Last Updated April 25th, 2025
Welcome to all new readers. |
If you are unfamiliar with Libera, you may wish to go to Part One (link below) of this Timeline for an overview and history of the group, including the story of its beginnings.
Please note: new material is added at the end of each post, rather than at the beginning,
Once again I state that I'm a writer, not a techie, so please forgive the occasional odd configuration, type change, or spacing resulting from imported material. I welcome corrections, suggestions and comments at: aahill@sonic.net
Disclaimer: This ongoing essay-with-videos is strictly an informal history, and, while I've attempted to make it as accurate as possible, some of my sources (or my interpretation of them) may be flawed or inaccurate. If you notice errors that I have made, or facts that were taken from inaccurate sources, please let me know at my email address (above) so that I may make appropriate changes.
This piece of writing has not been authorized by, nor is it connected with, the Libera/St. Philip's organization.
Also, since the size of the Timeline makes it impossible to police all video links, some may have ceased to function or be unavailable. In this case, go to your search engine and enter "YouTube" and the name or subject referenced in the link. There will usually be a duplicate video available.
For a very brief history of Libera with photos: https://intro-to-libera.blogspot.com
For Part One (introduction to Libera and to the Timeline, extensive overview, & coverage for 1981-2007), please go to: http://liberatimeline.blogspot.com/
For The Tables of Contents for all Parts & Appendix A (there is also a Table of Contents at the beginning of each part): https://liberatimelinetocappenda.blogspot.com/
Hibaya Festival, Japan, 2024
For Part Two (2008-2009): http://liberatimeline2.blogspot.com/
For Part Three (2010): http://liberatimeline3.blogspot.com/
For Part Four (2011): http://liberatimeline4.blogspot.com/
For Part Five (2012): http://liberatimeline5.blogspot.com/
For Part Six (January-May 2013): http://libera-timeline-6.blogspot.com/
For Part 6A (May-December 2013): http://libera-historicaltimeline6a.blogspot.com/
For Part Seven (January-July 2014): http://libera-historicaltimelinepart7.blogspot.com/
For Part 7A (August-November 2014): http://libera-historical-timelinepart7a.blogspot.com/
For Part 7B (December 2014): http://libera-historical-timeline-part7b.blogspot.com/
For Part 8 (January-March 2015): https://lib-erahistorical-timeline-part-eight.blogspot.com/
For Part 8A (January-March, 2015): http://liberahistorical-timeline-part-8-a.blogspot.com/
For Part 8B (August-December, 2015): http://liberahistoricaltimelinepart8b.blogspot.com/
For Part 9 (January-July, 2016): http://liberahistoricaltimeline-part-9.blogspot.com/
For Part 10 (January 1st, 2017-August 11th, 2017): https://li-berahistoricalt-imelinepart1a.blogspot.com/
For Part 10A (August 12th to December 31st, 2017): https://lib-era-historic-altimelinepart10a.blogspot.com/
For Part 11 (January 1st– October 20th: https://lib-er-ahistorical-timelinepart11.blogspot.com/
For Part11A ( October 21st to December 31st, 2018): https://li-berahistoricaltime-line11a.blogspot.com/
For Part 12 (January 1st to August 17th, 2019): https://liberahistoricaltimelinepart12.blogspot.com/
For Part 13 (January 1st to December 31st, 2020): https://liberatimelinepart13.blogspot.com/
For Part 14 (January 1st – July 5th, 2021: https://liberahisttimelinepart14.blogspot.com/2021
For Part 14a (July 5th - December 31st, 2021: https://histtimeline14alibera.blogspot.com
For Part 15 (January 1st - February 20th, 2022): https://15libhisttimeline.blogspot.com
For Part 15A ( February 20th - Present, 2022): https://libhisttimelinepart15a.blogspot.com
For Part 16 (January 1st – December 31st, 2023): https://libhisttimeline16.blogspot.com
For Part 17 (January 1st – Present, 2024) https://libhisttimeline17.blogspot.com
A note on source material: For many years, the premiere website/database for information on Libera members, recordings, videos, appearances, tours, etc. was the French site Libera Passion at https://libera-passion.exprimetoi.net/ .
This is still the case, up to sometime in 2023 when the site administrator apparently had a sudden switch in priorities. The slack in keeping track of new members was taken up in 2024 by Padmachou, a contributor to the lively and knowledgable Libera Dreams Discussion Forum at: https://libera-dreams.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4107
The Forum's main index can be found at: https://libera-dreams.co.uk/index.php?sid=8ecb452d5bf3c3a9ca94e3e83b4121ed
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PART 18
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Southwark Cathedral Concert Announced
• Libera Appears on Songs of Praise, singing "Nearer , My God to Thee," and "One Small Voice."
