Libera brings early Yule

IT IS Libera’s third visit to the country. Some former soloists are now singing in lower registers, giving the spotlight to younger members. Fans who turned up at the PICC were just as enthralled as the first time.

We never want to hear “White Christmas” sung any other way. And “Himig ng Pasko,” Libera-style, will henceforth be our measure of cool for the affectingly familiar line, “Malamig ang simoy ng hangin.”

The charming South London boys in the (monks’) hoods just made longer the world’s longest Christmas season by staging a holiday concert Tuesday night at the PICC.  Friday night they bring the proverbial (melodic) mistletoe to Cebu’s Waterfront Hotel.

It was clear from the PICC turnout that Libera now has a fan base in the country after just two former visits (2009 and 2010).

Big favorite

We could single out the soloists from two years back, now singing in lower registers and giving the spotlight to younger members. Video walls allowed us to see who were singing the solos—we couldn’t the first time we saw the choir in concert. To be honest, we prefer it that way.

While “Joy to the World” and “Carol of the Bells” were the most heartily applauded, our big favorite was “The Fountain,” a number based on Chopin’s “Prelude in C Minor.”

The most exquisite, though, given the orientation of the group, were the adoration songs “Glory to Thee” and “How Shall I Sing That Melody.”

We love these boys, we do.