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Post by stevemacdonald on May 11, 2006 22:05:23 GMT
Imagine you work for Decca and your task is to assemble a "Best of Hayley Westenra" album for international release and you're allowed to draw from everything she's ever recorded (including soundtracks) but may choose only 12 songs. What songs would u pick?
My "Best of Hayley" collection would include:
1. Here Beside Me ---- her best soundtrack song to date
2. Wiegenlied ---- impeccably voiced from start to finish
3. Dark Waltz ---- it doesn't get any better than this!
4. Pokarekare Ana (from "My Gift to You") ---- opens with the most perfect A Cappella ever done
5. Bridal Ballad ---- the vocal gymnastics would win her a gold medal
6. Silent Night (from Australian Bonus Edition) ---- the best rendition I've ever heard of this song
7. Wuthering Heights (from North American "Pure") ---- now this is how WH should sound
8. Heaven ---- what an amazing song!
9. Scarborough Fair ---- her best "folk" song yet
10. Dido's Lament ---- a perfect song in every way
11. Never Say Goodbye ---- Hayley never sounded better
12. Mary Did You Know? (from "My Gift to You") ---- terrifically pure
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Holger
Junior Member 
Posts: 60
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Post by Holger on May 12, 2006 1:27:57 GMT
Well Steve, that's not a very fair topic. Picking twelve favorites means NOT mentioning all the other wonderful works of Hayley. That's quite painful, you know.  All right, I try (in no particular order): 1. Pokarekare Ana (vocalise version) - everytime Hayley comes to this interlude followed by the guitar part I get goose bumps all over (really, it happens every single time) 2. Prayer - so soothing, so calming: with that song playing, I could sleep on a battlefield 3. Bridal Ballad - a wonderful medieval tune, hypnotic and mysterious at the same time 4. Hine e hine - the Maori lullaby causes the sweetest of dreams with me 5. May It Be - this is among the best songs to cater to the clarity of Hayley's voice 6. Across the Universe of Time - Hayley's and Sophie's voices blend perfectly: perhaps their best duet 7. Heaven - nomen est omen 8. Scarborough Fair - the sheer beauty of this piece has kept me under its spell ever since I first heard Hayley perform it 9. Wuthering Heights - who doesn't want to be Heathcliff? 10. River of Dreams - Vivaldi couldn't have possibly imagined how beautiful his fourth season can sound 11. Ave Maria (Caccini) - to this song ODYSSEY (probably  ) owes its title, you feel irresistibly drawn to the source of this sirenlike singing 12. Listen to the Wind - I went to watch "The New World", just because I wanted to experience this stunning piece in 5.1 surround sound (and they didn't play it...aaargh!!!) 13. 14. 15. ... I am sure I'd also mention the last one of Hayley's songs - but you said twelve... (aaah, that hurts  ) Cheers, Holger |
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Post by postscript on May 12, 2006 8:52:46 GMT
Imagine you work for Decca and your task is to assemble a "Best of Hayley Westenra" album for international release and you're allowed to draw from everything she's ever recorded (including soundtracks) but may choose only 12 songs. What songs would u pick? My "Best of Hayley" collection would include: 1. Here Beside Me ---- her best soundtrack song to date 2. Wiegenlied ---- impeccably voiced from start to finish 3. Dark Waltz ---- it doesn't get any better than this! 4. Pokarekare Ana (from "My Gift to You") ---- opens with the most perfect A Cappella ever done 5. Bridal Ballad ---- the vocal gymnastics would win her a gold medal 6. Silent Night (from Australian Bonus Edition) ---- the best rendition I've ever heard of this song 7. Wuthering Heights (from North American "Pure") ---- now this is how WH should sound 8. Heaven ---- what an amazing song! 9. Scarborough Fair ---- her best "folk" song yet 10. Dido's Lament ---- a perfect song in every way 11. Never Say Goodbye ---- Hayley never sounded better 12. Mary Did You Know? (from "My Gift to You") ---- terrifically pure I am so delighted you not only chose Wiegenlied but placed it so high. Did I miss a response from Lothar on his views on her German or has he not yet had chance to consider it? I agree with your description of her rendition. Lothar, a view? Regarding others, can one 'paint the lily or gild refined gold'? Why argue over sequence when the whole is perfection? However, surely, the main problem for Hayley right now is what is to be the mood and composition of the next main international CD, no. 3? I mentioned earlier my thought that Odyssey Special Edition was superb 'Easy Listening'. Pure was superb, not just for the obviously Pokarekare Ana but that superb controversial decision to include Wuthering Heights. She was so right on that, providing CONTRAST and thus exhibiting her range. Surely, for the successor to Odyssey, she needs to go back to the Pure format with diversity? And after Odyssey, something more spicey or racey? Peter Peter |
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Post by stevemacdonald on May 17, 2006 18:14:20 GMT
By the way, I would prefer to regionalise this "Best of Hayley" album so that the North American market gets some of the tunes hitherto unreleased there and vice versa for the UK.
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Post by fusilier23 on May 20, 2006 15:53:50 GMT
Not bad at all, but I think something like this should include at least one new track. BTW, the title would probably be "The Best is Yet to Come."
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Post by chungchungxavier on May 31, 2006 0:24:46 GMT
  No kidding You Guys ! There is indeed a "BEST OF HAYLEY" CD avaliable in a large CD store in my hometown . The CD hails from Japan and contains 15 tracks . All previously released .
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Post by Oksana on Jul 1, 2006 3:23:21 GMT
(In no particular order):
1. Pokarekare Ana
2. Never Saw Blue
3. May It Be
4. Dark Waltz
5. Beat of Your Heart
6. You Are Water
7. Who Painted the Moon Black?
8. Mary Did You Know?
9. Across the Universe of Time
10. Dell Amore Non si Sa
11. Dido's Lament
12. Listen to the Wind
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Post by roger on Jul 1, 2006 9:20:03 GMT
Also in no particular order... 1. I Dreamed A Dream (from HW) 2. Love Changes Everything (from HW) 3. Bright Eyes (from HW) 4. Through These Eyes (from MGTY) 5. Pokarekare Ana (any version) 6. Hine e Hine (Maori mix) 7. Mummers' Dance 8. Who Painted the Moon Black? 9. May It Be (orchestral version) 10. My Heart Belongs To You 11. Wuthering Heights 12. Ave Maria (digital singer version) As has been acknowledged in other threads, it is great to hear from you, Oksy.  Roger |
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) owes its title, you feel irresistibly drawn to the source of this sirenlike singing
