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Post by stevemacdonald on Dec 26, 2007 23:48:27 GMT
I discovered Hayley while on a research expedition to the South Island of New Zealand back in the early '00s. My assignment was to find and identify urban buskers to see if they could someday be employed to sell bags of Doritos to Americans. Don't ask why .... it was the new marketing and all the chips companies were outdoing themselves with unusual campaigns involving jugglers and weightless astronauts.
Staking out the streetcorners of Christchurch, I stumbled upon a trio of siblings who were making great music and raking in loads of tips from transfixed passersby. The oldest of the three was also the lead singer, and her astonishingly pure voice filled the air with an angelic spirit unlike anything I had ever experienced.
I knew I had made a truly amazing find but how could I explain to my bosses back in New York City that the busker they were seeking to be the new face of Doritos was just a young teenager? I thought it over for a few days and returned to that magical corner where I'd first encountered these remarkable buskers, but, horrors, they were gone! In their place was a sandwich-board sign that read: "Thanks everybody but we're on to bigger and better things!"
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Post by graemek on Dec 27, 2007 0:01:49 GMT
Hi Steve, I'm so glad that you didn't find them. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBut what a story !!!!! Mine was far less dramatic. Live in New Zealand DVD playing on ABC TV one Sunday afternoon September 2005. I was upstairs doing something or other when this "voice" floated up to me & stopped me dead. I ran down the stairs to where my wife was watching & listening. Who's that? I said. I don't know. she said. We both sat & listened & watched till the concert finished. We were all ears for her name: Hayley Westenra. Of course the 1st thing we did was to order that DVD & search up Hayley's bio. on the net. Like with a lot of people, the tears streamed down my face when I heard her sing.....couldn't control them. And the look on her face as she stopped singing......pure soul beauty !!! Graeme    |
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Post by James on Dec 27, 2007 1:35:40 GMT
Umm, not really sure! I had been kind of aware of Hayley for a long time, without really knowing too much about her or her music. I think it was two things - firstly there was an article about Hayley in the Daily Mail in July this year. The second was a gradual change in my musical tastes (maturing?) over the last couple of years. I had seen a couple of videos on Classic FM TV as I channel hopped (Pokarekare ana and Both Sides Now) and thought she had a nice voice, but it didn't really fit into what I was listening to - a lot of rock and heavy metal (and maybe I was too embarassed to admit I liked this gentle, easier listening music  ). However, I found myself gradually getting less passionate about rock, particularly as there seems to be very little quality new material being written and performed (I can think of very few great new rock bands since the early 90s - but I'm drifting off topic). Anyway, my tastes slowly began to change, firstly I started playing more classical guitar rather than rock, this led to me spending more time watching Classic FM TV. I picked up a few cheap classic CDs which in turn encouraged me to watch the channel more. Suddenly I heard Pokarekare ana a few times, and I couldn't get the song out of my head and I had the TV on all day waiting to hear the song again. I also saw the promo video to Treasure. At this point I decided to buy the CD from which Pokarekare came, then I wouldn't have to have the TV on in the background all day! Having gone to a record shop, I found that they didn't have any copies of the album from which the song I was after came, but they did have both Treasure and Odyssey. Having decided to give Hayley's music a proper try, I couldn't leave empty handed so I had to decide which one to purchase (even though Odyssey had a song on it which I had seen on TV) so I did the obvious thing and bought both. When I got home and listened to the CDs I couldn't believe how good this girl was and wondered why I had delayed so long.  