The boys who make up the vocal band Libera have been described as “normal” and “ordinary.” However, as their recordings and performances demonstrate, the music they produce is truly extraordinary. With shimmering, mystical chords and ecstatic harmonies, they are unlike any other group you have ever heard. These are truly sounds to lift the soul, celestial sounds for a new time.
The singers of Libera, who are aged seven to sixteen, attend many different local schools in South London and come from a variety of backgrounds. Although they are boys and they sing, they do not think of themselves as choirboys, but rather as an alternative kind of boy band.
While the unique sound of Libera may be impossible to pigeonhole, its universal appeal has endeared the group to fans all over the world, particularly in the US, the UK, Korea and Japan, where their CDs top the mainstream and classical charts and where they pack concert halls appearing in their trademark flowing white robes on imaginatively lit stages.
Once in Royal David's City
Libera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stood a lowly cattle shed
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed
Mary was that Mother mild
Jesus Christ her little child
He came down to earth from heaven
And his shelter was a stable
And his cradle was a stall
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy
And our eyes at last shall see him
Through his own redeeming love
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above
And he leads his children on
To the place where he is gone
Not in that poor lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
We shall see him but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high
Where like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around
Libera's version of "Once in Royal David's City" is a beautiful interpretation of the classic Christmas song. The song describes the humble birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in a cattle shed in Bethlehem. Mary, the mother, is described as gentle while Jesus is called her little child. The song then talks about how Jesus came down from heaven as the God and Lord of all, but his birthplace was a stable and his cradle was a stall. He lived on earth with the poor and lowly as their holy savior. The song then speaks to the promise of redemption and love that Jesus brings, leading his children to the place where he has gone. It is said that when we finally get to see him, it will be in heaven where he is set at God's right hand on high, with his children crowned as stars in white waiting around him.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in royal David's city
In a historical place named David's city, a certain event took place
Stood a lowly cattle shed
In this place, there existed a simple shed used for housing animals
Where a mother laid her baby
It was here that a mother gently placed her newborn child
In a manger for his bed
Due to lack of other options, a feeding trough was used as the baby's bed
Mary was that Mother mild
The mother was Mary, a kind and gentle woman
Jesus Christ her little child
Her child's name was Jesus Christ, who was considered little at the time
He came down to earth from heaven
While originally in heaven, Jesus Christ made the journey down to earth
Who is God and Lord of all
Jesus Christ is not just an ordinary human, but he is considered a divine God who holds power over everything
And his shelter was a stable
The humble dwelling that Jesus found shelter in was a lowly stable
And his cradle was a stall
Instead of a baby crib, Jesus' bed was a stall meant for animals
With the poor and mean and lowly
Jesus was surrounded by those who were considered socially inferior and struggling, such as the poor and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy
This divine Saviour lived on earth, sanctifying all that surrounded him
And our eyes at last shall see him
Our eyes will one day witness the sight of Jesus in the future
Through his own redeeming love
This will be accomplished by the love that saved us all through Jesus' Salvation
For that child so dear and gentle
Jesus Christ, the lovely and kind child, is the object of our emotions and affections
Is our Lord in heaven above
Our Lord currently reigns and resides in heaven above
And he leads his children on
Jesus guides and directs his followers to better paths in their lives
To the place where he is gone
The destination he leads to is the place where he currently occupies
Not in that poor lowly stable
Even though Jesus was born in that lowly stable, that's not the place we'll find him now
With the oxen standing by
The oxen, which were nearby when Jesus was born, aren't relevant to the more important aspects of his destiny
We shall see him but in heaven,
Our destination for seeing Jesus as he truly is will be heaven
Set at God's right hand on high
Jesus is currently sitting at God's side, in the highest realm of existence
Where like stars his children crowned
In that place, those who believe in Jesus will be adorned with crowns like stars
All in white shall wait around
They will all be dressed in white and await his return
Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexander Toporov
on Lacrymosa
Amazing!