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New Dawn
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| Custom Reviews: | |
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| Maybe not "old Libera" -- but great stuff anyway | |
|  | After a succession of unadventurous "greatest hits" CDs, finally the mold is broken (intended pun!) with the "New Dawn" release.
For me, "New Dawn" comes as a mix of relief, joy, and a slight disappointment. The joy is that there is plenty of new material with wider-ranging styles, and even the older material has a new feel. Disappointment, that they still didn't dare to go beyond excellent and all the way to thrilling. But only somebody familiar with the earlier Libera releases would understand... The level of musicianship remains astounding.
Some things (mostly) new on this album: some tracks such as "Gloria" feature full orchestra backing; "Orinoco Flow," "Love and Mercy," and "Rest in Peace" derive from popular sources; "Little Lamb" is a capella (without musical instruments), while "Air" is sensa parole (without lyrics).
Turnover in personnel is phenomenal -- something to do with the kids growing up fast. But this crop has unusual depth in soloist talent. Tom Cully demonstrates a soft touch on "Ave Maria" and the memorable "May the Road Rise Up," but can't save Brian Wilson's weak "Love and Mercy." That's okay, Libera, keep on exploring! Mini-Ben -- uh, make that Benedict -- Philipp, his small pure voice is a perfect fit for "Little Lamb" but not for the pretentious "Jerusalem." Everybody loves Josh Madine, and his version of "Secret" is delightful. For a surprise best performance, I nominate Liam Connery's "Sancte" -- I can offer no excuse for being surprised. Maybe most encouraging of all, former "Luminosa" soloist Steven Geraghty's composition for "Never Be Alone" suggests the soaring, edge-of-danger sound of the earlier Libera albums. Suggests, approaches, but pulls back; not fully satisfying, but it offers hope for the future.
Libera remains the best recorded and most accessible choral group in the world, and with the welcome variety and remarkable quality of the performances on this CD, it is a good choice for "newcomers." For the "old timers" it is not to be missed.
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