Friday, May 22, 2015

New "America the Beautiful" Music Video




Today Libera released their new music video for "America the Beautiful." It's beautiful and touching! My great-grandparents emigrated from Ireland to America just as they show in this video. Libera says this video is "in honour of the many emigrants across the world who have sought and continue to seek freedom from disease, poverty, starvation, war and repression." Thank you, Libera!

On May 3, Libera flew to Ireland and filmed this video on the famine ship SS Dunbrody in New Ross, Ireland. Here are some of the photos from the day of filming.

Gabe Collins, Isaac London, Alex Gula, Ben Bywater, Marc Alvares, 
Sam Wiggin, Tom Cooper, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Camden Stewart,
Lucas Wood, Adam Izghouti, Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti
Missing from picture - Tom Delgado-Little (maybe he was the photographer) :D


Another Tom C, but not Cully, newbie Tom Cooper




I love this! Obviously getting ready to emigrate to America and become barons of industry. hehe





Saturday, May 16, 2015

Guildford, UK Concert 2015


View of Guildford Cathedral ~ photo by Quentin

Guildford Cathedral ~ photo by Taka


It's a beautiful day for a Libera concert! Libera's Guildford concert has started! The fans lined up early and have been in their seats excitedly waiting.


Libera crew setting up ~ photo by Patrick

Stage view from balcony ~ photo by Patrick

Sunlight streaming in ~ photo by Luke Avery

There are 31 boys with 6 newbies! That stage is going to be packed with happy singers! I wonder if Finn Wood is related to Lucas Wood or Jakob de Menezes-Wood. :)

1.   Marc Alvares
2.   Shay Balsekar
3.   Leo Barron*
4.   Emanuele Borrelli*
5.   Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey
6.   Merlin Brouwer
7.   Benedict Bywater
8.   Gabriel Collins
9.   Tom Cooper*
10. Thomas Delgado-Little
11. Tadhg Fitzgerald*
12. Alex Gula
13. Adam Izghouti
14. Matthew Jansen
15. Timothy Lee
16. Isaac London
17. Matthew Madine
18. Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti
19. James Menezes
20. Michael Menezes
21. Alex Montoro
22. Oliver Mycka*
23. Cassius O'Connell-White
24. Taichi Shinokubo
25. Camden Stewart
26. Rocco Tesei
27. Mark Ustynovych-Repa
28. Joseph Walshe
29. Sam Wiggin
30. Finn Wood*
31. Lucas Wood

*newbie

Musical Director - Robert Prizeman
Assistant Musical Directors - Steven Geraghty & Sam Coates

Keyboard & Piano - Joshua Madine
Percussion - Jonathan Ormston
Strings - The Silken Strings
Flute & Recorder - Candice Hamel
Clarinet - Jessie Grimes
Horn - Raoul Neumann
Oboe - Jesse Bescoby

Sound Production - Sam Coates
Stage Direction - Steven Geraghty
Stage Management - Kavana Crossley & Simon Lewis
Lighting - Luke Avery
Concert Management - Steven Philipp & Dave Stephens
Libera Co-ordination & Chaperoning - Barbara Geraghty & Eleanor Lewis
Production Co-ordination - Andrew Winter 


The boys arrived early for sound check...


Photo by Patrick

Photo by ontic
 
Photo by Taka

Photo by Taka

Ben Bywater & Alex Gula ~ photo by Libera

Taichi Shinokubo ~ photo by Libera

Alex Gula, Alessandro MacKinnon-Botti, Cassius O'Connell-White,
Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Isaac London, Ben Bywater, Taichi Shinokubo
~ photo by Libera


...then went to get something to eat. Here they are arriving back at the cathedral.


Photo by Patrick

Photo by Patrick

Photo by Patrick

Photo by Patrick

The song list is excellent as always. "Lullaby" and "Danny Boy" are not listed, but they were not listed on the US program and were still sung. "Wonderful World" is also not listed for this concert. Maybe one of those will be the encore? "Dreaming of Home" replaces "Going Home" from the US concerts. That seems like a nicer song to sing when you are at home in the UK and singing to your parents in the audience anyway. I'm sure the boys are always happy to be singing at home. :)

1.   Joyful, Joyful
2.   Sanctus
3.   Amazing Grace
4.   Voca Me
5.   The Prayer
6.   How Can I Keep From Singing
7.   Lullaby (not listed on program)
8.   Salva Me
9.   Morning Has Broken
10. Danny Boy (not listed on program)
11. Exultate

- Interval -

12. Always With You
13. Orinoco Flow
14. How Great Thou Art
15. Dreaming of Home
16. O For the Wings of a Dove
17. Song of Life
18. Wayfaring Stranger
19. How Shall I Sing That Majesty

Encore - 

Waiting for the concert to start ~ photo by Patrick
 
 
Fantastic photo from during the concert! ~ photo by Libera

During the concert you can see newbies sitting to the side
during some songs ~ photo by Libera

During the concert with newbies on stage ~ photo by Libera

Guildford Concert Program ~ photo by Patrick

Signed concert program ~ photo by Yumiko

Concert program song list ~ photo by Patrick

Concert program choristers list ~ photo by Patrick

Concert program musician list ~ photo by Patrick

Concert program crew list ~ photo by Patrick


Stay Tuned for More!