Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Simon Cowell's most ambitious vision yet - a multinational quartet of opera singers that sound like The Three Tenors and look like Armani models - has paid enormous dividends. Comprised of renowned Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone Carlos Marin, classically trained tenors Urs Buhler (Switzerland) and David Miller (USA), and French pop singer Sebastien Izambard, the group has enraptured minds - not to mention bodies - with studio albums such as Il Divo and Ancora. Il Divo's third album, Siempre (Always) continues their popular fusion of classical and pop with 11 more covers and original songs. New arrangements of moonlit classics such as "Nights In White Satin" (sung in Italian), "Without You" and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" (both in Spanish), plus a new version of John Miles' evergreen "Music" (specially re-arranged by Miles himself) are sure to delight fans, as will the quartet's own compositions, which include the enchanting "Amor Venme A Buscar" and "Una Noche". A bonus rendition of West Side Story hit "Somewhere" completes yet another winning set from the most sophisticated (and well-dressed) boy-band in the world. --Danny McKenna

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Nice but not english, 26 Dec 2008
Not really for the British Market. Only one track in english really lets the album down.

Il Divo are the greatest, 15 Oct 2007
Il Divo are fantastic. All their albums, DVD's and more recently their book are worth every penny. Simon Cowell absolutely knew what he was doing when he found these terrific guys who bring so much enjoyment. This is music as it should be, when it can move you so much. The people that run them down do not appreciate good music when they hear it. I personally listen to their music every day and never tire of it. Roll on the next CD/DVD.

Siempre, 26 Jul 2007
fantastic voices - ignore the gripe with them not singing in english.

Enjoyable album

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 23 Jul 2007
As always an exquisite release by Il Divo. These guys just keep getting better and better. No gimmicks needed because their voices do all the work. The songs are beautiful, their melodic voices relaxing and uplifting and always make me feel better after a bad day!!! When people complain that only one or two songs are in English I don't know exactly what they expect. Maybe they should learn another language and not be so narrow-minded as to criticise something just because they think the only language people need to speak is English.
This CD just makes me want to go and watch them in concert someday. You definitely need this album.

Voices from heaven, 20 May 2007
Maybe at the age of 77yrs I am one of their oldest fans. I just want to keep on listening to those gorgeous voices. They not only give me goose bumps but I get a lump in my throat and stinging at the back of my eyes until I give in and let the tears flow. Any singers that can do that to a person have to be very special indeed. Thank you Simon Cowell for getting them together, but I would like to hear a little more singing in English.

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Nice but not english, 26 Dec 2008
Not really for the British Market. Only one track in english really lets the album down.

Il Divo are the greatest, 15 Oct 2007
Il Divo are fantastic. All their albums, DVD's and more recently their book are worth every penny. Simon Cowell absolutely knew what he was doing when he found these terrific guys who bring so much enjoyment. This is music as it should be, when it can move you so much. The people that run them down do not appreciate good music when they hear it. I personally listen to their music every day and never tire of it. Roll on the next CD/DVD.

Siempre, 26 Jul 2007
fantastic voices - ignore the gripe with them not singing in english.

Enjoyable album

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 23 Jul 2007
As always an exquisite release by Il Divo. These guys just keep getting better and better. No gimmicks needed because their voices do all the work. The songs are beautiful, their melodic voices relaxing and uplifting and always make me feel better after a bad day!!! When people complain that only one or two songs are in English I don't know exactly what they expect. Maybe they should learn another language and not be so narrow-minded as to criticise something just because they think the only language people need to speak is English.
This CD just makes me want to go and watch them in concert someday. You definitely need this album.

Voices from heaven, 20 May 2007
Maybe at the age of 77yrs I am one of their oldest fans. I just want to keep on listening to those gorgeous voices. They not only give me goose bumps but I get a lump in my throat and stinging at the back of my eyes until I give in and let the tears flow. Any singers that can do that to a person have to be very special indeed. Thank you Simon Cowell for getting them together, but I would like to hear a little more singing in English.

Best Xmas album ever, 07 Oct 2008
This CD is a delight capturing the sparkle and fun of Xmas. It is light classical music at its very best. I play Troika and I know the festive season has begun.

Erratum, 19 Jul 2005
I might well write my previous review of this album anonymously - the theme-tune for the TV coverage of the London Olympics is NOT the Bacchanale from Glazunov's 'The Four Seasons', but the music which the late Ron Goodwin wrote for the film 'The Trap'. The two tunes share an exhilarating,wintry feel, but that is no excuse. Apologies to Ron, and to any readers misled by my error!

a surprise buy, 27 Dec 2004
Ive had this cd for sometime. I must have bought in its first incarnation. This was also a surprise buy because I was looking hard for a good xmas cd at the time. I saw it. Heard it in the cd booth, & bought it!! Its one of the best xmas cds around. Go buy you will not be disappointed!!

