Libera Interviewed on Classic FM

Cassius, Barney and Kavana were interviewed on Classic FM radio in the UK. It's not on YouTube yet, so to view it click here. To listen to or download the Podcast, click here.

Libera on Moody Radio

Moody Radio interviewed Robert Prizeman, Kavana and Ralph this morning. Thank you to Jimmy Riddle for recording it for us!

http://www.zshare.net/audio/93002405816225e7/

Interviews with Robert Prizeman

Mr. Prizeman did an interview with Salt+Light Radio. You can listen to it here. Thank you to Inna for uploading it to YouTube! He explains that this is the first time Libera has come to Canada because of the cost of touring. But everyone has been so great promoting or sponsoring the concerts.

He and Kavana also did an interview with CBC Radio. You can listen to it here. Hopefully someone will upload it to YouTube also before it gets deleted. Mr. Prizeman says that he started Libera to share their kind of music with others. He says that the youngest ones on tour are age 9, not 8!

Kavana is an excellent speaker. He said he is 12 and has been in the choir for about 5 years. He thanked his school choir teacher for introducing him to Libera. His favorite part of Libera is the harmonies. "It's a hobby, really." His first major appearance was at the papal mass in NYC in 2008. He just missed getting to sing for the US president. Kavana likes Justin Bieber's music but is not a fan, but he loves Glee! lol Great interview! :)

Interview on "Inspirational Breakfast" Radio Show

Wow, these boys sure have been busy during their Christmas vacation! Daniel and Mini James did an interview on a radio show called "Inspirational Breakfast!" The radio show's website says, "Cute choirboys Libera, stars of BBC's 'Last Choir Standing' and dubbed "the ordinary boys who sing like angels", will be providing the seasonal soundtrack." Thank you to Inna for uploading it to YouTube! :)



Daniel and mini James did a really good job! Daniel says the highlight of his time in Libera was appearing on the "Last Choir Standing" TV show. When asked to explain how the choir gets new members, Daniel says, "If someone's really talented in Libera, they would automatically go into the main group. But when you're like 7, (and he says to mini James) like you were to start off with, we trained him up and now he's good." Isn't that so sweet! I love Daniel! :)

Daniel's favorite Peace song is "Lullaby," and mini James' favorite is "When a Knight Won His Spurs." The host asked what's the worst thing Libera ever did that the choir master knew nothing about. They were both pretty quiet. Ha! Are these 2 hiding something? Or are they just really, really good, and he asked the wrong boys that question. lol

I did not know that they sing at St. Philip's but tend to move to different churches maybe every couple of weeks to do different services.

And yes, they do get the gifts that fans give them at M&G's. Daniel says the best presents have been "massive, cuddly bears saying 'Well Done.'" And mini James likes the "loads of letters from everyone."  :)

Now for the big news! They said that coming up in the new year they are GOING ON TOURS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA AND HOPEFULLY CANADA!!!  Could someone please help all the Canadians up off the floor cause they just fainted! lol  Not sure when these concerts would be. Spring? Summer? What does this mean for another USA concert? Maybe they would connect a Canada and USA trip! Can't wait to find out!!! But this makes a LOT of people very happy to hear!  :D

Christmas 2006 Radio Interview

Aled Jones interviewed Libera on his Good Morning Sunday (Christmas special) radio show in December 2006. You can hear the voices of Josh Madine, Liam Connery, Ben Phillip, Ed Day, Tom Cully and Robert Prizeman. I have a hard time telling the difference between all the boys' voices. (I'm sure THEY can tell.) But I'll do my best. This was posted by LibeLA with special thanks to Jimmy Riddle for sharing the audio links.
 

 
 
Aled: Also crowding around the studio are Josh, Liam, Ben, Ed and Tom. Have I got that right?
 
Boys: Yes.
 
Aled: And they are the boys from my favorite boy band, of course, Libera, with their director, Robert Prizeman, hiding in the corner. How are you?
 
Boys: We're good.
 
Aled: Are you tired?
 
Boys: Yes.
 
Aled: You were singing last night in Midnight Mass. How did it go?
 
Boys: Kind of cool, ?, so early in the morning.
 
Aled: And I used to love Midnight Mass for the simple reason that I used to sort of sit there. Just before the bell hit midnight, I used to say to my fellow choristers, "What are you going to get from Father Christmas tomorrow?" And then suddenly the bell would go, "Dong!" And we'd go, "What are you going to get today?" You know it was the latest I was ever up. It just shows how really old-fashioned we were in Ba? Cathedral, I suppose. You've had a fabulous year. You've done all kinds of things. You've got lots of tours lined up in the future as well?
 
Boy:  Yeah, we're going to Japan. We're going to Germany. Places like that.
 
