Broadlands - July 26, 2008

[grant]

Hello everyone and thank you for your reports and pictures so far.

Glad you had a good time and the weather stayed fine.

Looking forward to full details later.

Best wishes
Grant

[Martin]

Hi All
This concert was definitely a “thumbs up” and you will understand this connotation when Steve posts his photos and probably also from James’s report.

After a very slow traffic bound journey in very hot weather I arrived shortly after 4.00pm to find Roger, Gordon, Steve, Mark, Thomas and James already in the car park. We then started a queue at the entrance gate awaiting the opening time of 5.30pm whilst listening to Hayley and All Angels carry out their soundchecks. What a perfect start to the evening.

Promptly at 5.30pm we were let in and in a very dignified manner we rushed over to the “gold” ticket enclosure in front of the stage led by Steve who from his experience at Orwell knew exactly where Hayley would be standing on stage (thanks again Steve).

So, positioned directly in front of Hayley’s microphone stand some of us then proceeded to tuck into our picnics (except for Mark who seemed to be having three rounds in the ring with a wasp).

For those not familiar with these open air concerts the general idea is to bring a picnic and “camp” out as if on the beach. So this was the case for 99% of the audience with one exception - two rows of chairs in front of the stage occupied by HWI. Quite surreal!

By this time we had also been joined by Graham and Colin and we eagerly awaited the start of the concert with the sun on our backs.

First on set after an opening orchestral piece was All Angels, whom I had not seen since last year, and they immediately captured the attention of the audience and gave a superb and confident first set performance singing songs from their two albums. They are just gorgeous!

Next on was Blake……….

After Blake was time for Hayley and wearing the “green” dress she sang the six songs mentioned in James’s post. Being used to a small accompaniment it must be quite a change to appear with a full orchestra (when rehearsal time must also be limited) but fear not, Hayley was as always on top form being the true professional and there were two very happy and contented rows of people by the time the interval arrived.

The set included “Let me Lie” which I hadn’t heard for a long time and is my favourite from Treasure.

One thing that I noticed however during all three acts that the applause was very muted from behind the HWI contingent almost to the point that I thought everyone had gone home. On reflection though you do not generally get the same reaction that is evident in theatres simply because it is a more “casual” event and I suspect many concert goers are eating and drinking throughout.

All Angels opened the second half having changed into evening gowns (wow) and their set included a track from their next album (no idea what it was called though). They closed it with “Sound of Silence” which they said was their favourite.

Then Blake came on again ………..

Hayley’s second set consisted of only five songs which was all too short but I suppose the addition of a third act into the concert limited the time for the other two. In fact, Hayley omitted her customary intros to the last three songs in this set. However, it was all very enjoyable although by this time the number of mosquitoes was becoming a nuisance to both audience and performers.

After the customary performance by all the performers of “Land of Hope and Glory” we were treated to a short but enjoyable firework display and then the evening was all over (well almost!).

We staked out the stage side entrance to the rear and waited. Then, suddenly appearing from the gloom was Hayley with her chaperon (not Ray who we think was looking after All Angels). We had a quick chat and then said our goodbyes since Hayley was obviously tired and keen to get home to rest for Wimbledon.

Thank you very much Hayley for your kindness and consideration. We all love you for that.

So, we returned to our cars and said our farewells (at least until Tuesday!).

Martin 1

[Mark]

Hi everyone

Firstly, thanks to Roger, james, Colin and Martin for your reports and to Colin & James for the photo's. It was great to see you all again yesterday and to meet Colin for the first time.

I also had a stressed journey, although I arrived just after 4pm. I met Thomas at the gate and gave him a lift to the allocated parking area, which turned out to be about a mile from the gate. Thomas then decided to walk back and fetch his hire car from where he left it. Oh well, it was good exercise Thomas !!

