Monday, November 21, 2011

Review of Christmas Album

Edit: one of my lovely followers corrected my mistake: Thomas Cully does sing higher than in In Dulci Jubilo. Wow that was a narrow catch. I have to thank you for pointing out my mistake! I cant believe I didnt catch that. Well, there are more musically inclined people out there :) thank you! If anyone else finds an error in a blog, notify me IMMEDIATELY!! I hate to be untruthful. Thank you! I am back again and ready to post. Actually, I wasn't really sure of what to say because I had to take my time to process the beautiful music before I spewed anything out.

Oh by the way before we begin, I want to give a shout-out to Lexi and her unbelievably up-to-date blog. Thank you!

Shall we start?

Joy to the World:

This one was a success! Mr. Prizeman must have worked with the boys for a while on this because the arrangament is somewhat difficult. I'm glad that Libera gave this one out for free because it was great and it didn't give away the rest of the album.

Still, Still, Still:

I think this song represents true peace. My heart soared with Ralph on his solo. I had no idea how much he developed. I was amzed.
Libera did superbly. I was in Heaven in an instant.

Carol of the Bells:
This must be the most perfect, powerful song Libera has done in quite a while. The piece is so difficult to master, I can only imagine how much work they put into it. The chords are crazy hard. I was soooo pleased. It was like Libera jerked me awake.

Veni, Veni Emmanuel:

The opening chords of this song are so mysterious, it's like walking into an enormous black space with no floor. And the breathtaking entrance of Daniel Fontannaz brings a very dim light into the darkness. By the end of the song, the light is so dazzling, you are blinded. This is my interpretation. I was in a different world. And Daniel made it so powerful, yet mellow at the same time. You can feel the pain of Israel in your blood. No other song did that to me.

Once in Royal David's City:

This one brought me down from the Daniel clouds. The melody is so simple, it's kind of weird. I was very proud of Eoghan. He has such holiness in his voice. Sounds like God sent a message to us and it's so amazingly clear and reverent. Eoghan, nice job!

O Holy Night:

Ralph knows how to deliver the perfect song. I was expecting this really strong version of O Holy Night, but to my surprise, it was really mellow. I never heard it that way before. Ralph's voice is like his personality: sweet, lovely, with a subtle edge. One minor complaint. It was just a tad long the first time I listened to it. It felt better the next, though. Either way, it was great.

White Christmas:

hY I fell in love with Stefan's voice all over again. He has just mastered the arts. I can't even really describe what he sounds like. The closest I can get is probably a sparkling crystal. Or icy water. Or blue eyes. Just like him.
White Christmas kind of broke the streak of typical church christmas music and added a little jingle to the mix. Overall, I loved it.

Corpus Christi Carol:

I was a little confused by this song. It didn't seem to make any sense at first, but after listening for a while, it got a little clearer. I somehow feel like it is like Jesus's death in a different perspective and gives a little meaning of what Jesus came to earth for on Christmas. I'm still figuring it out, but that's what I like about this song. It will keep me guessing for a while.
I'm glad to see James Mordaunt had a partial-solo in this song. His voice is so soft like a pillow. He and Ralph sounded really great.

In Dulci Jubilo:

This is my personal favorite out of the whole CD. It has that Irish-like spice to it. Completely different than the one before it. I'm happy no one did any solos for it because it was a really great group song. I was excited.
If you pay attention to the last chords, the boys hit the highest note I have ever heard in my entire life. I was shocked to the highest extent. Well, Air on the G String with Tom Cully was higher, but that was amazing. These little ones have so much potential its unbelievable.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas:

It was fairly familiar from the Peace Deluxe album, but I still liked it. My favorite thing is that it brings that family-getting-together-on-Christmas feeling back.

Sing the Story:

I was so glad that they brought this one back. It's that old-fashioned carol that Libera sang back in the day, but they refreshed it somehow. Maybe it's the new technology. The thing is that people like Stephen and Big Ben sang this a long time ago, and they probably had good ideas of how the little ones could work on it. The song was a success again. And besides, I got a little glimpse of Luke Collins. His voice is so dark which is probably why he didn't get a solo before. Most of the soloists have shrill, high voices that stand out. I like the way he sang it.

Coventry Carol:

The truth is, guys, that I had been anticipating this song the entire way through. To hear Josh sing a solo once again was like a dream come true. My entire living being was tensed up waiting for it.
The sound was unimaginable. I thought I was dreaming. Oh God is all I said the entire time. Joshua Madine just hit the best part of his musical career on his life. His voice was darker than dark chocolate, richer than any mocha, softer than any cloud. I cannot describe his voice. It's impossible. The song itself is so sad. It's basically talking about mothers losing their children when Herod's armies destroyed them on Christmas night. Josh made it so that we can feel the grief to the deepest pit of our hearts. But, somehow, he delivered a light. A hope that probably not anyone felt on that night. The hope that those children might be saved by the one Child that did escape. I doubt that Robert Prizeman could have chosen a better song for Josh. And Stefan and Ralph made the song beyond describable. That's all I have to say.

The First Nowell:

Nothing could have woken me up from the Josh-dreamy state that I was in. Except Freddie. His perfect voice broke through every wall. He is the sun that melts the fog. Freddie's solo was so absolutely perfect, I was stunned again. The whole song was really warming. I was very very pleased.

Jubilate Deo:

Libera is like Santa Claus. They know exactly what songs you like and they will get them to you. That's how it was with me ant Jubilate Deo. Out of all the older songs, this one was my favorite. I always hoped that Libera might do it again. And they did.
Again, Big Ben and everybody else must have been a real help to make this song sound better. I loved it so much. The strength is almost overwhelming.

While Shepherds Watched:

I am helping the kids choir learn this song at my church, and it is a good reference to turn to. It's simple and childish, and it works great. I bet Josh and Liam and all the older boys must have had memories from last time. And the newbies went really high again.

Lullabye:

I was happy that Libera made this song a part of the album. Some people never got a chance to hear it because they bought the normal Peace. It brought back good memories. I learned this song on the piano too. It was a smart move to end with a Josh Madine solo. It just made the album better.

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