Aled: Fantastic.
 
Boy: Cool places, so cool places.
 
Aled: A week ago I know you were singing at the Albert Hall with Jose Carreras. Now come on, what was that like?
 
Boys: It was well good. He makes a big ending of every song. It's so cool. Everyone was, at the end, banging their seats like that. It was well good.
 
Aled: I think you should pull a few crackers (Christmas poppers with prizes in them). Go on. There you go. Grab a few....I won again.
 
RP: I won at last.
 
Aled: I won a huge paper clip. Does anybody want it?
 
Boys: (happy noises) Ooh, look! What are they called? Marbles!
 
Aled: Don't eat them! Please.
 
RP: Dont' lose them either. (That's a joke that means please don't lose your mind.)  :)
 
Aled: (laughs) No, please don't lose your marbles.
 
Boys: I got a Japanese fan!
 
Aled: See! You've got a Japanese fan for your trip to Japan! It was meant to be.
 
RP: That's extraordinary. What a coincidence that is.
 
Aled: I think you've just knocked out your musical director, but hey-ho! They're two a penny!
 
RP: (laughing)
 
Aled: Any jokes?
 
Josh: What kind of birds can write?
 
Aled: I don't know. What kind of bird can write?
 
Josh: A PENguin.
 
Aled: Oh dear.
 
Tom: (not sure what he says)
 
Aled: They really are. Any more?
 
Liam: Why didn't the skeleton go to the New Year's Eve party?...He had no BODY to go with.
 
Aled: (laughs)
 
RP: That's not bad.
 
Aled: You won the prize, and for that you have a chocolate Father Christmas.
 
Boys: (gasps)
 
Aled: That was a tremendous joke. Well done. Help yourselves to some of these chocolates before you go.
 
Boys: Oh, yes, please. I'm getting that one.
 
Music: "Silent Night"
 
Aled: It could only be Libera singing "Silent Night." And they're back. Tom, Josh, Liam, Ben and Ed. What do you feel like when you hear yourself singing like that?
 
Boys: You feel like it just sounds different.
 
Aled: Are you proud that your voices are on record?
 
Tom?: It's really good, cause your like friends go, "Oh yeah, I've got a CD out." And they go, "What?!" He goes, "Yeah?" I'm like, "Yes."
 
Boy: They say stuff like, "Ah, I saw your face in Sainsbury's."
 
Tom: And they're like, "In the meat section." (everyone laughs)
 
Aled: It's quite unusual on this CD, the Angel Voices one, is that your photos are on the front for the first time. So you've been anonymous up until now.
 
Boys: I know. It's kind of cool. We've revealed ourselves.
 
Aled: You just carry on.
 
Boys: Oh, yes. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
 
Aled: We'll just run into Kerry W's show. He won't mind at all. Now one question, Thomas, I'm NOT going to ask you is, "What are you going to do when your voice breaks?" I used to get that ALL the time as a choir boy. It used to drive me mad. Do you get it?
 
Tom: Sometimes it's like I don't think about it at all. It's like, "What am I going to do?" And I don't know myself. I'm just going to go, "Yes," and just walk away. Actually I've changed my answer. I'm going to make a hit album.
 
Aled: Is that what you've decided to do?
 
Tom: Yes called "Tom."
 
Aled: Just "Tom?"
 
Tom: Just "Tom."
 
Aled: I think Tom Jones might have done that before you, but I'm not quite sure. But you'll sell more than him anyway.
 
Tom: Definitely.
 
Aled: (laughs)
 
Tom: By far.
 
Aled: But your ambition, by the sounds of things, is to carry on singing with Libera?
 
Tom: Yeah.
 
Aled: You seem to all love it.
 
Boys: Yes. We're all good.
 
Aled: And good luck in Japan.
 
Boys: Thank you.
 
Aled: You get the best gigs. I think I've got Southend and Worthing coming up. But you know, it's with joy in my heart that I go to these places. You, Japan! Fair enough. Well, you're all going home for Christmas now. What are you hoping for?
 
Josh: Electronic stuff.
 
Boys: That's all of the cool stuff this year. Yes.
 
Tom: An iPod? Why do you want an iPod? Do you have a PSP, Josh? You have videos, MP3, pictures. What else do you need?
 
Aled: He's trouble, isn't he? Well, listen, happy Christmas to all of you. Thanks so much for coming in this morning. Let's pull a few more crackers. I know that you've been eyeing up the chocolate all morning.
 
Boy: We have.
 
Aled: So feel free. There we go! You won one! Well done. (noises) A circular dice?. There is a theme going on here.
 
Boy: A pack of cards! A pack of cards!
 
