Nashville was my first Libera concert, and some of you asked for a review, so here we go. :) It was hard to take notes during the concert because I was so excited. I just wanted to sit there and drink it all in, but I did take notes every once in a while.
First we went to church on Sunday morning. Libera sang in all three services. They did a GREAT job. When we first walked in the back of the church, they were practicing before the first service. I couldn't believe they were really all standing there!
As far as the program itself, the opening of the program was AWESOME. I was sitting in the third row on the middle aisle, so Stefan walked right past me! I thought the transition from “Adoramus” to “Libera” was really cool and clever. On “Time” I was a little sad because Josh had backup singers for most of it, and Jakob got Josh’s solo at one point. But Ben is still hitting the high notes it sounds like! And I could still hear Josh’s distinct voice above the others. “Far Away” was also a weird one for me, because I’m so used to hearing Tom sing it, so to have Ralph and Kavana sing it was new to me, but they did a great job! Kavana makes the high parts look effortless! The “salvas” in “Salva Me” were sung by Stefan, who once again, made it look so easy! Alex had the solo in “Agnus Dei” and he did a great job! Stefan was GREAT on “Exsultate” although, once again, I’m used to hearing Ben sing the solo.
After the intermission was “Mysterium” which was a great way to start up again. Stefan and Ralph have such clear voices! And there was another cool transition from “Mysterium” to “Gloria!” I thought that Ralph did a great job in “The Fountain.” “How Can I Keep From Singing” was done in church that morning, but with the extra orchestration and the lighting it was WAY cooler. :) “When A Knight Won His Spurs” was relatively new to me actually. I had heard it before, but not often like the others. Ralph did a great job. I loved it! “Love and Mercy” is a personal favorite, and the solo was sung by Mini James who apparently only did the last “mercy and love” by himself in St. Louis. This time he sang it all by himself. He sounded Awesome! Stefan did a great job on “Deep Peace.” “Stay with me” was another weird one, because that’s an old favorite of mine back from the days when it was sung by Tom and Ed, but Daniel, Ralph, Ben and Matthew up on the high part did very well. “Going Home” was probably the most bittersweet of all of the songs for me, because it was the first song I ever heard Libera sing, and it was sung by Josh, Tom, and Ben when they were little. The whole time Sammy, Jakob, and Daniel were singing it, Josh had this far-away look in his eyes, and I could still see that little tiny Josh saying, “Hullo, my name is Josh! And we are Libera!” :) “How Shall I Sing that Majesty” was a great way to end, I think. Stefan and Jakob sounded wonderful. That song always makes my mom cry, and it definitely gave me goosebumps!
I think that the live concert was better than the CDs in more ways than one. The lighting, for one, set a whole atmosphere that really captured the mood of each song. And, as I was joking with some other 1st timers, it’s so weird to see them in 3-D! :) They move and you’re like, “Hey! They’re…not flat!” lol.
The speeches were great. Freddie did the first speech, and he was so cute and well spoken. Kavana did the 2nd speech, and he’s so great! Conducting the notes to form the first line of “Libera.” He’s such a ham. The bigger the laugh, the better he likes it! :) Ben had the third speech, and he’s SO ANIMATED and SO FUNNY as he talked about their trip ALL the way from Asia to Europe. He then thanked everyone for coming from as far away as Canada, France, Japan, and even…he was supposed to say “Bucksnort” which is apparently a town near Nashville, but he kept mispronouncing it. He said it like ten times before he got it right! I think at one point he said “Bucksnot!” It was SO FUNNY! I don’t think I would ever get bored watching him! 4th speech was Freddie. “It’s me, Freddie again!” So cute! Josh had the fifth speech, and he talked about his voice changing slowly and about singing the harmony parts. It was a very nice speech, and he’s always been very eloquent. At the end he did hit his head on the microphone. He joked at the Meet and Greet that he’s getting a little too tall. :) The last speech was Cassius, and he did a great job of signing out with a big thumbs up! It was a great finishing speech.
A few other things that I noticed were that 1- Josh is DEFINITELY taller than Jonathan is. They even had Josh in the middle on one of the songs, and Jonathan and Liam to his right and his left. We talked to him about it at the Meet and Greet, and he says Jonathan doesn’t like to admit it, but Josh IS taller. :) 2- Daniel is extremely smiley when he sings, which I love about him. It’s how Josh always was, and I think that’s why we all fell in love with him. (Well, ok, that and his AMAZING voice) 3- Josh seems to be the leader of the staging. He’s always the first to move after a song is done. He remembers where everyone is supposed to go, and whispers to them if they get it wrong. And finally 4- the hoods crack me up! There are always technical difficulties that can come from the hoods, and there weren’t any huge ones in Nashville, but there are always those little ones who get completely lost in the hoods, and there are always those who’s hair is in total disarray after taking them off. There was one point when they all lined up and took their hoods off, middle to outsides. (Biggest to smallest) The older boys took theirs off very slowly and as you progressed down the line it got faster and faster until by the end, Mini James and Freddie just whipped them off. :)
The meet and greet was AMAZING! I’m so glad I got to go. It was nice to be able to talk to the boys and joke around with them. They are all very funny, very nice, and very cute! I got some really nice pictures of them, which I will be posting soon. I’m so glad I was able to come to this concert! Hope to see some of you in Atlanta!
