Dave
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Post by Dave on May 26, 2005 8:47:34 GMT
[Italics copied from Hayley 2005 Schedule thread] I was there yesterday evening although restricted by having three guests who neither hang around stage doors nor go looking for their favourite performers! I am 90% certain I eventually spotted Hayley, sitting at the next table to Aled Jones - he was clearly visible to me after the interval. Unfortunately they were tucked away under the teleprompter (those who attended last year will know what I mean and where) in a dark corner and I couldn't get a clear look beyond Aled to be certain if it was indeed Hayley but - I think it was. We shall see how my photos come out tomorrow... but it was dark over there. My big hope was that Jocelyn Pook would win the Soundtrack award for Merchant Of Venice, and that Hayley would go up to collect it (Hayley is mentioned in the programme) but no. My hopes were dashed when John Williams won the award.
After the concert, I was dragged away from the stage door kicking and screaming by my daughter, who ensured that I looked after my other two guests far better than I probably would have done otherwise! So no, I didn't get to see Hayley then It's late now and have to be up in 3 hours time (for 3 hours, then back to bed!), so I'll only report on the highlights now - any more will have to wait until later tomorrow. The performances were without exception EXCELLENT. First there was Nicola Benedetti, she is a superb violinist for any age, but she's younger than Hayley! I hope this drags her new album into the pop charts never mind the classical ones, she deserves it. Then there was Katherine Jenkins, who sang her two songs (Habanera, Time To Say Goodbye) wonderfully well before going on later, to win the Album of The Year, ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) to the biggest applause and cheers of the night. She really is getting better all the time, looked stunning as usual, and is deservedly very popular at the moment. After the Interval, during Lesley Garrett's announcement of another award, a lady dressed in a beautiful full ballgown quietly walked onto the stage and waited in the dark for what seemed an age. Soon, the presentation finished and the spotlight alighted on... Anna Netrebko. She started to sing, slightly nervously for the first few bars, I thought - but very soon she was on top form singing "Song To The Moon". By the end of it, I had turned to jelly... it was MAGNIFICENT and I can't even begin to compare this with any other singer's performance of it (and I've heard a lot), I would probably infuriate their fans far too much... yes, all of them! By the end of Anna's second aria (Musetta's Waltz Song), again performed superbly with operatic expression and movement, I could hardly speak. Renee Fleming, who sung here last year, could not have competed with Anna tonight. I'd have paid the ticket price for this alone. Then there was Karl Jenkins, who took the conductor's baton for two pieces from his Requiem, with orchestra and choir. Pie Jesu (his composition) was very nice, I enjoyed it. Then he conducted the World Premiere of "Dies Irae" and this simply blew everyone away. A powerful and intense choral performance with lots of loud percussion, and when it ended, it had you screaming for more. Wow, no wonder he is the only living composer to enter the top ten of Classic FM's Hall of Fame. Well those are some of the highlights and there were even more *excellent* performances. But that's got to be it for now, later today I will add some more. There's a BBC summary here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4579643.stm Photo thumbnails (including Hayley)at www.wireimage.com as mentioned by Emmett. Night all i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
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Post by emmettb on May 26, 2005 9:50:14 GMT
Hi Dave, It sounded like a great night, well done for the review. Looking forward to see the pictures. Good to see Katherine winning, she deserves it and like Dave said is getting better and more popular with every perfomance. www.getty-images.com They have a few larger pics of Hayley taken from last night. Emmett
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Post by roger on May 26, 2005 10:33:53 GMT
My congratulations to Katherine for winning the Best Album of the Year Award for "Second Nature" at last night's Classical Brits. I am only sorry that I was not able to be there to see it.
Roger
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Dave
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Post by Dave on May 26, 2005 23:57:04 GMT
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Post by Richard on May 27, 2005 7:56:20 GMT
Hello again folks! ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) I met Katherine Jenkins when she appeared with Hayley at the London Palladium last year, so I would also like to congratulate her for winning the Best Album of the Year award. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif I had a bit of trouble finding the getty images, but I found them eventually, so thank you Emmett! ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) See you at Hampton Court on 15th June. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifRichard ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png)
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Post by emmettb on May 28, 2005 19:05:36 GMT
Hi,
Fingers crossed that by the time the 2006 Awards are on Hayleys new album will be up for an award.