Simply Wonderful Listening, 21 Dec 2001
I have tried to buy this again for two years and I am thrilled it has been re-released. The CD is filled with many classical tunes that featured as THE Christmas TV tunes in my childhood and teens e.g. the Timex advert. Great tunes combined with good artists and best of all, not what you hear playing in all the supermarkets! A truely "Classey" classic that I would recommend to anyone who likes good music.

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Nice but not english, 26 Dec 2008
Not really for the British Market. Only one track in english really lets the album down.

Il Divo are the greatest, 15 Oct 2007
Il Divo are fantastic. All their albums, DVD's and more recently their book are worth every penny. Simon Cowell absolutely knew what he was doing when he found these terrific guys who bring so much enjoyment. This is music as it should be, when it can move you so much. The people that run them down do not appreciate good music when they hear it. I personally listen to their music every day and never tire of it. Roll on the next CD/DVD.

Siempre, 26 Jul 2007
fantastic voices - ignore the gripe with them not singing in english.

Enjoyable album

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 23 Jul 2007
As always an exquisite release by Il Divo. These guys just keep getting better and better. No gimmicks needed because their voices do all the work. The songs are beautiful, their melodic voices relaxing and uplifting and always make me feel better after a bad day!!! When people complain that only one or two songs are in English I don't know exactly what they expect. Maybe they should learn another language and not be so narrow-minded as to criticise something just because they think the only language people need to speak is English.
This CD just makes me want to go and watch them in concert someday. You definitely need this album.

Voices from heaven, 20 May 2007
Maybe at the age of 77yrs I am one of their oldest fans. I just want to keep on listening to those gorgeous voices. They not only give me goose bumps but I get a lump in my throat and stinging at the back of my eyes until I give in and let the tears flow. Any singers that can do that to a person have to be very special indeed. Thank you Simon Cowell for getting them together, but I would like to hear a little more singing in English.

Best Xmas album ever, 07 Oct 2008
This CD is a delight capturing the sparkle and fun of Xmas. It is light classical music at its very best. I play Troika and I know the festive season has begun.

Erratum, 19 Jul 2005
I might well write my previous review of this album anonymously - the theme-tune for the TV coverage of the London Olympics is NOT the Bacchanale from Glazunov's 'The Four Seasons', but the music which the late Ron Goodwin wrote for the film 'The Trap'. The two tunes share an exhilarating,wintry feel, but that is no excuse. Apologies to Ron, and to any readers misled by my error!

a surprise buy, 27 Dec 2004
Ive had this cd for sometime. I must have bought in its first incarnation. This was also a surprise buy because I was looking hard for a good xmas cd at the time. I saw it. Heard it in the cd booth, & bought it!! Its one of the best xmas cds around. Go buy you will not be disappointed!!

Simply Wonderful Listening, 21 Dec 2001
I have tried to buy this again for two years and I am thrilled it has been re-released. The CD is filled with many classical tunes that featured as THE Christmas TV tunes in my childhood and teens e.g. the Timex advert. Great tunes combined with good artists and best of all, not what you hear playing in all the supermarkets! A truely "Classey" classic that I would recommend to anyone who likes good music.

GREAT VALUE - SUPER SET, 10 Dec 2008
I am realy pleased with this boxed set. The quality of the sound on most of the CD's is quite amazing.You need have no worries about buying this set and will discover much of Stravinsky's music which you might not know.
Happy listening. Dave.

Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky, 23 Aug 2008

It's common to find good value box sets from labels such as EMI Classics, Brilliant Classics and Warner Classics, but not so often on the Sony label.

In general, the bigger the set the better the value, with collections of more than ten discs often falling into the bargain category of under £1 a disc.

This collection though represents not only value for money but also provides pretty much all of Stravinsky's lifetime works (he composed around 127 pieces) in a compact box of just 5cm width thanks to the CDs being supplied in card sleeves.

The enclosed 24 booklet provides a biography of the composer, and more importantly full recording dates, venues, orchestras, soloists and conductors, and if this doesn't sound reason enough to own the set, maybe the fact that all of the recordings are conducted by Stravinsky himself should put the final seal of approval on this most comprehensive of lifetime recording achievements.

The best Stravinsky set available I think by a long, long way.


A tremendous set...., 10 Jun 2008
the master himself-why SONY/BMG dont do this with other artists is curious;
but the playing is excellent as well as the sound, for the dates of recording-and Im
exposed to pieces ive never heard, or even heard of before.
Who knew IS stuck his big toe in to the water of Jazz...?
The shoddy booklet is a real shame, but I cannot complain,
its a box set that doesnt require a fork lift to bring into the house-
and I spent EXACTLY $26.00 USD for it at TOWER Mail Order
true value for money.


