Duet Partners

[Natasha]

Who do you dream of Hayley duetting with? Of course she has already had some amazing duet partners but here's my list!

Josh Groban: When I asked Hayley if she would like to sing with Josh she seemed pretty enthusiastic so I would suggest the duets, "The Prayer" "All I ask of You" and "Time to say Goodbye." I'm sure this would be a magical pairing and it would also introduce Hayley to thousands of new fans!

Russell Watson: Hayley has already sung "Pokarekare Ana" with Russell and in my opinion, Bryan Terfel didn't come close to his job on the song. I would like to hear Hayley singing "How many stars" "All I ask of You" and maybe something like a duet of "I will always love you."

Becky Taylor: Becky and Hayley have already met but I don't think there were ever plans for a duet. Still I think they would make a sensational duet as Becky has such a deep part to her voice and they could switch off between high and low. A lovely duet would be, "Angel of Music."

What are yours? i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Natasha

[HWI]

Another good, searching question Natasha.

Well, I have already witnessed Hayley perform a duet with Holly and that was fantastic. They did it twice, once on the spare of the moment in the foyer of St Davids Hall Cardiff, and once at the North Wales Theatre, Llandudno (this second occasion on stage in front of a packed house). They sang the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria.

Something I will never get enough of though is Hayley and Sophie in duet. Watching them live in concert performing Panis Angelicus is an experience I would love to relive many, many times more. And, I wouldn't care what else they sang, as long as I got to witness it.

Apart from that, I have seen Hayley duet with Aled Jones and Mario Frangoulis. Both riveting partnerships. Give me more of them any time.

Keith.

[Richard]

Hello again Natasha!

Having just watched the video of you and Crystal in Michigan, my ambition is to see Hayley sing a trio with both of you, because your voices would blend perfectly.

So far I've seen Hayley duetting with Aled Jones in Croydon, her sister Sophie and Katherine Jenkins at the London Palladium, Mario Frangoulis in Southend, and José Carreras at Hampton Court.

Hayley sings "All I Ask Of You" as a duet with Shaun Dixon on her first Universal New Zealand CD, titled simply "Hayley Westenra", and she sings two duets with Sophie on her second CD "My Gift To You". She also recorded a duet of "Silent Night" with Aled Jones on his Christmas CD last year. All these CDs are in my collection, and they are all excellent! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

This evening I'm going to see Hayley in a Charity Concert at the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre. The event is called "Horses in Harmony", and apparently Hayley is going to sing on horseback. I don't know if the horse is going to join in, but anything could happen, and I'll tell you all about it later this week. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Bye for now,

Richard

[daddytom]

Natasha is a teenage question box . Keep them coming, you make us think .

Since I have never been within 800 miles of Hayley I haven't experienced a live performance but I would love to be there when shes sings with Sofie. The Kiwi fellow on "New Zealand Live" was excellent. I think she would fit well with Daniel O'Donnell also.

[fusilier23]

Daniel O'Donnell would be an excellent choice, as would any of the Irish tenors past or present. I had an idea once for a certain other singer to do "Christmas in the Trenches" in duet with John McDermott, but Hayley could do it just as well if not better.

[roger]

I'm not sure I know 'Christmas in the Trenches'. Is it the one that begins along the lines of:

Christmas Eve in 1914,
Stars were burning, burning bright.
And all along the Western Front,
Guns were lying still and quiet.

Is that it? If so, I agree Hayley and John McDermott would sing a marvelous version of it.

Roger

[fusilier23]

Not exactly, Roger, the version I envision runs something like this:

(and just to frame the singing)

Hayley is doing a Christmas concert and she's all in red. She has just finished a duet version of "Do You Hear What I Hear" and presents "my GORGEOUS sister Sophie" to the audience. She then addresses the audience and turns serious.

"It's a pity that at this time some of our loved ones can't be with us because they are away fighting for this cause or that, but even when that's the case the Christmas message can still reach them. This song tells the story of one such time, and here to help me perform it is a good friend of mine you may know. He's one of the Irish tenors, and, unlike me, he was discovered late in life. In fact he was working as a newspaper circulation manager when EMI heard his demo and the rest is history. Please welcome John McDermott"

(applause, enter John McDermott, dressed all in black with a Christmas lapel flower, he and Hayley shake hands and kiss each other on the cheek.)

"Thank you, Hayley. As she said, this song is about the one time in the carnage that was World War I when the soldiers let the Christmas spirit, rather than the orders to fight, move them."

(sings)
My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.

(Hayley sings)
'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Their families back in England were toasting them that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.

(John sings)
I was lying with my messmates on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, ``Now listen up, me boys!'' each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.

(Hayley begins to vocalise to the tune of "O Tannenbaum")
``He's singing bloody well, you know!'' my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
``God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen'' struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was ``Stille Nacht.'' ``Tis `Silent Night','' says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky
(Hayley vocalizes a line from each carol as it is mentioned)

``There's someone coming toward us!'' the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night

(Hayley sings)
Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man's Land
With neither gun nor bayonet they met there hand to hand
They shared some secret brandy and wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game they gave 'em hell

They traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Tom Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men

(John sings)
Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
``Whose family have I fixed within my sights?''

(Hayley sings)
'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they'd kept between them to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore

(John sings, accompanied only by guitar)
My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well
(Hayley joins)
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle (whispered)we're the same!

(applause)

Hayley : "John McDermott!" (John exits, but he'll be back for the finale)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[roger]

That is certainly an entirely different song to the one I know but it's message is the same. Even the details in the story such as playing football and trading cigarettes are mentioned in both.

I can well imagine Hayley and John performing either of them. Who knows, perhaps one day they will.

Roger

[HWI]

You know, I can hear this in my head. It would be a fantastic single and one I would like to hear in reality.

Great idea there, Steven.

Keith.

[fusilier23]

Ah, it's no mere story, it did in fact happen, but only once in 1914, after that, when the men realized this was going to go on for awhile there was no more fraternizing.

Yes, it would be a great single, perhaps combined with some other Xmas tune from Hayley. Dunno if either EMI or Razor and Tie can spare John at this point, though, he's pretty busy since going back with the Irish Tenors.

[Oksana]

I'd like to hear hayley singing the Flower Duet with someone

[Raymond]

someone said:

I'd like to hear hayley singing the Flower Duet with someone

With YOU?

[Oksana]

Eeek, no!

My voice can shatter glass -- not in a good way!

I used to sing in front of my parents all the time, but of couse they thought I sounded angelic because I'm their daughter.

[Joe]

I can picture Hayley and Sting duetting on 'Fields of Gold'.

BTW...I just realized that this is my 400th post...long may they continue!! :cake:




Edit: I think you ate the cake Joe, so I've given you another one!
Richard, alias Mr Kipling! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

[Dave]

joe said:

I can picture Hayley and Sting duetting on 'Fields of Gold'.

That would be interesting Joe, but my vision is of Hayley singing Sting's "Fields of Gold" solo, and to Eva Cassidy's arrangement. That, I think, would be a truly wonderful thing to hear...