Does anyone know how the nominations for the albums work. Is it judged by albums released throughout 2004 or does it run from when the awards take place eg. June 2004 - May 2005??
Cheers,
Emmett
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Post by roger on May 28, 2005 20:09:47 GMT
Hi, Fingers crossed that by the time the 2006 Awards are on Hayleys new album will be up for an award. Does anyone know how the nominations for the albums work. Is it judged by albums released throughout 2004 or does it run from when the awards take place eg. June 2004 - May 2005?? Cheers, Emmett Hi Emmett, While I cannot give a definitive answer to those questions, I know a little of the background to the CBAs. First of all "BRIT", as in Classical Brit Awards, stands for the British Record Industry Trust. There is a voting academy which numbers about 600 who decide the winners of every category bar one. The exception is the Best Album of the Year award which is decided by public vote. I have always assumed that the year runs from one award ceremony to the next, ie June to the following May as you suggest but that is not certain. What IS certain is that Hayley's next album will not only be eligible for next year's awards but it will surely win it! ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) Roger
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Post by emmettb on May 28, 2005 20:33:52 GMT
Hi Roger, Thanks for the information. Its good to know about the background of the event. Its only been going a few years I think. A good prediction from you there Roger, I have to agree too, Im sure it will feature in next years awards. Hopefully Hayley wont get ripped off this time when Bryn Terfel won in 2004 and he picked another award this year, the guy must have friends in high places. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifThanks, Emmett
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Post by roger on May 29, 2005 10:09:49 GMT
Hi Roger, Thanks for the information. Its good to know about the background of the event. Its only been going a few years I think. Emmett Yes indeed, Emmett. The first CBAs were held in 2000 making this the sixth. I fully intend to be there next year to see Hayley receive an award! ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png) Roger
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Post by roger on May 29, 2005 10:23:51 GMT
Mmm. It's funny you should say that. Keith and I were there last year when Bryn won. It made no sense to us. That very morning, Classic FM played their usual "most wanted" on their regular weekday programme. These are always decided by online public vote. On this occasion, the 30 items from which we could choose had all been nominated for one award or another. Hayley came in at No 1; Bryn was something like 7th or 8th. On the night, EVERYONE was talking about Hayley. I was there very early and her name was being mentioned far more than anybody else's. When the nominations were announced during the ceremony, a great cheer went up for Hayley. That didn't happen for Bryn or for anybody else. At the time, "Pure" had sold significantly more copies than Bryn's CD and had been much higher in the charts for much longer. So, all the signs were there. Surely Hayley should have won but, as we all know, it wasn't to be. It seemed that the only person within the Royal Albert Hall who was not genuinely surprised was Hayley. As you would expect, she took it with such good grace and applauded Bryn as he began to walk up to receive his award (she was sitting just a few feet in front of me so I could see her reaction well). I was absolutely stunned and was almost oblivious to the rest of the evening. I still can't believe it. So, is this sour grapes? No, I don't think so. I'm just a little sceptical..... and still very disappointed. Hayley deserved it. Roger
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HWI
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Post by HWI on May 29, 2005 10:41:04 GMT
I was fully convinced that Hayley was somehow robbed last year. And I said so at the time. I am still convinced that there was something not quite right about last Years Classical Brit Awards.
When Bryn was announced as the winner, there was a momentary stunned silence before he received his just reward from the audience. There's no doubt that Bryn is a worthy winner and, in many ways, I was pleased with the fact he got it. But, I do not think anyone was expecting the way it turned out. That walk of victory should have been Hayley's. Everyone was expecting it. My response when his name was announced was to exclaim "WHAT!".
I said at the time that I would have liked to know the actual voting figures. But, they do not announce that. It would not take any longer to say how many votes the winner received from the public. Not giving it left me wondering at just how public the vote was.
But, as Hayley did not get it last year, I will say again that I was pleased the winner was Bryn.