Five Stars, with only a little disappointment..., 18 Jan 2008
I obviously agree with the enthusiasm shown by the preceding reviewers. Well beyond the bargain, this is a real cornerstone of the recording history. Many years have passed since the useless discussions in the Sixties about Stravinsky skills as a conductor, and with the grace of time we can honour now a neat, logical, unemphatic rendition of his masterworks.
However... (there is always a however), whilst the lack of the spoken and sung texts may be easily filled up with web services, Sony have not grabbed the opportunity of this compact re-edition of the 1991 Recorded Legacy megabox to heal an annoying flaw with respect to the original 1982 Centenary Edition in 31 LPs: the cancellation of ten works, which well depicted the artistic flavour of the Stravinsky years. One of the reviewers spoke of the discovery of a great pianist, Charles Rosen; well, many of the cancelled works gave exactly this type of information and feeling.
If someone is interested in knowing the details, the omitted works are: Pastorale for voice and piano (Tourel/Rogers); Tango for two pianos and Concerto for two pianos (Vronsky and Babin, the concerto however being substituted by a very old EMI recording by the Stravinskys); Serenade for piano (Rosen, also substituted by another old EMI recording by Stravinsky); Three Easy Pieces and Five Easy Pieces for four-hands piano (Gold and Fizdale); finally, and above all, the Pastorale for violin and wind quartet (Szigeti with Stravinsky and an unspecified wind quartet), the arrangement of The Star-spangled Banner (Stravinsky), the short Fanfare for a new Theatre (Heinrich and Nagel), and the Chanson Russe for violin and piano (Szigeti and Stravinsky).
Five stars, no doubt, also taking into account this imperfection. By the way, the Fanfare, the Star-spangled Banner, and the Chanson Russe are contained in another Sony box, the well known Original Jacket Collection - Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky (SX9K 64136).


What a magnificent collection !, 27 Oct 2007
I have always regarded Stravinsky as one of the most outstanding composers I have ever listened to but had not, until now, quite realised what a stunning variety of music he had written during his lifetime.
Sony have always been a reliable name to count on for top quality products and this box set has not failed to delight.
I only wish some of the other recording companies could produce similar high quality box sets at such bargain prices.
Congratulations to Sony and if the maestro is listening upstairs - bravo !!

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Nice but not english, 26 Dec 2008
Not really for the British Market. Only one track in english really lets the album down.

Il Divo are the greatest, 15 Oct 2007
Il Divo are fantastic. All their albums, DVD's and more recently their book are worth every penny. Simon Cowell absolutely knew what he was doing when he found these terrific guys who bring so much enjoyment. This is music as it should be, when it can move you so much. The people that run them down do not appreciate good music when they hear it. I personally listen to their music every day and never tire of it. Roll on the next CD/DVD.

Siempre, 26 Jul 2007
fantastic voices - ignore the gripe with them not singing in english.

Enjoyable album

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 23 Jul 2007
As always an exquisite release by Il Divo. These guys just keep getting better and better. No gimmicks needed because their voices do all the work. The songs are beautiful, their melodic voices relaxing and uplifting and always make me feel better after a bad day!!! When people complain that only one or two songs are in English I don't know exactly what they expect. Maybe they should learn another language and not be so narrow-minded as to criticise something just because they think the only language people need to speak is English.
This CD just makes me want to go and watch them in concert someday. You definitely need this album.

Voices from heaven, 20 May 2007
Maybe at the age of 77yrs I am one of their oldest fans. I just want to keep on listening to those gorgeous voices. They not only give me goose bumps but I get a lump in my throat and stinging at the back of my eyes until I give in and let the tears flow. Any singers that can do that to a person have to be very special indeed. Thank you Simon Cowell for getting them together, but I would like to hear a little more singing in English.

Best Xmas album ever, 07 Oct 2008
This CD is a delight capturing the sparkle and fun of Xmas. It is light classical music at its very best. I play Troika and I know the festive season has begun.

Erratum, 19 Jul 2005
I might well write my previous review of this album anonymously - the theme-tune for the TV coverage of the London Olympics is NOT the Bacchanale from Glazunov's 'The Four Seasons', but the music which the late Ron Goodwin wrote for the film 'The Trap'. The two tunes share an exhilarating,wintry feel, but that is no excuse. Apologies to Ron, and to any readers misled by my error!

a surprise buy, 27 Dec 2004
Ive had this cd for sometime. I must have bought in its first incarnation. This was also a surprise buy because I was looking hard for a good xmas cd at the time. I saw it. Heard it in the cd booth, & bought it!! Its one of the best xmas cds around. Go buy you will not be disappointed!!

Simply Wonderful Listening, 21 Dec 2001
I have tried to buy this again for two years and I am thrilled it has been re-released. The CD is filled with many classical tunes that featured as THE Christmas TV tunes in my childhood and teens e.g. the Timex advert. Great tunes combined with good artists and best of all, not what you hear playing in all the supermarkets! A truely "Classey" classic that I would recommend to anyone who likes good music.

GREAT VALUE - SUPER SET, 10 Dec 2008
I am realy pleased with this boxed set. The quality of the sound on most of the CD's is quite amazing.You need have no worries about buying this set and will discover much of Stravinsky's music which you might not know.
Happy listening. Dave.

Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky, 23 Aug 2008

It's common to find good value box sets from labels such as EMI Classics, Brilliant Classics and Warner Classics, but not so often on the Sony label.

In general, the bigger the set the better the value, with collections of more than ten discs often falling into the bargain category of under £1 a disc.

