To continue with Bambi’s quote above, “…like the voice of a heavenly choir, love’s sweet music flows on…”. These lyrics to the opening of Bambi makes the heart and mind remember that music is love and love is music. It’s so hard to find live music experiences these days, so when you have the opportunity to watch a vocal group perform, it’s a magical time.
Being able to sit back and relax to the songs of The Voices of Liberty is the best experience in Walt Disney World. What used to be a repertoire from the early 1800’s to represent the time period in which they sang, it is now a modern musical theater experience.
Once upon a time, Voices of Liberty sang inside the American Adventure pavilion in the rotunda located in Epcot. They sang a cappella music representing American classics and patriotic songs. “This Land Is Your Land,” “Oh Susanna,” and “America the Beautiful” to name a few; they elegantly sang for park guests to stop in and listen for a few minutes several times a day. They dressed in period clothing, and often sprinkled in some Disney tunes as well as holiday music when appropriate to the season.
How lucky we are that they have since moved to the American Gardens Theatre, outside and across the walkway from the American Adventure pavilion. Voices of Liberty now perform Disney songs as well as Broadway and musical theater tunes, and they are amazing! Basically, you have a free concert from the best chorus you can experience. Pick any seat, no reservations required, and enjoy. You can even eat or drink during the performance.
My favorite songs performed during several sets (each set was a different experience) were “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman, “Seasons of Love” from Rent and “Moon River.” Their Disney montages include songs from Princess and the Frog and Moana to name a couple. There is a video screen behind the group (on my days, there were nine members in the group), showcasing the colors and animation of what they are performing. Voices of Liberty’s attire has changed as well. They now wear street clothes and casual dress which includes sneakers, jeans, and even baseball caps.
While the acoustics are not as good as you would find indoors, especially in the rotunda, their voices were perfection to me and their camaraderie with each other seamless. A cappella is a challenging style, especially outside and when the audience is less controlled (people come and go, and there are no assigned seats). To have this experience, however, when you really can’t find it anywhere else, made me smile and cheer. If you miss the 1800’s timeless classics, don’t worry, they still perform those as well.
Currently, the theater is shared by Mariachi Cobre and The Hooligans. Times for each performance are located on the signage in front of the theater as well as on My Disney Experience. Voices of Liberty begins in the afternoon and runs every hour (ish), weather dependent, through to early evening.
Love is a song that never ends. These words from Bambi represent music, vocals and Disney music in the parks. Voices of Liberty are a beautiful and inspiring musical vocal group. Stop by and take a listen.