We spent a very relaxing hour and a half sitting in the shade of a row of trees at the gate, of course at the head of the queue We had been listening to the sound check, so that was one treat. Shortly afterwards, from behind the fenced off performers area, we had a second treat - All Angels & Blake playing football i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif I think Steve may have a couple of photo's of that later

As Martin has described, the HWI contingent were sitting on the first two rows of the Gold circle and I was dead in line with Hayleys microphone

While most of us tucked into our picnic's, Roger and james were handing out the River Of Dreams flyers to concert goers as they arrived, well done guys.

Here are a couple of pics from me of the setting:








The weather was of course glorious and it was still warm when the concert ended at around 10.15pm. I really enjoyed seeing All Angels again and loved thier performance. The girls looked stunning in the flowery dresses. Steve will no doubt have some fantastic shots, but here are a couple from me to keep you going:





Blake





Be back shortly

Mark

[Mark]

Hi everyone

Back again. Hayley was once again in top form, just as she was when I saw her on Monday. The full orchestra makes a big difference to the overall sound for Hayley., it gives her performance a different dimension, although I love Hayley singing with the piano and string quartet too. The orchestra played the full version of May It Be, just as it is on the Live From New Zealand DVD - fantastic


Here are a couple of shots from me of Hayley in the second half. They are not that good, but it gives you an idea.












For the finale, all the artists returned to the stage for Land Of Hope & Glory. We were all on our feet and those that had flags were waving them, including james, who had his NZ flag to wave. I'll let him tell you about that The fireworks were let loose shortly afterwards and made a spectacular end to the evening.

As Martin has described, we decided to wait at the most obvious entrance to back stage, just in case Hayley wanted to come out and say hello. It wasn't long before I spotted Hayley's head peep around the fence and with a friendly "Ah ha" she walked over for a chat. She was obviously tired and we didn't want to keep her to long. I told her that I was embarrassed by the fact that I didn't know the words to Land Of Hope & Glory, to which she joked that she knew the words and she was from NZ She asked if anyone was going to see her at Wimbledon - so Richard, she knows you will be there And I managed to tell her how impressed I was with the Raven Quartet, to which she agreed they were fantastic.

Roger introduced two of our new members, whitewolf13 & his sister, Sue, to Hayley for the first time. I briefly met them on Monday at Kilworth where they didn't manage to see her because of the security mix up. To help make up for it, I took a photo of them with Hayley and they were both thrilled. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of them at future concerts I'm sure we can all remember how it felt, having that first photo with Hayley.

We thanked Hayley for taking the time to come out and see us and with that we went our separate ways. It was a wonderful evening and thank-you as always to my fellow HWI'ers for your company.

Mark

[Jeff]

I made a short detour before the concert to see the Abbey with its magnificent windows and ceilings. It's been there for over a 1000 years and definitely worth 20 minutes of anyone's time. Otherwise Romsey is a bit of a one horse town as the American writer O'Henry would say. By the time I arrived at Broadlands Park a queue was already forming in the shade of a large tree so I said a few hellos and took my place further back. I had hoped to witness the sound check at close quarters but I was disappointed to hear it had begun and finished before we were allowed in. To pass the time I wandered over to the side fence and was intrigued to see 2 girls in a distant field doing handstands and cartwheels. They then ran back to the stage to join their 2 friends for the All Angels soundcheck ! I can't be sure but I think it was Charlotte and Daisy unwinding before their performance or "warming down" after their football match. Such carefree exuberance ! Oh to be young and free again !!

Once the gates opened at 5.30pm we set up our chairs in the area in front of the stage. I was surprised at how much space there was in our gold circle enclosure. We estimated the whole crowd at around 600. I don't recall the conductor's name but can only assume that Elton John has a twin brother ! We were lucky the weather stayed dry (correct forecast Dave!) but the London Gala Orchestra got the show off to a thunderous start with the Light Cavalry Overture by Franz von Suppe.