This collection though represents not only value for money but also provides pretty much all of Stravinsky's lifetime works (he composed around 127 pieces) in a compact box of just 5cm width thanks to the CDs being supplied in card sleeves.

The enclosed 24 booklet provides a biography of the composer, and more importantly full recording dates, venues, orchestras, soloists and conductors, and if this doesn't sound reason enough to own the set, maybe the fact that all of the recordings are conducted by Stravinsky himself should put the final seal of approval on this most comprehensive of lifetime recording achievements.

The best Stravinsky set available I think by a long, long way.


A tremendous set...., 10 Jun 2008
the master himself-why SONY/BMG dont do this with other artists is curious;
but the playing is excellent as well as the sound, for the dates of recording-and Im
exposed to pieces ive never heard, or even heard of before.
Who knew IS stuck his big toe in to the water of Jazz...?
The shoddy booklet is a real shame, but I cannot complain,
its a box set that doesnt require a fork lift to bring into the house-
and I spent EXACTLY $26.00 USD for it at TOWER Mail Order
true value for money.


Five Stars, with only a little disappointment..., 18 Jan 2008
I obviously agree with the enthusiasm shown by the preceding reviewers. Well beyond the bargain, this is a real cornerstone of the recording history. Many years have passed since the useless discussions in the Sixties about Stravinsky skills as a conductor, and with the grace of time we can honour now a neat, logical, unemphatic rendition of his masterworks.
However... (there is always a however), whilst the lack of the spoken and sung texts may be easily filled up with web services, Sony have not grabbed the opportunity of this compact re-edition of the 1991 Recorded Legacy megabox to heal an annoying flaw with respect to the original 1982 Centenary Edition in 31 LPs: the cancellation of ten works, which well depicted the artistic flavour of the Stravinsky years. One of the reviewers spoke of the discovery of a great pianist, Charles Rosen; well, many of the cancelled works gave exactly this type of information and feeling.
If someone is interested in knowing the details, the omitted works are: Pastorale for voice and piano (Tourel/Rogers); Tango for two pianos and Concerto for two pianos (Vronsky and Babin, the concerto however being substituted by a very old EMI recording by the Stravinskys); Serenade for piano (Rosen, also substituted by another old EMI recording by Stravinsky); Three Easy Pieces and Five Easy Pieces for four-hands piano (Gold and Fizdale); finally, and above all, the Pastorale for violin and wind quartet (Szigeti with Stravinsky and an unspecified wind quartet), the arrangement of The Star-spangled Banner (Stravinsky), the short Fanfare for a new Theatre (Heinrich and Nagel), and the Chanson Russe for violin and piano (Szigeti and Stravinsky).
Five stars, no doubt, also taking into account this imperfection. By the way, the Fanfare, the Star-spangled Banner, and the Chanson Russe are contained in another Sony box, the well known Original Jacket Collection - Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky (SX9K 64136).


What a magnificent collection !, 27 Oct 2007
I have always regarded Stravinsky as one of the most outstanding composers I have ever listened to but had not, until now, quite realised what a stunning variety of music he had written during his lifetime.
Sony have always been a reliable name to count on for top quality products and this box set has not failed to delight.
I only wish some of the other recording companies could produce similar high quality box sets at such bargain prices.
Congratulations to Sony and if the maestro is listening upstairs - bravo !!

Excellent reading, 05 Dec 2008
I bought this for my son but have also enjoyed listening to it myself.
The reader has a good reading voice (nothing like Julian Clary as another reviewer has suggested) and also does pronounce the names correctly - he uses the now generally accepted Heracles rather than Hercules and this has confused some people.

BEST TALKING BOOK EVER, 31 Jan 2008
At once i loved this Talkingbook It was a brilliant find and i really loved it

Disappointing, 09 Nov 2006
I was so disappointed by this audio CD. The actor has a voice similar to Julian Clary and mispronounces some of the characters names! It could have been done a lot better.
Graphically gruesome in places, my rising 6 year old had nightmares. The Greek Myths are much loved in our house. We have books and audio books and this is the first disappointment.

Keeps the kids happy on long car journeys, 02 Aug 2006
We purchased this CD on the basis of another Amazon review and weren't disappointed. Ths kids (aged 8 & 6) love the stories (Heracles, Theseus, Perseus, Jason and the Argonauts among others) and the CD is requested on every car journey! It's a painless way of getting a bit of knowledge/history into us all. The stories are re-told in modern language with some music thrown in for effect at key points, which all adds to the effect. The narrator has a pleasant voice (important when these CDs are played repeatedly!) and even though we all know the stories backward now, enjoy them still.

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Nice but not english, 26 Dec 2008
Not really for the British Market. Only one track in english really lets the album down.

Il Divo are the greatest, 15 Oct 2007
Il Divo are fantastic. All their albums, DVD's and more recently their book are worth every penny. Simon Cowell absolutely knew what he was doing when he found these terrific guys who bring so much enjoyment. This is music as it should be, when it can move you so much. The people that run them down do not appreciate good music when they hear it. I personally listen to their music every day and never tire of it. Roll on the next CD/DVD.