Keith.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on May 29, 2005 14:47:26 GMT
Hi guys, The nominations for Album of the Year are the top ten best selling Classical Artist albums *released in* the previous calendar year (i.e. Album of the Year this year was released in 2004). Hayley will qualify next year if (as I expect) her new album is eligible for the UK Classical Charts. The problem with this award is that since last year, it's been done by public Internet vote and I can't begin to count the number of weird results I've seen in such types of polls in the last few years. Favourites often don't win such polls. This year, Katherine did win as favourite but I think she's been much higher profile on TV etc., during the April/May voting period, than Hayley was last year. The Welsh Factor must have an impact, too. Welsh factor? well I think it's true about the Welsh's passion for singing and especially their own singers, so they are always likely to get a high turnout of voters - especially compared to an overseas singer such as Hayley - other things being equal. I think it's a pity they changed the award from "Biggest Selling Album" to the public vote, last year. A combination of the two, or no change, would be a fairer system - as they still do at the NZ awards. The other thing is that last year Bryn, too, had huge sales for a classical CD, around 450,000+ by April compared to Hayley's 600,000 to 650,000. Their pop album chart positions for the year were 37 and 23 respectively - but in the week Hayley hit her highest chart position (no. 7) Bryn was actually _above_ her at no. 6! ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/shocked.png) So all in all, I think Bryn was close enough to Hayley in popularity at the time for other factors to swing it. Multiple voting (not hard to do) could have had an effect too, who knows? Katherine would have had a much tougher time in last year's poll. Her total sales for Second Nature are well behind Bryn and Hayley last year, at about 320,000 to date. Also, she was no. 71 in the year's pop chart - well behind the other two last year. Luckily for Katherine, Bryn's last album Silent Noon is very specialist and hasn't sold many, a lot less than Katherine has, so this year she was able to beat him. Also, the Welsh factor gave Bryn no advantage over Katherine and she's probably had a higher profile than him, this year. Aled was Katherine's main challenger this year - he was no. 115 in the pop chart for the year with sales of 150,000, about the same percentage behind Katherine as Bryn was behind Hayley but both would have struggled last year (compare the numbers!). Aled and Katherine competed on level terms, both being Welsh and having similarly high profiles since Christmas - so you'd expect the biggest seller (Katherine) to win. Hayley will have a similar problem next year if she's again off the UK radar screens between Christmas and April when voting takes place. Not to mention the ever present Welsh factor. But winning "Album of The Year" certainly doesn't mean you are necessarily the most popular singer OR that it's the best album (caaarm down Katherine fans, I'm not suggesting this is the case this year!) At least with the old system you knew for certain that one of those things was true - the record buying public decided the most popular classical album by actually buying it. The current system of internet polling will always be a bit of a lottery; it's rubbish, I say! ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png)
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Post by Natasha on May 29, 2005 20:20:22 GMT
I've got to say I always thought should have won!! So NOT fair!! Hayley is really the real deal: so many singers would have made a fuss about loseing...I guess thats why we all love her!
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Post by roger on May 29, 2005 20:29:22 GMT
You are right, Natasha. Hayley was probably the only person in the Albert Hall that night who did not expect to win. She told me immediately afterwards that she hadn't got an acceptance speech ready! She giggled as she said it but I think she was almost relieved. Her day will come. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Roger
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Dave
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Post by Dave on May 29, 2005 22:11:50 GMT
OK I've watched the TV show now (recorded from ITV3 earlier - it's about to repeat on ITV1 as I write). Too many things were cut out for my liking - there is only one Nicola Benedetti, Katherine Jenkins (Habanera), Anna Netrebko (Song To The Moon) and Karl Jenkins piece (not the best one grrr!!!!). Here's a run-down: Lesley Garrett, Jerusalem Great shot of Hayley in the audience i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifNicola Benedetti Katherine Jenkins (with rapid fade to adverts) Julian Lloyd Webber The Sixteen Anna Netrebko ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png) Karl Jenkins Album of The Year (Katherine) Another great Hayley shot i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifJames Galway. All interspersed with various award presentations. Tonight I hope to digitize and upload Katherine and Anna for Gerrit to host, and I'll put the short Hayley clips in my webspace. In the meantine, here's a screen shot of Hayley... who's that with her? Bill Holland (MD of Universal Classics & Jazz)? It's not Costa Pilavachi, is it? ![](http://www.daveludlow.clara.net/music/hwcbrits01.jpg)
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