God Bless!
Lexi
Monday, August 9, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
St. Louis Concert Photos
These are pictures that my parents took at the St. Louis concert! Yes, you may copy if you want to. :)
Line waiting to get in. My parents were by the door with Libera Dreams people.
Interior of church facing stage where Libera sang and rear view of church.
One of 1/2 domes on side - window were Ralph sang is barely visible on lower right. Church almost full 30 minutes before concert starts!
Tables set outside at night. Hanging out when they were done signing.
Friday, August 6, 2010
St. Louis Concert
My parents went to the St. Louis concert, and this is what my mom thought of the concert:
We drove 4 ½ hours from Chicago to St. Louis. Downstate Illinois has a few large cities but mostly is farms, corn and soy bean fields, windmills and road construction.
We arrived at the Cathedral Basilica at 4:00 p.m. and parked behind the church. We saw a man getting something out of the trunk of his car, so I spoke to him. It was Patrick from the French forum! He is so nice!
The Cathedral is very beautiful. We were allowed to wait inside in the air conditioning and could see Libera practicing through the small windows of the interior doors! We could hear them as well! When I heard them sing “Libera,” I started getting VERY excited!
While in the lobby we talked to the nicest man who was setting out CD’s and posters for sale. I asked him if he was with Libera, and he said, “Yes.” We began chatting with him about Libera, and he answered so many questions I had. He said he used to live in Tulsa, Oklahoma! I was informed later by other Libera Dreams members present that it was Mini-Ben’s dad! I had NO idea! Ha!
We met so many great Libera fans! Patrick from France, Francis from Canada, Leslie from Canada, Tom from Wisconsin, Fred from Vermont, Dennis from Wisconsin, Luke (with the great camera) and his wife from Utah, Roberto from Maryland there with his wife and mother who is from Bolivia, Tom from Kansas City, a man from Denver, the lovely girls from Japan - Mina, Yuki, Koko and Momo there with her 2 friends! Sorry if I misspelled or forgot any names. They were all so nice and such great Libera fans!
At 5:00 p.m. we were asked to wait outside, and the doors were locked. It was quite warm. Dennis and later my husband, Paul, went and bought people bottled water, pops and M&M’s. At one point the very knowledgeable Libera fans quizzed me to see if I knew all of the boys’ names. I passed the test with flying colors! Whew!
At 6:30 p.m. we began to get our tickets ready to enter. I asked Dennis, “Why is my ticket green and your ticket is blue?” He said, “Hey! How did you get tickets #2 & #3?” I had not noticed the numbers on the tickets. They were tickets in order of sale time. Patrick’s was the next closest at #7. I guess that impressed them all, and I got a lot of Libera “street-cred” for being so fast to purchase. I may be a newbie, but I’m getting there. Wonder who got #1?
We entered at 6:30, and Patrick advised that we sit in the center as close to the front as possible. We sat in the 10th row, I think. His opinion was correct since it gave the best view, sound and overall effects. Most of the cathedral was full except for the far sides which had a limited view of the stage anyway and had to watch on a TV screen.
I will not go through all the songs and soloists, since that has been posted already. I will just give my thoughts on the concert as a whole. This was my first Libera concert, and it was better than I ever imagined. Many people are more eloquent than I, but words cannot express what it is like to hear and see them live. I liked the acoustics in the church. The songs just echoed beautifully. They were amazing! Wow, can they sing! I think their songs sound better live than on the CD’s! How is that possible? Listening to the Leiden concert CD, it always bothers me that the audience claps too soon. When a song ends, I just want it to echo out into silence, take a breath, then applaud. This concert was better, but I’d still like a longer pause to drink it all in.
The lighting was wonderful! Sometimes they glowed in colors of blue or red or yellow. Other times there were patterns of light on the mosaic ceiling and walls. This cathedral really let them make good use of the lighting, and it always coordinated with the song they were singing.
I also liked the choreography a lot! Their positions and use of their hoods was very effective. They started the concert with “Adoramus.” Stefan walked up the center aisle while singing a capella. It’s quite striking to have him walk right by you, and you can hear how clear, strong and pure his voice is! The other boys walked up either side aisle with their hoods up. Very cool!