Siempre, 26 Jul 2007
fantastic voices - ignore the gripe with them not singing in english.

Enjoyable album

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 23 Jul 2007
As always an exquisite release by Il Divo. These guys just keep getting better and better. No gimmicks needed because their voices do all the work. The songs are beautiful, their melodic voices relaxing and uplifting and always make me feel better after a bad day!!! When people complain that only one or two songs are in English I don't know exactly what they expect. Maybe they should learn another language and not be so narrow-minded as to criticise something just because they think the only language people need to speak is English.
This CD just makes me want to go and watch them in concert someday. You definitely need this album.

Voices from heaven, 20 May 2007
Maybe at the age of 77yrs I am one of their oldest fans. I just want to keep on listening to those gorgeous voices. They not only give me goose bumps but I get a lump in my throat and stinging at the back of my eyes until I give in and let the tears flow. Any singers that can do that to a person have to be very special indeed. Thank you Simon Cowell for getting them together, but I would like to hear a little more singing in English.

Best Xmas album ever, 07 Oct 2008
This CD is a delight capturing the sparkle and fun of Xmas. It is light classical music at its very best. I play Troika and I know the festive season has begun.

Erratum, 19 Jul 2005
I might well write my previous review of this album anonymously - the theme-tune for the TV coverage of the London Olympics is NOT the Bacchanale from Glazunov's 'The Four Seasons', but the music which the late Ron Goodwin wrote for the film 'The Trap'. The two tunes share an exhilarating,wintry feel, but that is no excuse. Apologies to Ron, and to any readers misled by my error!

a surprise buy, 27 Dec 2004
Ive had this cd for sometime. I must have bought in its first incarnation. This was also a surprise buy because I was looking hard for a good xmas cd at the time. I saw it. Heard it in the cd booth, & bought it!! Its one of the best xmas cds around. Go buy you will not be disappointed!!

Simply Wonderful Listening, 21 Dec 2001
I have tried to buy this again for two years and I am thrilled it has been re-released. The CD is filled with many classical tunes that featured as THE Christmas TV tunes in my childhood and teens e.g. the Timex advert. Great tunes combined with good artists and best of all, not what you hear playing in all the supermarkets! A truely "Classey" classic that I would recommend to anyone who likes good music.

GREAT VALUE - SUPER SET, 10 Dec 2008
I am realy pleased with this boxed set. The quality of the sound on most of the CD's is quite amazing.You need have no worries about buying this set and will discover much of Stravinsky's music which you might not know.
Happy listening. Dave.

Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky, 23 Aug 2008

It's common to find good value box sets from labels such as EMI Classics, Brilliant Classics and Warner Classics, but not so often on the Sony label.

In general, the bigger the set the better the value, with collections of more than ten discs often falling into the bargain category of under £1 a disc.

This collection though represents not only value for money but also provides pretty much all of Stravinsky's lifetime works (he composed around 127 pieces) in a compact box of just 5cm width thanks to the CDs being supplied in card sleeves.

The enclosed 24 booklet provides a biography of the composer, and more importantly full recording dates, venues, orchestras, soloists and conductors, and if this doesn't sound reason enough to own the set, maybe the fact that all of the recordings are conducted by Stravinsky himself should put the final seal of approval on this most comprehensive of lifetime recording achievements.

The best Stravinsky set available I think by a long, long way.


A tremendous set...., 10 Jun 2008
the master himself-why SONY/BMG dont do this with other artists is curious;
but the playing is excellent as well as the sound, for the dates of recording-and Im
exposed to pieces ive never heard, or even heard of before.
Who knew IS stuck his big toe in to the water of Jazz...?
The shoddy booklet is a real shame, but I cannot complain,
its a box set that doesnt require a fork lift to bring into the house-
and I spent EXACTLY $26.00 USD for it at TOWER Mail Order
true value for money.


Five Stars, with only a little disappointment..., 18 Jan 2008
I obviously agree with the enthusiasm shown by the preceding reviewers. Well beyond the bargain, this is a real cornerstone of the recording history. Many years have passed since the useless discussions in the Sixties about Stravinsky skills as a conductor, and with the grace of time we can honour now a neat, logical, unemphatic rendition of his masterworks.
However... (there is always a however), whilst the lack of the spoken and sung texts may be easily filled up with web services, Sony have not grabbed the opportunity of this compact re-edition of the 1991 Recorded Legacy megabox to heal an annoying flaw with respect to the original 1982 Centenary Edition in 31 LPs: the cancellation of ten works, which well depicted the artistic flavour of the Stravinsky years. One of the reviewers spoke of the discovery of a great pianist, Charles Rosen; well, many of the cancelled works gave exactly this type of information and feeling.
If someone is interested in knowing the details, the omitted works are: Pastorale for voice and piano (Tourel/Rogers); Tango for two pianos and Concerto for two pianos (Vronsky and Babin, the concerto however being substituted by a very old EMI recording by the Stravinskys); Serenade for piano (Rosen, also substituted by another old EMI recording by Stravinsky); Three Easy Pieces and Five Easy Pieces for four-hands piano (Gold and Fizdale); finally, and above all, the Pastorale for violin and wind quartet (Szigeti with Stravinsky and an unspecified wind quartet), the arrangement of The Star-spangled Banner (Stravinsky), the short Fanfare for a new Theatre (Heinrich and Nagel), and the Chanson Russe for violin and piano (Szigeti and Stravinsky).
Five stars, no doubt, also taking into account this imperfection. By the way, the Fanfare, the Star-spangled Banner, and the Chanson Russe are contained in another Sony box, the well known Original Jacket Collection - Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky (SX9K 64136).


