We woke up, quickly got ready, and headed to YYZ in order to make our flight. However, there was a bit of a change of plans and we didn’t get on the plane. There was a bit of chaos trying to get everything in order for our additional day in Toronto. For instance, we had already returned our rental car, so I had to try to figure out how to get another. We had to go with a different rental company, and unfortunately, they only had this gigantic vehicle available. Nonetheless, we had no other options, so we rented it. We also had to find a way to get another room at the hotel. This, however, didn’t seem to be a problem, and we were even able to use our same room from the nights before.
After getting everything organised, I decided that it would probably be a good idea to look up the directions to the show in Chatham. My cognitive map was completely wrong! I thought that Chatham was in between London and Kitchener. Turns out that only half of that was correct; it is actually between London and Windsor! The drive took approximately three hours from our hotel, but we set out for an unexpected third Libera show.
When we were nearing Chatham, I called Kent and he met us for dinner at this little Chinese place called “Fortune Express.” I was a little leery as it seemed like a typical Chinese take-out restaurant. However, the food was really unique and quite delicious. I had honey chicken balls, which were crisp and perfectly cooked. They also had a great balance of sweetness and savoury flavours.
We headed for the church about two hours before the show. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait outside in the rain at this show. Even better, we got a little treat of seeing a bit of the rehearsal and stage preparation for the upcoming show; great fun! The crew, musicians, and stage managers REALLY work diligently to make sure that the performance goes smoothly and that all the fans experience everything that is Libera. From the lights and ambiance to the transitions between songs, everything is beautifully executed.
This particular show was actually my favourite of the three that I was blessed enough to see on this Canadian tour. The musicians (string quartet, percussionist, and woodwinds / keyboards [with the exception of Mr. Robert Prizeman]) were situated on two opposing balconies above stage-left and stage-right, which really added a further level of depth to the sound. The boys had plenty of room on this particular stage, and I believe that some of their formations during the pieces were a bit different than the previous two nights.
As with the other shows, I got a bit teary eyed during James Mordaunt’s solos in “Going Home.” It has been one of my favourite songs since it was released a couple years ago on their album “Angel Voices,” but I believe that his voice is the perfect match for the tune. I have enjoyed all the renditions of the song (by Joshua Madine, Tom Cully, Ben Philipp and Michael Horncastle). However, James Mordaunt’s voice is a bit more airy and whispy, and therefore, lends perfectly to the almost evanescent solemnity of the music and lyrics. For the same reason, the verses (and especially the closing line of “Mercy and Love”) of “Love and Mercy” stood out to me at this show. Only wish I could have heard him sing “Touch the Sky” as well; I think the harmony parts are very interesting and unique in that piece.
Also, after now having had the honour of hearing their new piece “Song of Life” three times live, I think it may have replaced “Adoramus” as my all-time favourite. It is stunningly beautiful, and has an incredible positivity to it. Further, the boys seem to really enjoy performing it, which is readily apparent by their shining smilies while singing.
The other two shows seemed to fly by in no time, and this one was absolutely no exception. Actually, this one seemed to go by the most quickly. Just like that, the performances that I had counted down the days to see were over. All wonderful things must come to an end, I suppose… until next time that is!
We got on the road for our three-hour drive back to the hotel. It was late, already pitch dark, and storming. The drive was quite scary in spots due to the torrential rains, the heavy winds, and the transport trucks on the road. Thankfully, we made it without much of a hitch.
|:| Zach |:|
P.S. Really like this new Android app for white noise; awesome for those who have trouble sleeping in silence!