I am going to be controversial here and probably upset a few people by saying that for me the highlight of the night was All Angels performance of "Singing you through." I love the sentiment of this song, dealing as it does with the emotional support people can give to others in times of trouble. It has a "Bridge over Troubled Water" feel to it. The set list has already been mentioned so I will just say that this is only the second time I have seen the girls (the first time being their debut performance at Cadogan Hall) and I was thrilled to see how these four young ladies have matured as performers.

To be honest, I could have done without Blake and their hands in pockets, endless microphone adjustments (blaming others for the delay!) and average singing. It meant we had to wait nearly an hour to see Hayley, respendent in her emerald gown. I hadn't seen her for 7 months and was struck at how her voice had changed in the meantime. This will not be so apparent to those of you who see her more often than me. She started with her usual opening number "Pokarekare Ana" and we were treated to another 5 songs before the interval. The news that Blake would be meeting their fans left us underwhelmed. I went a walk around the field to stretch my legs and counted 10 people waiting for autographs. The toilet queue was more popular.

The second half opened with Mozart's Magic Flute overture before All Angels opened their second set with a piece based on his music. They later sang another of my favourites "Windmills of your mind". Now some of us are old enough to remember Noel Harrison's original version in 1968, a song whose tune was dissed by my late father (a journalist) for bearing too close a resemblance to the slow movement from Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola. Whilst there's no doubt that Mozart got there first I wish he could have heard All Angels version last night, he might have changed his mind.

The second half of the concert had the same running order as the first: All Angels, Blake and Hayley this time in a bright red dress. She asked us if we liked it. Oh yes and she does too ! Her set ended with Hine e hine. Was it just me or was the orchestra too loud in the final chorus ? Hayley had her work cut out to make herself heard ! The night ended with all the artists on stage for a rousing chorus of Land of Hope and Glory (we can but dream!!) and Elton got so carried away he threw his baton over Hayley's head and it landed beyond the barrier just in front of us. A souvenir for somebody ! Hayley asked us to stand for the encore and I don't think I am alone in having to brush up on my lyrics ! After the singers had left the stage we watched the fantastic fireworks while the orchestra played the Dambusters march.

If I were being brutally honest I'd have to say I prefer a traditional hall to an open air concert. Yes I know we spent a balmy summer's evening being serenaded by 5 beautiful women (and 4 smarmy blokes!) but we also had midges in their millions attracted by the stage lights, chemical toilets that didn't flush and endless ill-lit gravel tracks. My thanks to whoever suggested bringing a torch ! I will remember my night at Broadlands for a very long time for all sorts of reasons !

[grant]

Thank you Martin, Jeff and Mark for your very illuminating reviews of last nights concert. All Angels and Blake playing footy, that's a hoot! In one of Mark's pictures all four girls looked quite smitten with them. (I'm more in tune with Jeff's view of the boys!)

Jul 27, 2008 10:11:09 GMT Mark said:

Roger introduced two of our new members, whitewolf13 & his sister, Sue, to Hayley for the first time. I briefly met them on Monday at Kilworth where they didn't manage to see her because of the security mix up. To help make up for it, I took a photo of them with Hayley and they were both thrilled.

Hadn't realised who Roger was refering too earlier when he mentioned whitewolf13 - now I've twigged! I spent quite a lot of time chatting with them early on and actually introduced them to HWI so hopefully can take some credit for them joining!

I'm so glad they got to meet and have a photo with Hayley, as I'd met up with them after Kilworth in the hope that we would get a chance to talk to Hayley, but lost them again in the confusion.

All's well that ends well as they say!

Best wishes
Grant

[Mark]

Hi Jeff

Thanks for your report, it was good to meet you again. I have to agree that despite the lovely weather and the setting, my preference would also be a concert hall or indoor venue. However, it did make a real change.

Jeff wrote:

Her set ended with Hine e hine. Was it just me or was the orchestra too loud in the final chorus ? Hayley had her work cut out to make herself heard

I would agree with you, the orchestra was just too loud at the end of the song, I wanted to tell Hayley not to strain her voice Maybe it was just me, but having seen Hayley perform with just piano and string quartet a few days ago, I felt she wasn't quite as relaxed during her performance with full orchestra last night. I think it maybe that she feels she is not as 'in control' as she is with her usual musicians. We know that she likes things to be just right and thats quite difficult when you are reliant on so many other people. Still, her performance was fantastic and those who are not as familiar with Hayley's performance as we are, would never know.