• Ireland Summer Tour Announced
Note to new readers: This time of year, public Libera activities generally seem to enter a kind of "winter doldrums," with time given over to learning new material, recording, school requirements, etc. Stay tuned for increasing activity as spring approaches.
On February 10th, Libera posted the following:
Spring Concert Announced
We have announced a spring concert at London’s iconic Southwark Cathedral. We are very much looking forward to our first visit to this wonderful place. We will be performing on 10th May 2025 at 7.30 pm. Ticket availability will be announced as soon as we have details.
Please Note – this is the Anglican Cathedral by London Bridge.
As Patrick FandeLok observed at the time: "[Southwark is] hardly the widest cathedral ever, and the ticket battle will be fierce.
Just three seats across at the front (if retained), then five further back in the nave…So the UK Spring concert will be held in London.The last time it occurred was May 2008, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Also on that date, Mercurial 909 noted:
In the summer of 2023, our now newly graduated Libera choralist Freddie Mushrafi was a guest vocalist in an opera performed up in Bonny Scotland.
He was in the midst of his treble/countertenor range at the time and seems to have been one of only three kids involved. What a thing to have on his CV!
Note: Freddie also performed this role, as one of three little boys who appear at intervals to comment on and advise young lovers Tamino and Pamina, in the actual staged opera production of The Magic Flute in 2023. (See Part 16 of this Timeline.)
On March 1st, this poster appeared:
On March 2nd, the following announcement from Libera:
Libera will be singing a hymn on Songs of Praise next Sunday, 9 March, on the BBC, at 11:30 am UK time. This will be a new recording, filmed at the chapel of Ripon College Cuddesdon, near Oxford. The hymn choice has yet to be announced.
This would be the group's first appearance on the long-running TV show, on which they were frequent guests from the 1990s through the 2010s.
On March 9th, the promised video appeared on Songs of Praise:
Soloists from left: Theo Wilson, Joseph Hill, Oscar James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7ahSlPU4Ms&t=211s (Nearer, My God, to Thee/solo and harmonies by Joseph Hill, Oscar James, and Theo Wilson/Songs of Praise, March 9th, 2025/3:31)
On March 15th, Libera and Songs of Praise posted videos of the group singing "One Small Voice," with Julian Heitmann, Joseph Hill, Benjamin Hill and Morgan Wiltshire soloing. On the 16th, following the SOP broadcast, a Youtube video became available.
Joseph Hill and Julian Heitmann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgIv5chWpK4 One Small Voice/Solos by Julian Heitmann, Joseph Hill, Benjamin Hill and Morgan Wiltshire/March 2025/3:23)
On March 31st, a post from Libera:
 |
| First row: Zach Lockett, Ed Day, Jonathan Barrington, Sam Leggett, Josh Madine*. Second row: Michael Vereyken, James Vereyken, Joe Sanders-Wilde, Michael Horncastle*, Tom Cully, Conor O'Donnell, Callum Payne, Jake Shortall, Samir Abouelfeid, Joe Platt. Third row: George Tarleton?, Anthony Chadney?, Sam Coates*, Ben Crawley*, Steven Geraghty*, Raoul Neumann* (* = Still actively involved with Libera) |
On April 18th, Libera posted an official announcement:
Summer Tour 2025 Announced
We have announced a tour for the summer of 2025. We will be visiting Ireland from 25th July to 3rd August. We are still confirming final concert details but we can share that we will be visiting Cork, Kilkenny and County Dublin, with a possible further location under discussion.
We will publish exact dates and venues shortly, along with ticket details.
On April 19th, fan luckdragon posted a complete listing of Libera's soundtrack credits, for films, TV movies, video games, etc.
Libera's IMDB credits...
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OnApril 21st, an update from "Libera Boot Camp:"
We hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter weekend 
Over the break we all spent a week together on Libera Boot Camp!
Over the break we all spent a week together on Libera Boot Camp!
As well as singing together and workshopping lots of new music, we also made great use of our free time, and had so much fun.
We're looking ahead to the summer term and are almost ready for our concert at Southwark Cathedral on Sat 10th May, as well as a brand new summer tour to Ireland which will include visiting Cork, Kilkenny and County Dublin (full details coming soon).
Joseph Hill and Pietro Vergani
End of Part 18 (For Now)