What a magnificent collection !, 27 Oct 2007
I have always regarded Stravinsky as one of the most outstanding composers I have ever listened to but had not, until now, quite realised what a stunning variety of music he had written during his lifetime.
Sony have always been a reliable name to count on for top quality products and this box set has not failed to delight.
I only wish some of the other recording companies could produce similar high quality box sets at such bargain prices.
Congratulations to Sony and if the maestro is listening upstairs - bravo !!

Excellent reading, 05 Dec 2008
I bought this for my son but have also enjoyed listening to it myself.
The reader has a good reading voice (nothing like Julian Clary as another reviewer has suggested) and also does pronounce the names correctly - he uses the now generally accepted Heracles rather than Hercules and this has confused some people.

BEST TALKING BOOK EVER, 31 Jan 2008
At once i loved this Talkingbook It was a brilliant find and i really loved it

Disappointing, 09 Nov 2006
I was so disappointed by this audio CD. The actor has a voice similar to Julian Clary and mispronounces some of the characters names! It could have been done a lot better.
Graphically gruesome in places, my rising 6 year old had nightmares. The Greek Myths are much loved in our house. We have books and audio books and this is the first disappointment.

Keeps the kids happy on long car journeys, 02 Aug 2006
We purchased this CD on the basis of another Amazon review and weren't disappointed. Ths kids (aged 8 & 6) love the stories (Heracles, Theseus, Perseus, Jason and the Argonauts among others) and the CD is requested on every car journey! It's a painless way of getting a bit of knowledge/history into us all. The stories are re-told in modern language with some music thrown in for effect at key points, which all adds to the effect. The narrator has a pleasant voice (important when these CDs are played repeatedly!) and even though we all know the stories backward now, enjoy them still.

beautiful chill out, 14 Oct 2008
just beautiful, some melodies are so simple but so moving, they make you cry, others just clear your mind and refresh your soul, I even use it for stress management and relaxation classes

Wonderful easy listening, 27 Dec 2007
I picked this up after I was transfixed by the track Otremare which was used in the film This Is England. I'd read that most of the music by Einaudi sounds similar, yet each track is unique. I couldn't agree more. This is hughly addictive stuff. Mostly piano with the occasional string instrument thrown in, this makes for a great listen while pottering about or just winding down. I don't listen to a great deal of music like this generally so I can't really compare it to anything else or even claim to understand why I like it. But I do really like it.

Love this Album, 18 Dec 2008
I bought this album, because I loved the choir called "Revelation" and I wasn't disappointed. I'm at a loss to know why they haven't produced an album yet !!!, because I thought they were the true "winners" of the series. Never mind this album will suffice until I see their new album on Amazon

Good Listening for Christmas!, 15 Nov 2008
Some good tracks here by what are essentially amateur choirs - they really can entertain. I LOVE Cry Me A River by Sense of Sound!!!!

Real Sound, 10 Nov 2008
This a great CD and a very good gift too! A great Balance of the top six choirs in the show and some of the group numbers. City of Bath Choir shine on this CD and show what a traditional choir can do. Some great details of show and the effort that went into making this show happen at all. THANKS BBC AND ALL CHOIRS!

You can't go far wrong with this, 08 Nov 2008
For anybody who watched the series earlier in 2008, this is a must. It contains all the best songs from the final weeks of the series, although none of the earlier weeks seem to have been included. (Maybe this is because the earlier weeks were a bit ropey at times!)

The only downside is that Last Minute seem to have been excluded, and I know many others like myself, thought they were a real hit. On the whole though, very worthwhile.

Libera loopy, 22 Dec 2008
First of all I have to say that I was skeptical about buying a best off Libera CD. I do after all have all of the albums (and itunes remixes). Is the price worth the extra new tracks? I decided, for the sake of completion, that it was - and I'm glad that I did.

First the facts - this is a double album containing 32 tracks, six of which are listed as 'new' This does in fact mean new to CD as Sempiterna - remix, and Heaven - remix (fabulous!...a few more like this please!) are available to buy/download on itunes. Gaudete has been recorded by Libera in the past, so technically this leaves only three genuinely new tracks.