I instantly went online and ordered Pure and the live DVD (Amazon is a great site for suggesting what other items you may like depending on your previous purchases). Next I decided to find out a bit more about this remarkable voice. A quick search on Google toook me to the official record company site and I noticed that Hayley was performing at the "Prom in The Park" concert in a couple of weeks time, only about an hour's drive from me. I had no other plans, and so decided to do something I have never done before, and buy one ticket to go to a concert on my own! That turned out to be an inspired decision - see reports of the Hurtwood Park Polo Club concert in August of this year. Needless to say I was blown away by the performance and songs, and amazed that I actually briefly met Hayley afterwards (I tacked on to a group with some guy with a moustache who seemed to know an awful lot about Hayley and her career and I overheard mention of another concert the following week in Shepherd's Bush). Having been to many rock shows and never got near the performers, I found it unbelievable that I could hear the purity and clarity of her voice with no crowd noise, and then actually meet the star of the show. Needless to say, I went home, booked a ticket for Shepherd's Bush, looked up the forum I had heard mentioned by the aforementioned "expert" on Hayley and the rest is history. So it was perfect timing that I happened to decide to check out her music during the 2007 concert season. Oddly, since then I have listened to more and more classical music and less rock. James |
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Post by Stephany on Dec 28, 2007 7:44:20 GMT
Hi everyone, It was very interesting to read your stories on how you all discovered Hayley. My sister was a fan of Celtic Woman after discovering them during the Olympic Games (one of of their songs was used by a Japanese skater who, incidentally, won the gold medal). She heard about their new PBS show and this is how she discovered Hayley. She googled her name and saw a few videos on Youtube but also the EPK video for 'Treasure'. The album was about to be released at the time and my sister obviously told me about it. She sent me a video of Hayley singing 'May it be' (Live in NZ) because she knows I'm a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings but to be honest, I wasn't too impressed. So Hélène (my sister) decided to send me something different - 'Vivo per lei' with Hayley & Andrea Boccelli. Once again, I wasn't impressed (sorry  ). Another attempt from my sister: 'Across the universe of time' with Sophie & Hayley. Good choice - I was now quite intrigued. But it's only when I saw the Celtic Woman DVD 'A New Journey' that something really changed. I was completely, totally westenwowed during 'Scarborough Fair' and the songs that followed. Then I watched the Live in NZ DVD and registered on HWI. I subsequently ordered 'Pure', 'Odyssey' and 'Treasure'. As we say, the rest is history  This is why I am so grateful to my sister and can't wait to take her to a Hayley concert. Stephany  |
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Post by dazza on Dec 28, 2007 10:41:56 GMT
Hi Everyone,
I first discovered Hayley through a thread about her on Katherine Jenkins official forum, I listened to some songs on her MySpace page and purchased her CD's. However, it wasn't until I joined this forum, that I really started to take notice of her.
Classical crossover is pretty new to me overall, I only discovered it following the sad death of Luciano Pavarotti earlier this year, and it was through searching for videos of Nessun Dorma, a song that I had always liked due to it's status as a football anthem because of the 1990 World Cup that I came across other artists such as Katherine Jenkins.
I was discovering a whole new world of music and I loved it, I was really starting to like the other artists that I was discovering and I now actually own more classical crossover CD's than I do of any other genre of music, though I still do like other music.
There was one other group that really caught me during those early few weeks and that was All Angels, I loved their album and soon joined up at AAI, I love listening to their music and I have been to see them and met them three times and already have tickets for concerts next year.
It was through that forum that I discovered HWI, as the majority of members are the same, I joined up here and I started to discover a lot more about Hayley, have purchased even more CD's as well as read her book.
Along with All Angels and Katherine, Hayley is definitely up there among my favourite artists and I can't wait to see her live in Buxton and Jersey.
Dazza
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Post by jimg on Dec 28, 2007 13:29:10 GMT
Many thanks Hélène.
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Post by jimg on Dec 28, 2007 13:53:20 GMT
My discovery of Hayley was through her advert for Pure about 4 years ago. Once I had heard Pokarekare Ana on the advert I just had to have the CD. This was the first recording I had purchased for myself since the days of vinyl.
After that I kept my eyes open for any new releases and purchased Odyssey and Treasure as they came out.
I also found hayleywestenra.com but there never seemed much of new after the first reading.
In June of this year I booked for the Celtic Woman concert advertised for the Albert Hall.
A few days after booking I come across Hayley Westenra International. I am not sure how or how I had never found it before.
It was on HWI that I heard about the show at Shepherds Bush.
In those first few seconds of the show with that beautiful voice in the darkness and then the spotlight picking out a vision in that red dress I knew I had really discovered Hayley.
