Free

Libera (Composer), Steven Geraghty (Composer), Gustav Holst (Conductor, Performer), Robert Prizeman (Performer), Robert / Tilley, Ian Prizeman (Performer), Jean Sibelius (Performer), Robert Prizeman (Performer), Helen Cole (Performer), Ian Tilley (Performer), Chris Dodd (Performer), Fiona Pears (Performer), Anthony Chadney (Artist), Ben Crawley (Artist), Christopher Robson (Artist), Joseph Platt (Artist), Raoul Platt (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Gustav Holst, Robert Prizeman, Robert / Tilley, Ian Prizeman, Jean Sibelius, Robert Prizeman, et al.
• Conductor: Gustav Holst
• Composer: Libera, Steven Geraghty
• Audio CD (October 5, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0002RUAAQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,034 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Free" is a music-lover's delight, October 12, 2004

By 

E. P. Scott (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free (Audio CD)

Robert Prizeman and his boys have done it again: "Free" is simply wonderful! Fans of Libera will not be disappointed. Newcomers will find the music engaging. (I have purchased copies of earlier Libera albums for friends. They reported back that unfamiliarity with the genre or the content of the lyrics is no barrier to enjoyment, and that this music appeals to all generations.)

"Free" is Libera's third album release, following the group's self-titled first CD "Libera" and its successor "Luminosa". "Free" bears the hallmarks that fans have come to expect: an admixture of Latin and English texts, sweet but not cloying solo vocals, and harmonies sung to distinction in a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles. In this album Mr. Prizeman's further maturation as a composer and arranger is fully evident. He continues to employ the synthesizer but also wields a wider palette of instruments to good effect.

There is concert-worthy material here: "Voca me" is a compelling example, and it is not alone. "A New Heaven" is hauntingly beautiful, evocative at times of Faure at his best but with its own identity. "Lament" is ethereal. "Stay with me" and its ariose octave leaps echo in my head at odd moments throughout the day. "Free" is a musical experience that is not to be missed.

I marvel at the fact that this is a performance by children, by boys of ages 7 to 14. Its quality surpasses by light years the harsh gang-of-kids-singing tones produced in a typical elementary school classroom. So, here is a ringing American endorsement for the thousand-year English choral tradition, of which I was largely unaware until late in my life. It is incorporated in countless film scores, but for years I was not focused on it, incidentally appreciating the sound but not reflecting on how it had been created. When awareness finally came, it opened a door to wonder. Since then I have witnessed the level of boychoir musicianship firsthand. It is truly remarkable. "Free" is an outstanding example.

DISCLAIMER: While traveling in England in 2002 I paid a visit to the parish church in south London where Mr. Prizeman was Organist. I heard his splendid traditional choir. Afterward I briefly met him and a few of the choristers, some of whom were also members of Libera. I was already a fan, and it was great fun. It probably didn't influence my appraisal of this album.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection Plus!, October 15, 2004

By 

Jeff Carter (Newport Pagnell, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free (Audio CD)

The problem with achieving perfection is that you are expected to maintain that level in any future projects. That was the inevitable dilemma faced by Robert Prizeman and the boys when they undertook to record their new album. Having reached the highest possible quality with their previous CDs, `Libera' and `Luminosa', they set out on the daunting task of achieving the same standard with their latest offering, `Free'. Incredibly, not only do they equal their earlier efforts but they actually improve upon them; something which I would have deemed impossible! Clearly, there is no limit to the talents of these seven-to-fourteen-year-olds. They say that the measure of a good album is when you find yourself humming the tunes after one playing. Having seen some of their latest videos on TV, I found myself humming them before I had even unpacked it! In `I Am the Day', we have what I believe to be Libera's best song to date (and that is saying something!). `Voca Me' gives the boys the chance to display their incredible vocal range and `Stay With Me' will set your feet tapping. The final track is a delightful piece called `Adoramus' which will have you humming along! And if you have a liking for the Gregorian style, you will also be accommodated with `Lament'. In short, `Free' has something for everyone. This album contains some of their best material, brilliantly performed and superbly produced. Buy this CD and I guarantee that you will find yourself listening to little else for weeks to come!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soothing and thought provoking, February 22, 2006

By 

A Quiet Conscience "Q.C." (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Free (Audio CD)

Libera is an amazing group of boys and Robert Prizeman really knows how to put everything together. My favorite songs on "Free" are Voca Me, Stay With Me, Adoramus, I Am the Day and Twilight. Each time I listen to this disc, another song seems to start growing on me. This was my first Libera CD (I have since bought Luminosa, Libera and Visions) and at first I liked the faster more upbeat songs but as time went on I started to really love the softer ones like Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep (beautifully done by Ben Crawley and Joseph Platt). The soloists are lovely with clear and pure voices, and the chorus just swells with harmonies. This is choir music for people who hate choir music.