Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:      Summary: Amazing Comment: This is the most talented and amazing group of young men I have heard in a long time. I love the fact that members come and go, grow and change, and the sound of the group never gets old. The title Angel Voices truly says it all.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Libera CD - Angel Voices Comment: The voices of these boys are so beautiful. I first heard them sing when I went to New York to see the Pope... they performed there. I love the CD and those voices are just magnificent!
Customer Rating:      Summary: Immaculate (as usual) Comment: The studio disc "Angel Voices" represents a well-crafted cross-section of Libera's work across the majority of its 24 year history; a "greatest hits" disc. If you're brand new to Libera, start right here: this disc has the majority of their most well-known work from performances and albums past. For old hands, there are some new cuts sure to become part of Libera's lasting repertoire. This album's track list is NOT the same as that for the live recording made at Leiden: Angel Voices: Libera In Concert
Purists: Go away. The group actively promotes themselves as a unique style of their own (the boys' own words, not some publicist's blurb), so they won't fit into prefab Genre Boxes. Libera is made up of schoolchildren united by their love of this art--please try and recognize that before attacking them for transforming the music of "your" masters into "electronic garbage."
For newcomers, the "Sanctus" given before Pope Benedict XVI's 2008 Mass at Yankee Stadium is on this disc, recorded by the same voices. The shimmering textures of "Voca me" highlight the 'Libera sound,' a blending of powerful low altos against the brilliant, warm tones of the higher trebles. "Salva me," showcasing one of Libera's best soloists (Tom Cully), is also a long-established standard from Libera's catalogue. "Ave Maria," first heard on "LiberaVisions" (2005), breathes here again, the solo voices seeming to float overhead.
Folks looking for something new will find it in several places. "Far Away" gets its first appearance on disc here, its longing solo part contrasting beautifully against the choir's fuller sound. "Going Home," based on the "Largo" from Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9: From the New World," is something American listeners can identify with. It appears in two versions: the original cut and a radio edit. The warm, serene timbre of the soloists melds perfectly with the song's lyrical meditation on death. "Silent Night," led by soloist Tom Cully, might feel slightly out of place (or season), but the performance is magnetic and wonderful...you'll remember it when Christmas rolls around again!
If there is a caveat here, it's simply a matter of personal taste: I'd like to have seen "Adoramus" on here, since that's one of my favorites by Libera.
"Angel Voices," with its balance of old and new material, is a versatile and immaculately beautiful collection of Libera's finest work and talent. If you're new to this group, start right here (and also Luminosa).
Customer Rating:      Summary: libera is awesome Comment: Any of Libera's cd's is well worth the money for anyone who likes boys' choirs. They are exceptional, both on cd and in concert. The only drawback for those of us who collect their music is the duplication of songs among cd's. If you purchase more than one, check the tracks for duplication before you click the button!
Customer Rating:      Summary: music for the spirit Comment: A testament to the beauty that exists in this world. Disciplined and well-constructed collection of good music. Recommended.
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