Aled: Well listen. You're already into the chocolate, I see. Feel free to take everything. We've got a little bag of minced pies for you as well. There you go. For you to nibble on the way back home. You haven't got very far to go, I know that. Have you got a message for everyone listening at home from Libera?
 
Boys: Merry Christmas!
 
Aled: Thanks guys for coming in. Merry Christmas to you, too.
 
Boys: Merry Christmas. Oh, thank you, Ed.
 
Aled: Well, as the boys tuck into their chocolate, let's have some music, shall we? This is Brenda Lee. I might have a bit of chocolate myself.

Kavana, Freddie & Robert Prizeman Interview

Classic FM radio aired an interview with Kavana, Freddie and Mr. Prizeman. Click here to listen.

Kavana and Freddie do a really good job speaking in the interview. And if they think their singing is easy and fun, it just shows what a great choir director Mr. Prizeman is!

In case the interview is removed or to help those who don't understand English, I typed out the introductory article and what they said in the interview.

UPDATE: The interview has now been posted on YouTube, which is helpful in case Classic FM ever deletes it. Click here for the YouTube "video."

Libera Conquer the USA
Friday, 26 November 2010 14:28


As it gets colder outside, could the heat be rising on the quest to crown the UK’s best young singers? With Isabel The Choirgirl on the hunt for a Christmas number one, Libera could be facing stiff competition in an outstanding field of artists.

It’s heartening news for young British singing talent, with quality and depth in the rudest health for years. Libera, the young singers from south London, have been leading the pack for some time now and continue to scale incredible heights.

When Classic FM spoke to them, they told us about their amazing feat of conquering America and how they’re coping with the enviable pressures of performing to the Pope.


Kavana: Hi. I’m Kavana. I’m 11. I’ve been in the choir 4 years now, and I origin from Thailand.

Freddie: Hello. I’m Freddie. I’m 10. I’ve been in the choir for 3 years. We all live in South London.

Kavana: At a younger age I very much enjoyed singing. And either most of the boys join through relations or even school. In fact I was at my primary school, and my music teacher called in, and I went for an audition, and they pick you. Well, not really, but it’s more like you get chosen. But it’s very good, because they let you use the most of your ability, and they make you turn into such a really good singer.

Interviewer: Now Libera have got quite high profile, so I guess this is a taste of being a rock star almost.

Kavana: (laughs) Yeah, it is. I mean we have fans, but it’s more the enjoyment of singing than the enjoyment of fame. I’m pretty sure both of us love going to Libera. I mean we get to see all our friends, we get to travel with our friends, and we get to have like something to do after school.

Interviewer: Now is it very hard work?

Kavana: Not really. I mean it does require a lot of effort, but I mean it’s like a lot of fun, if you understand. So it’s not boring at all. I mean it’s fun, even if it is long, it’s fun, it’s enjoying. It’s a hobby, do it with all your friends, and yeah, so it’s not an effort much at all.

Interviewer: And your plans for the future. Is this something, do you want to make a singing career of your life?

Kavana: When you are in Libera, you do think forward. You do think of, “Should I become a singer,” but most boys in the choir do want to become singers, because they’ve already had all this experience. And it just changes your thought in music.

Interviewer: And Freddie, was it the same with you? At what point did you start singing?

Freddie: I started singing 3 years ago in 2007.

Interviewer: And was it something that you’d always wanted to do?

Freddie: I did want to get better, but I never thought I was very good at singing. We do meet up a few times a week, but it’s not too hard to learn to sing with a group. If you’re taking on from someone else, it’s not too hard.

Interviewer: What do the other people in your class think about you being part of Libera? Do you tell them for a start? I guess there’s no hiding from it, is there?

Freddie: Not really.

Interviewer: Because they probably spot you on the television.

Freddie: Yes, they spot me on the television. Whenever there’s anything to do with Libera, they’re always watching. They always come to concerts when they can, and they think that I’m doing really well.

Interviewer: What do you like most about being part of Libera?

Freddie: I like doing the concerts, because you have the enjoyment of hearing all the music and the parts in harmony.

Interviewer: And Kavana, can I ask you again, because you’ve got a tour coming up, haven’t you, of cathedrals. Is that quite daunting if you have to perform in a place like that?

Kavana: It’s never daunting. I mean if anything it would be very much fun. I mean we get to travel at so many different places, get to see so many historic churches. I mean some people would think, “Oh, that’s boring.” But trust me, if you go into a really big church, you’ll stand by the architecture, and the accoustics sometimes, when you sing in it, it just sounds heavenly.

Interviewer: And of course you’ve got a CD as well. It must be great to be looking along the CD’s in you’re home and thinking, “Well, actually that one there, that’s mine.”

Kavana: (laughs) Yeah, it’s great to have a feeling that you know that you’ve got something to show of all this achievement. And it’s great to hear yourself on a CD singing. Yup, that’s me.