The first thing I noticed as 'Sanctus' began (the first non-new track) is that some of the familiar songs sound a little different...let me explain. Some of the songs have new musical arrangements to the existing vocal lines, others as far as I can tell have newly recorded vocal lines on the existing laid down music tracks, some have both. Sometimes the difference is extremely subtle, (where only a 'loopy' fan like myself who knows the music inside-out, would notice), other times it is quite obvious. As far as I'm concerned this is fabulous, it's like a whole new album for me, although I can understand that not everyone may get as enthused as myself about such subtleties.

In short, if you are new to Libera then this is a great place to start. If you are a part-time fan, then you may feel cheesed off that you are buying so many tracks that you may already have for the sake of a handful of new ones (although we were treated to a whole new album just a few months ago - 'New Dawn') If you are a payed up member of the 'Libera fruitcake society' then you will love it for the subtle differences...the new tracks, in fact it is just an excuse (if you need one) to put Libera into your CD player again, if you were silly enough to take the last Libera CD out!

In this day and age where the boy treble voice is suffering a bout of un-fashionability (not least from boys themselves who are scared of realising the beautiful potential of their upper ranges), and where church choirs are having their centuries old tradition of all-boy treble choirs changed to mixed girl/boy trebles for the sake of political correctness (and dwindling numbers of boys)...we need Libera. Long may they continue their important and enjoyable work. And how about some more live concerts Mr Prizeman? in the UK preferably!

Techno??, 21 Dec 2008
An absolute joy to listen to,particularly the first disc. Just a slight discomfort listening to the second disc which left me with the feeling that it is purely the result of modern post production, the voices becoming a mere unimportant backdrop for the soaring techno orchestration which seems to dominate far too often.

Probably not for the choir purist but nonetheless certainly well worth a place in the CD library.


A rip-off? Maybe, but who cares?, 17 Dec 2008
So, Libera were to issue a 'Best Of' double CD. We were advised that it would contain a lot of their old material but with a smattering of new songs. And having checked the track listing, I noted that I had every one of their old tracks on previous purchases but I was intrigued by the new stuff. So, despite the incomprehensible ramblings of an earlier reviewer on here, I went ahead and purchased my copy.

Now, let me say first of all that this is an excellent collection. Even though a true 'Best Of' assembly would have included numbers that were recorded on their previous label, this is still impressive and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has only recently discovered Libera. But the question for existing fans will inevitably be: "Is this a rip-off?" Well, certainly I can now dispose of my 'New Dawn', 'Free' and 'Visions' CDs since most of their content is on this collection. But, strangely, I don't feel as though I have been mugged in the way I did after buying their 'Angel Voices' album. For a start, I knew exactly what I was buying and I bought it so that I would have their new offerings: the brilliant 'You Were There', the haunting 'Mother Of God', yet another version of 'Gaudete', a remixed 'Sempiterna', 'How Can I Keep From Singing' and Steven Geraghty's brilliant production of 'Heaven'. Take it from me, these tracks alone are worth the price of this excellent double album. Yes, I know that some record company executive is, as we speak, relaxing in his leather-backed office chair, rubbing his hands at the thought of making a killing from recycling old material, but this is in the nature of the beast. Few record companies are reknowned for their generosity and, frankly, I don't care. I've got what I want and I'm pleased with it.

Now, does anyone want to buy a collection of second-hand Libera CDs, well used...?

Cross hairs on the preteens, 07 Dec 2008
Pure deuterium. Nothing sounds quite like the innocence of young boys voices soaked in reverb. This record zeros in on that very well; making select cuts of the primest lambs in the slaughterhouse. Listening to the cleansing harmonics on here is like taking a shower in a vicarge where vicar's up in the loft crouched at the water tank sending holy blessings in real time. I put Eternal on straight away when I get in from a hard days binmaning religiously. Pun intended. The searing oscillations are like... well they're so good i nearly had the cat put down. Y'know at times i swear I can hear glockenspeil chiming coming from inside the cat. Choice of songs is very good, though a couple of their arias wouldn't have done any harm. Blimmin' Tremendous.

Nice but not english, 26 Dec 2008
Not really for the British Market. Only one track in english really lets the album down.

Il Divo are the greatest, 15 Oct 2007
Il Divo are fantastic. All their albums, DVD's and more recently their book are worth every penny. Simon Cowell absolutely knew what he was doing when he found these terrific guys who bring so much enjoyment. This is music as it should be, when it can move you so much. The people that run them down do not appreciate good music when they hear it. I personally listen to their music every day and never tire of it. Roll on the next CD/DVD.

Siempre, 26 Jul 2007
fantastic voices - ignore the gripe with them not singing in english.

Enjoyable album

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 23 Jul 2007
As always an exquisite release by Il Divo. These guys just keep getting better and better. No gimmicks needed because their voices do all the work. The songs are beautiful, their melodic voices relaxing and uplifting and always make me feel better after a bad day!!! When people complain that only one or two songs are in English I don't know exactly what they expect. Maybe they should learn another language and not be so narrow-minded as to criticise something just because they think the only language people need to speak is English.
This CD just makes me want to go and watch them in concert someday. You definitely need this album.