Jimg
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Post by Colin on Dec 30, 2007 0:45:36 GMT
Hi folks I've been around for a while but not posted very often. Anyway, this is how I discovered Hayley... I was driving home from my parents one dark late-autumn/winter night. It must have been September/October 2003, driving down a dark lane near Langport trying to find the A303 from Somerset to Hampshire. I had Radio2 on - I generally listened to Terry Wogan in the morning and (then) Johnnie Walker in the evening when I drove to and from work, and I didn't bother to change the station thst weekend. It's possibly better now (or I'm just older  ) but then, for people who don't know UK radio, Radio2 on a Sunday evening was dire - or at least not my choice of music; nevertheless, I persisted. Then suddenly, like a shining beacon in the night, I heard what was quite simply the best female voice I'd ever heard. It was in a foreign language, but it did not matter that I didn't understand the words - the shivers that went down my spine simply told me that the feeling, the emotion spoke to my soul. I can't remember whose show it was, but I heard the song was Pokarekare Ana by a New Zealand teenager (come on, now you're kidding me...) called Hayley Westenra, whose album Pure had just been released. "And we'll be playing Wuthering Heights a little later..." Yeah, right, as if an antipodean teenager could sing that classic from the seventies... But I listened on, and sure enough when it came on the tingles in my spine started all over again. At this point, I didn't know who she was, but I had fallen in love with her voice. I determined to buy a copy of Pure at the earliest opportunity, the following weekend. I found it in the shop and I thought "I'm a grown man - am I going to look really dumb buying a CD by a teenager..." but I did. And I played it. And I cried. I bought some more copies of it then for Christmas for family and friends. I saw Hayley, along with Sophie and Isaac, on the Pure tour in Bournemouth the following April, and have bought everything since - various versions of Pure and Oddysey, Treasure, Prayer, the Live from New Zealand DVD and both books and various compilations. I saw her with Il Divo at Wembley, and at Woburn Live, which was a bittersweet story I will save for later. Then most magically I saw her just before Christmas in Southampton, in a gorgeous intimate venue where she produced a concert of sublime quality. It was made more magical by being the first time I met her personally - though I was too awestruck to say very much! - but she did give me her autograph and had her picture taken with me - I was in a daze for days! I guess this story sounds familiar to most people on this site, but I thought I'd share it with you. Best of all, as I'm typing it up, I have Hayley's face smiling at me from my desktop wallpaper Kind regards Colin |
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Post by Mr Yang on Dec 30, 2007 13:41:17 GMT
I was not searching for Hayley actually. I am searching for "an angelic voice" and google led me to Hayley. Hayley = Angelic voice
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Post by gra7890 on Dec 31, 2007 14:36:36 GMT
Hi, I will interpret 'discover' as 'really appreciate' as I had heard the odd track of Hayley over the years on Classic fm that my wife has on most of every day. I had been a work/sport person i.e at work or doing or watching sport, music did not really come in to it, except for the above. So what changed that? A new computer with loudspeakers that worked ! Then my son introducing me to YOUTUBE where I had a play list of songs I liked from way back, plus a few Hayley songs. Hearing them while I worked on the computer encouraged me to search for more Hayley and before long my 'favorite list' was mainly Hayley !! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifHWI followed shortly after that and your enthusiasm and friendliness ( + Hayley of course) now has me completely hooked ! My only regret it is that this did not happen sooner  , all the Hayley concerts I have missed, some nearly on my doorstep , Newcastle, Harrogate to name but two !! I am really looking forward to meeting you all and seeing Hayley at Buxton to continue my Hayley 'learning curve' Hope you all have a Hayley and Happy New Year Graham |
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Post by carrie on Feb 27, 2008 0:37:21 GMT
I was on Amazon.com looking up Charlotte Church stuff and I saw her self-titled cd under the 'Customers who bought this item also bought..' section and I decided to click on it and I just loved it  |
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Post by grant on Feb 27, 2008 12:12:29 GMT
I was on Amazon.com looking up Charlotte Church stuff and I saw her self-titled cd under the 'Customers who bought this item also bought..' section and I decided to click on it and I just loved it Hi Carrie That's very interesting - quite a risk to take. What made you get the CD if you had never heard of Hayley before? Glad you did though, and glad it worked out! Best wishes Grant |
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Post by socalboy on Feb 27, 2008 18:04:01 GMT
I was on Amazon.com looking up Charlotte Church stuff and I saw her self-titled cd under the 'Customers who bought this item also bought..' section and I decided to click on it and I just loved it I think this is one of the great services that Amazon provides. I've been turned on to countless artists and albums through that simple click. btw I discovered Hayley the same way I suspect a lot of U.S. fans did - through the original airing of the Celtic Woman Slane Castle concert on my local PBS station. We already liked Celtic Woman and were wary of the “new girl.” It took about 5 seconds of Scarborough Fair to go from wary to wow. |
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Post by Mark on Feb 27, 2008 18:45:52 GMT
Hi everyone We already have an old thread with a similar theme to this called "Memories of Meeting Hayley" Not long after I first joined HWI, I posted my own story of how I first discovered Hayley - together with when I first met her and my first Photo. Here is what I said : Oh - it all seems such along time ago now. Despite having met Hayley many times since then, every time still feels special However, my first Hayley photo is something I'll never forget: I look a little star struck and definately Hayleywowed i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Mark |
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Post by carrie on Feb 27, 2008 21:19:05 GMT
Hi Carrie That's very interesting - quite a risk to take. What made you get the CD if you had never heard of Hayley before? Glad you did though, and glad it worked out! Best wishes Grant I honestly don't know why I decided to get it! I guess I just read the reviews and decided I would or something, I don't know. I'm glad I did though! |
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). 
I instantly went online and ordered Pure and the live DVD (Amazon is a great site for suggesting what other items you may like depending on your previous purchases).
). Another attempt from my sister: 'Across the universe of time' with Sophie & Hayley. Good choice - I was now quite intrigued.
) but then, for people who don't know UK radio, Radio2 on a Sunday evening was dire - or at least not my choice of music; nevertheless, I persisted.
, all the Hayley concerts I have missed, some nearly on my doorstep 