I loved “Time” since Josh sang it. He has a beautiful, smooth, rich voice. Alex did a great job on “Agnus Dei.” I loved the harmony on that one. I can’t say enough good things about “Mysterium.” Ralph and Stefan sang from high balconies on either side of the church while holding candles. Their voices reverberated into the half domes above them. Some people were not able to see them, but the choir was singing on the stage, and Ralph and Stefan’s voices echoed high above you. Another great use of the church’s architecture!
I’m so thrilled that we got to hear Ralph and Sammy singing solos. They did an excellent job. And Matthew R-A on those high notes! Wow! On “Love and Mercy” there is something about that pause-echo before the last chorus that moves me every time. And then Mini-James sang that last “mercy and love…” all by himself! Such a strong, steady voice for such a little guy! He was great! The last song was “How Shall I Sing That Majesty,” and, as always, I cried. Just thinking about the words to that song makes me tear up. Add Stefan’s voice to it, and the tissues have to come out.
Some people complained that they could not understand it when the boys spoke because of the echo. I DID strain to hear some of their words, but I give a lot of credit to Josh. I understood every word he said. He’s an excellent speaker, so calm and poised. Ben and Kavana were so fun and funny.
Someone asked me if seeing them live changed my impression of any one boy. Daniel stands out to me, because his face is so happy and animated while he sings. He truly seems to be enjoying himself up there.
There was a Meet & Greet afterwards, and apparently for the first time ever, it was held outside! They were so nice to sit outside in the 86 degree, humid weather. They just smiled and rolled up their sleeves. All the boys were funnier and cuter in person and took our American-style of teasing them very well. They all have a great sense of humor.
I feel so honored to have gotten to see them and hope that they receive as much happiness from their U.S. tour as they have given to all of us. Thank you for coming and PLEASE come back again ANY time, ANY where!
We drove 4 ½ hours from Chicago to St. Louis. Downstate Illinois has a few large cities but mostly is farms, corn and soy bean fields, windmills and road construction.
We arrived at the Cathedral Basilica at 4:00 p.m. and parked behind the church. We saw a man getting something out of the trunk of his car, so I spoke to him. It was Patrick from the French forum! He is so nice!
The Cathedral is very beautiful. We were allowed to wait inside in the air conditioning and could see Libera practicing through the small windows of the interior doors! We could hear them as well! When I heard them sing “Libera,” I started getting VERY excited!
While in the lobby we talked to the nicest man who was setting out CD’s and posters for sale. I asked him if he was with Libera, and he said, “Yes.” We began chatting with him about Libera, and he answered so many questions I had. He said he used to live in Tulsa, Oklahoma! I was informed later by other Libera Dreams members present that it was Mini-Ben’s dad! I had NO idea! Ha!
We met so many great Libera fans! Patrick from France, Francis from Canada, Leslie from Canada, Tom from Wisconsin, Fred from Vermont, Dennis from Wisconsin, Luke (with the great camera) and his wife from Utah, Roberto from Maryland there with his wife and mother who is from Bolivia, Tom from Kansas City, a man from Denver, the lovely girls from Japan - Mina, Yuki, Koko and Momo there with her 2 friends! Sorry if I misspelled or forgot any names. They were all so nice and such great Libera fans!
At 5:00 p.m. we were asked to wait outside, and the doors were locked. It was quite warm. Dennis and later my husband, Paul, went and bought people bottled water, pops and M&M’s. At one point the very knowledgeable Libera fans quizzed me to see if I knew all of the boys’ names. I passed the test with flying colors! Whew!
At 6:30 p.m. we began to get our tickets ready to enter. I asked Dennis, “Why is my ticket green and your ticket is blue?” He said, “Hey! How did you get tickets #2 & #3?” I had not noticed the numbers on the tickets. They were tickets in order of sale time. Patrick’s was the next closest at #7. I guess that impressed them all, and I got a lot of Libera “street-cred” for being so fast to purchase. I may be a newbie, but I’m getting there. Wonder who got #1?
We entered at 6:30, and Patrick advised that we sit in the center as close to the front as possible. We sat in the 10th row, I think. His opinion was correct since it gave the best view, sound and overall effects. Most of the cathedral was full except for the far sides which had a limited view of the stage anyway and had to watch on a TV screen.
I will not go through all the songs and soloists, since that has been posted already. I will just give my thoughts on the concert as a whole. This was my first Libera concert, and it was better than I ever imagined. Many people are more eloquent than I, but words cannot express what it is like to hear and see them live. I liked the acoustics in the church. The songs just echoed beautifully. They were amazing! Wow, can they sing! I think their songs sound better live than on the CD’s! How is that possible? Listening to the Leiden concert CD, it always bothers me that the audience claps too soon. When a song ends, I just want it to echo out into silence, take a breath, then applaud. This concert was better, but I’d still like a longer pause to drink it all in.