Interviewer: Robert, can I ask you, are they talking it down? Because it is a lot of hard work, isn’t it? I mean they all sound very confident.

Robert: Yes, I mean the thing about it is that they are all doing it of their own free will. It’s their hobby. They don’t have to be there. And so we have to honor that. It’s the only way I’d want to run it anyhow is that everyone actually enjoys the process of doing it. It is a lot of hard work. I mean they learn to read music properly. They sing quite a range of full choral music as well as all the Libera music. So they’re doing an aweful lot of different types of musical activity. And obviously when they go on stage, they know everything by heart. And they learn all of the harmonies. And they even move around on stage. I mean they don’t dance, but there is choreography involved. They might sing the Mozart’s “Requiem” or the Handel’s “Messiah” or something like that as well in a different context. So they have a fantastic range of musical activity, so we try to make it fun and also very varied really.

Interviewer: You travel the world. You appear in some of the biggest venues that can possibly be. So I guess you must have to pinch yourself because you’ve created something amazing.

Robert: Yeah, it’s funny that, isn’t it? I suppose that most things happen gradually. It sort of moves one at a time really, and then you suddenly think that it didn’t do it in one step, if you know what I mean. As you say, it is surprising sometimes. And like a couple of years ago we were out in the Yankee Stadium singing when the Pope visited New York. And there was about 70,000 people in the stadium, and we were actually the only British act that was performing at that. And you do think it’s a great honor, but you never perceive that that sort of thing could happen when we first started. And similarly with the sort of going around all the different churches and concert halls around the world where we do get an amazingly reassuring, a very warm welcome. It’s fantastic.

St. Louis TV & Radio Interviews & Updates

Libera posted on their Facebook page at 5:00 a.m. or so:

Thank you Arborlawn United Methodist Church for your terrific reception of our concert You showed us wonderful hospitality and we had a great time. Now we are looking forward to our concert tomorrow in the Cathedral Basilica in St Louis.


One person posted underneath the status that a tour group is coming from Japan for the last 3 concerts! Someone should do tours for ALL their concerts! I would love to go see them in Japan or France.  :)


Mini James, Mini Ben and Ralph were interviewed on Fox News St. Louis this morning:





It is strange that they were interviewed in a hallway, but they are well-spoken and darling as always.


Radio Interview:

At 4:20 p.m. NewsRadio 1120 KMOX St. Louis had an interview with Libera! But first they mentioned St. Louis's excessive heat warning and that the temperature is 101 with a heat index of 106 degrees!  The heat seems to be following Libera!

Anyway, it was again Mini James, Ralph, Mini Ben and Robert Prizeman! This time the interviewer pronounced Libera correctly, and as soon as James spoke he said, "Listen to that accent. Everybody sounds cool with an English accent."

Before they came to the studio, they were all going up in the St. Louis Arch, but these 4 went to the radio studio instead. Hope they can rejoin their group at the Arch. They said all the boys in the choir know about the Arch because it's in the book "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief." They also saw the movie on the plane to the U.S.

The interviewer was very nice and funny. He said all 22 of them should've come to the studio cause they'd all fit. Mr. Prizeman told about how he gets each kid when they are 7 years old and starts training them. He also told about the concert tomorrow night.

James said he is 10 and his favorite song is "The Fountain" because it's very peaceful.

Ralph said he is 11 almost 12. Ben said he is 14 and his favorite song is "Going Home."

The interviewer asked Ralph what other music artists he likes, and he couldn't think of one. He offered to burn (I think) a Bruce Springsteen CD. Ralph heard of him. He asked if he knows of Chuck Berry, who's from St. Louis, but he didn't.

He asked if they could sing something for them, but Ralph explained that they are not allowed to sing because they have to save their voices. They did a great job in this interview!


Here is the link to the radio interview: http://kmox.cbslocal.com/2010/08/04/total-information-pm-80410/.
Not sure how long it will stay up, so I'll leave my review up just in case.

LIBERA IN THE US THIS SUMMER!!!!

Aled Jones has a BBC radio show on Sunday mornings from 6am-9am London time. You can listen to it here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wqvh. It's around the 1:24:00 mark. On today's show he had this to say:

"Robert Prizeman...has been in touch to say they ended up going across Greece from Athens by coach, then by ferry to Venice, and then 24 hours on a coach across to Calais. and the whole trip took 5 days instead of 2 hours. Who said the life of a chorister could be uneventful?

The volcano has not dampened their enthusiasm, rather heated it. They're off to the U.S. in the summer. Good on 'em."

Yea!!!! They're coming to the US! Wonder where the concerts will be? Hope we can go see them! Yea!!!!!!!!!!