Libera

Libera

Recalling the uplifting New Age chorals of Adiemus and Enigma, <I>Libera</I> fuses the high, innocent voices of 11 and 12-year-old boys with contemporary beats amidst lush synth and orchestral accents. The result is a mesmerizing collection of original choral material written by self-proclaimed "organ nerd" and keyboardist Robert Prizeman. Prizeman, drawing from his background in church music, expertly weaves the choir's bright, sacred tones into the fabric of his modern spiritual vision, which brings the sanctity of London abbeys to mind. At times the album wanders into deeply mystical territory, with the boys' solos bouncing up and down the scale in a soft melancholy, which nicely contrasts with the power of their joined voices. Though not extensively trained, the choir does an expert job with Prizeman's compositions. The one aspect of this CD that may frustrate listeners is the lack of comprehensive credits and information on the artists in the CD booklet. Otherwise, <I>Libera</I> is a pleasantly sublime work of New Age art. <I>--Karen K. Hugg</I>