The trained, classic voices of the all-boy band, Libera has a Catholic and eerily angelic quality to them.  On their 4th EMI album release, New Dawn, the children in Libera lend their perfectly orchestrated voices to songs like “Orinoco Flow,” the well-known hit from Enya, and “Love and Mercy” from Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.  In addition to those, they also tackle such important classics like, “Ave Maria,” and “Gloria.” 

Libera is a group of London youths, with ages ranging from seven to fourteen.  With perfectly youthful voices, they create atmosphere in their recordings.  Chances are you have heard them in soundtracks of films as their voices provide a majestic vocal complement to dramatic or transcendent scenes.

“Orinoco Flow” takes on a whole new perspective in this eerie version of the Enya song.  Their nuanced singing of the tune is extraordinary.  The Catholic cathedral singing heard in “Rest in Peace” is comforting even as it leads in to the Brian Wilson song, “Love and Mercy.”  Ironically, it’s a little disarming to hear a solo as it is performed here by Libera’s Tom Cully and Joshua Madine when they sing “I was sitting in a crummy movie…” even as it is a different way to enjoy the song.  Their treatment of William Blake’s “Jerusalem” is absolutely superb.  Older Rock fans may remember this song better as one of the tunes on Brain Salad Surgery from ELP.

New Dawn is an excellent background disc or as a meditative experience.  If you enjoy the majesty of songs as you have heard them in a Catholic church, then this album might just work for you.  With the trained voices of children to accent the clarity and ethereal qualities of such music, New Dawn is a fine album.