords! But Libera isn’t all about being pitch-perfect. It is the informality and the little imperfections that make them who they are. The little missteps (literally), the sudden standstill when the lights go on unexpectedly, the yawns – they give life to the performance, juxtaposed to the usually rigid, staid classical genre which demands perfection. Due credit should also be given to the level of interactivity with the fans. Kavana Crossley is a public relations whizz in his own right, and the mid-concert speeches allow the audience insights into the choir. Each member also attempted to mingle with the fans during the M&G, with Barney Lindsell even saying “You were sitting in the front row, weren’t you? I saw you!” Excellent PR, I say!

To put things in perspective, the concert in Singapore was a wonderful experience. Having always wondered how Libera sounded ‘live’, it was an excellent opportunity to experience it for the first time on home ground. The musical perfectionist might pinpoint at the occasional intonation inaccuracies, but for me, I appreciated the whole package, the lights, the percussions, the ambience, and the music. An acquaintance who had been to the Epsom concert told me the Singapore concert lacked the finesse of the Epsom concert, and perhaps the superior acoustics of a cathedral venue. Having been to fewer concerts, I am unable to give relative judgment. But what I’m assuredly certain of is, if Libera returns to Singapore next year, I’ll be there. And, with divine intervention, the next concert I attend will be held in a grandiose cathedral. 😉

Signing off,

Nobita