The lighting was wonderful! Sometimes they glowed in colors of blue or red or yellow. Other times there were patterns of light on the mosaic ceiling and walls. This cathedral really let them make good use of the lighting, and it always coordinated with the song they were singing.
I also liked the choreography a lot! Their positions and use of their hoods was very effective. They started the concert with “Adoramus.” Stefan walked up the center aisle while singing a capella. It’s quite striking to have him walk right by you, and you can hear how clear, strong and pure his voice is! The other boys walked up either side aisle with their hoods up. Very cool!
I loved “Time” since Josh sang it. He has a beautiful, smooth, rich voice. Alex did a great job on “Agnus Dei.” I loved the harmony on that one. I can’t say enough good things about “Mysterium.” Ralph and Stefan sang from high balconies on either side of the church while holding candles. Their voices reverberated into the half domes above them. Some people were not able to see them, but the choir was singing on the stage, and Ralph and Stefan’s voices echoed high above you. Another great use of the church’s architecture!
I’m so thrilled that we got to hear Ralph and Sammy singing solos. They did an excellent job. And Matthew R-A on those high notes! Wow! On “Love and Mercy” there is something about that pause-echo before the last chorus that moves me every time. And then Mini-James sang that last “mercy and love…” all by himself! Such a strong, steady voice for such a little guy! He was great! The last song was “How Shall I Sing That Majesty,” and, as always, I cried. Just thinking about the words to that song makes me tear up. Add Stefan’s voice to it, and the tissues have to come out.
Some people complained that they could not understand it when the boys spoke because of the echo. I DID strain to hear some of their words, but I give a lot of credit to Josh. I understood every word he said. He’s an excellent speaker, so calm and poised. Ben and Kavana were so fun and funny.
Someone asked me if seeing them live changed my impression of any one boy. Daniel stands out to me, because his face is so happy and animated while he sings. He truly seems to be enjoying himself up there.
There was a Meet & Greet afterwards, and apparently for the first time ever, it was held outside! They were so nice to sit outside in the 86 degree, humid weather. They just smiled and rolled up their sleeves. All the boys were funnier and cuter in person and took our American-style of teasing them very well. They all have a great sense of humor.
I feel so honored to have gotten to see them and hope that they receive as much happiness from their U.S. tour as they have given to all of us. Thank you for coming and PLEASE come back again ANY time, ANY where!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
St. Louis Tourists
Libera posted to their Facebook page at 12:00 a.m. or so:
Nice day today. Visited the Zoo and the famous St Louis Arch. Gateway to the West.
Sounds like a great day off.
Heard that then on Thursday they went to the Science Museum before their concert that evening.
More to come...
Nice day today. Visited the Zoo and the famous St Louis Arch. Gateway to the West.
Sounds like a great day off.
Heard that then on Thursday they went to the Science Museum before their concert that evening.
More to come...
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Heading to St. Louis
Libera posted to their Facebook page at about 3:15 p.m. today:
Travelling through Oklahoma.
Then at 7:00 p.m. they posted:
Now in Missouri.
Not sure if they're in St. Louis yet. What a long trip. We American kids know how you feel. My cousin and I watched 2 movies on our 15-hour drive to Colorado and 3 movies on the drive back. lol
Travelling through Oklahoma.
Then at 7:00 p.m. they posted:
Now in Missouri.
Not sure if they're in St. Louis yet. What a long trip. We American kids know how you feel. My cousin and I watched 2 movies on our 15-hour drive to Colorado and 3 movies on the drive back. lol
Fort Worth Concert
Libera tweeted at 7:30 a.m. on Monday:
Looking forward to tonights concert in Fort Worth.
Just "read" the entries on French fan forum and Dreams. Those in attendance said that this concert was technically even better than Dallas! Because of the different layout of the church, Patrick and Geozed had Stefan singing right in front of them and could hear his real voice without the reverb through the speakers! Jonathan was not there at all, so he must be sick. :( Hope he feels better soon. Nothing worse than traveling when you're sick. More standing ovations and a very good offering in the offering plates! Gotta go...I'm late for Band Camp!
More to come...
Looking forward to tonights concert in Fort Worth.
Just "read" the entries on French fan forum and Dreams. Those in attendance said that this concert was technically even better than Dallas! Because of the different layout of the church, Patrick and Geozed had Stefan singing right in front of them and could hear his real voice without the reverb through the speakers! Jonathan was not there at all, so he must be sick. :( Hope he feels better soon. Nothing worse than traveling when you're sick. More standing ovations and a very good offering in the offering plates! Gotta go...I'm late for Band Camp!
More to come...
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