Best wishes
Mark

[dutchjoyce]

Thank you, Jeff, Martin and Mark for your reports and pictures.
The first thing coming into my mind, is to attend an open air concert in the future!!(...Lincoln???) You where all lucky with such wonderful weatherconditions.
Best wishes from the Netherlands JOYCE.

[Martin]

I forgot to congratulate Roger, Thomas and James for their efforts giving out the flyers whilst we were relaxing in the sun eating and drinking. I'm sure they made up for it afterwards.

Unfortunately there was a different type of flyer later in the evening which wasn't so popular,.

Martin

[roger]

Jul 27, 2008 12:10:15 GMT Martin said:

Unfortunately there was a different type of flyer later in the evening which wasn't so popular,.

That's no way to talk about the Red Arrows! Actually, I don't think anyone has mentioned them yet. There was a flypast shortly before the concert began which is always a thrilling and spectacular sight.

Roger

[Colin]

Hi Jeff and Mark

Jul 27, 2008 11:56:29 GMT Mark said:

Jeff wrote:

Her set ended with Hine e hine. Was it just me or was the orchestra too loud in the final chorus ? Hayley had her work cut out to make herself heard

I would agree with you, the orchestra was just too loud at the end of the song,

I agree too, but I also think it was something to do with Hayley's microphone - when she thanked us after the song her voice was barely audible.

I have a video of Hine e Hine from last night which shows this - if I can enlist Dave's help to make it available I'll gladly do so.

Kind regards

Colin

[Joe]

Well done everyone for sharing your photos and reports! Such a lovely summer's evening for all to enjoy!

Ha, so glad that "Land of Hope and Glory" was a favorite...so much so that according to our Jeff, the conductor lost his baton!

Many thanks,
Joe

[Stephany]

Hi everyone

Thank you very much for your lovely reports and pictures. It sounds like it was a wonderful event. How long did it lasted if I may ask? It looks as though each group/performer sang many numbers just as if they were headlining the concert.

Stephany

[Colin]

Hi everyone

I'd like to thank the HWIers I met yesterday - forgive me if I miss anyone out but I remember making introductions with Roger, Dazza, Thomas, James, Martin, Mark and Gordon. I also saw Jeff and Graham later on but didn't get to chat with them.

Thanks also for all your reports. There's little for me to add, apart from a couple of observations.

I remember one of the viola players starting off wearing his white tuxedo, black bow tie and grey baseball cap. To be honest, the sun was shining directly into his eyes and he disepensed with the cap when he was able to.

I also noticed a couple of the violinists watching and listening intently to Hayley during a passage when they weren't playing. It seems most people can be Hayleywowed.

And it was the first time I've seen All Angels live, and how good are they? For me, they were the revelation of the evening.

I'll just add some more photos from the evening.

All Angels, in their first set:




Blake finishing:




Hayley starting:




Hayley reaching out:




All Angels, second set (which included a beautiful a capella version of Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence):




Hayley, in her second set:




The grand finale - I love Hayley's expression here:




Kind regards

Colin

[Colin]

Hi Stephany

Jul 27, 2008 16:38:10 GMT Stephany said:

Hi everyone

Thank you very much for your lovely reports and pictures. It sounds like it was a wonderful event. How long did it lasted if I may ask? It looks as though each group/performer sang many numbers just as if they were headlining the concert.

Stephany

It lasted from 7:30 till about 10:20, but I didn't notice when each act came on and went off. I would guess that Hayley had the most time, with All Angels and Blake having roughly the same time each (perhaps an hour for Hayley and 45 minutes each for the other two, all in two sets each).

Kind regards

Colin