Voices from heaven, 20 May 2007
Maybe at the age of 77yrs I am one of their oldest fans. I just want to keep on listening to those gorgeous voices. They not only give me goose bumps but I get a lump in my throat and stinging at the back of my eyes until I give in and let the tears flow. Any singers that can do that to a person have to be very special indeed. Thank you Simon Cowell for getting them together, but I would like to hear a little more singing in English.

Best Xmas album ever, 07 Oct 2008
This CD is a delight capturing the sparkle and fun of Xmas. It is light classical music at its very best. I play Troika and I know the festive season has begun.

Erratum, 19 Jul 2005
I might well write my previous review of this album anonymously - the theme-tune for the TV coverage of the London Olympics is NOT the Bacchanale from Glazunov's 'The Four Seasons', but the music which the late Ron Goodwin wrote for the film 'The Trap'. The two tunes share an exhilarating,wintry feel, but that is no excuse. Apologies to Ron, and to any readers misled by my error!

a surprise buy, 27 Dec 2004
Ive had this cd for sometime. I must have bought in its first incarnation. This was also a surprise buy because I was looking hard for a good xmas cd at the time. I saw it. Heard it in the cd booth, & bought it!! Its one of the best xmas cds around. Go buy you will not be disappointed!!

Simply Wonderful Listening, 21 Dec 2001
I have tried to buy this again for two years and I am thrilled it has been re-released. The CD is filled with many classical tunes that featured as THE Christmas TV tunes in my childhood and teens e.g. the Timex advert. Great tunes combined with good artists and best of all, not what you hear playing in all the supermarkets! A truely "Classey" classic that I would recommend to anyone who likes good music.

GREAT VALUE - SUPER SET, 10 Dec 2008
I am realy pleased with this boxed set. The quality of the sound on most of the CD's is quite amazing.You need have no worries about buying this set and will discover much of Stravinsky's music which you might not know.
Happy listening. Dave.

Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky, 23 Aug 2008

It's common to find good value box sets from labels such as EMI Classics, Brilliant Classics and Warner Classics, but not so often on the Sony label.

In general, the bigger the set the better the value, with collections of more than ten discs often falling into the bargain category of under £1 a disc.

This collection though represents not only value for money but also provides pretty much all of Stravinsky's lifetime works (he composed around 127 pieces) in a compact box of just 5cm width thanks to the CDs being supplied in card sleeves.

The enclosed 24 booklet provides a biography of the composer, and more importantly full recording dates, venues, orchestras, soloists and conductors, and if this doesn't sound reason enough to own the set, maybe the fact that all of the recordings are conducted by Stravinsky himself should put the final seal of approval on this most comprehensive of lifetime recording achievements.

The best Stravinsky set available I think by a long, long way.


A tremendous set...., 10 Jun 2008
the master himself-why SONY/BMG dont do this with other artists is curious;
but the playing is excellent as well as the sound, for the dates of recording-and Im
exposed to pieces ive never heard, or even heard of before.
Who knew IS stuck his big toe in to the water of Jazz...?
The shoddy booklet is a real shame, but I cannot complain,
its a box set that doesnt require a fork lift to bring into the house-
and I spent EXACTLY $26.00 USD for it at TOWER Mail Order
true value for money.


Five Stars, with only a little disappointment..., 18 Jan 2008
I obviously agree with the enthusiasm shown by the preceding reviewers. Well beyond the bargain, this is a real cornerstone of the recording history. Many years have passed since the useless discussions in the Sixties about Stravinsky skills as a conductor, and with the grace of time we can honour now a neat, logical, unemphatic rendition of his masterworks.
However... (there is always a however), whilst the lack of the spoken and sung texts may be easily filled up with web services, Sony have not grabbed the opportunity of this compact re-edition of the 1991 Recorded Legacy megabox to heal an annoying flaw with respect to the original 1982 Centenary Edition in 31 LPs: the cancellation of ten works, which well depicted the artistic flavour of the Stravinsky years. One of the reviewers spoke of the discovery of a great pianist, Charles Rosen; well, many of the cancelled works gave exactly this type of information and feeling.
If someone is interested in knowing the details, the omitted works are: Pastorale for voice and piano (Tourel/Rogers); Tango for two pianos and Concerto for two pianos (Vronsky and Babin, the concerto however being substituted by a very old EMI recording by the Stravinskys); Serenade for piano (Rosen, also substituted by another old EMI recording by Stravinsky); Three Easy Pieces and Five Easy Pieces for four-hands piano (Gold and Fizdale); finally, and above all, the Pastorale for violin and wind quartet (Szigeti with Stravinsky and an unspecified wind quartet), the arrangement of The Star-spangled Banner (Stravinsky), the short Fanfare for a new Theatre (Heinrich and Nagel), and the Chanson Russe for violin and piano (Szigeti and Stravinsky).
Five stars, no doubt, also taking into account this imperfection. By the way, the Fanfare, the Star-spangled Banner, and the Chanson Russe are contained in another Sony box, the well known Original Jacket Collection - Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky (SX9K 64136).


What a magnificent collection !, 27 Oct 2007