Libera: The Christmas Album (CD)

Libera's long-awaited festive collection, The Christmas Album, features a mixture of popular, secular and sacred Christmas repertoire. Ideally suited to this type of music, the boy band's unique "celestial sounds for the modern age" are aimed at music lovers seeking peace and respite in the midst of today's chaotic world. "We're delighted to be releasing our first ever Christmas album on EMI", said Robert Prizeman, Libera's Music Director. "It's something the group has long wanted to do, having performed a number of these songs on stage over the past few years as well as featuring on Aled Jones's Christmas albums. We're very proud of the results."

Well known in the UK through appearances on programmes such as the BBC's Last Choir Standing, the Royal Variety Show and Songs of Praise, Libera was formed in 1999. The name comes from the band's signature song based on the Libera Me portion of the Requiem Mass. The 24 boys aged 7-16 who make up Libera come from a variety of backgrounds and attend local schools in South London. They do not think of themselves as choirboys, but as an alternative kind of boy band. Through their involvement in Libera, they have travelled the world, recorded movie soundtracks and CDs, and served as backing singers to Elton John, Bjrk and Pavarotti. Their love of singing comes across clearly in their performances and recordings. Previous bestselling albums from three-time Classical BRIT nominees Libera include Peace, Angel Voices, Free, Visions, and New Dawn. Peace, released in 2010, reached #1 in the UK, Japanese and Philippine classical charts.