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Post by stevemacdonald on Jan 4, 2008 16:55:56 GMT
As much as I enjoy Ms Westenra's amazing pitch and glorious musical expression when she sings, thanks to the many TV and radio interviews she's done I'm also very much a fan of her spoken voice. It is distinctive, lucid and unusually pleasant on the ears. It amazes me that she hasn't put it to further use as a presenter or announcer. Perhaps she has and I simply don't know about it.
So my question is: Does anyone else find Hayley's speaking voice remarkable all by itself? If so, which qualities do you feel are most charming? Is there anything you would hope she'll someday do such as record a spoken volume of poetry or a documentary's voice-over? (Yes, those two suggestions are usually done by trained actors, but none with voices so rich as Hayley's.) Would she be spreading herself thin to put that other vocal talent to work in ads, docu's and the like?
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Post by caitling on Jan 4, 2008 17:23:42 GMT
I Agree!!!! She has a very nice voice when she speaks. It really goes with her looks and her singing voice. She totally works!
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Post by timj on Jan 4, 2008 17:45:16 GMT
Hayley's speaking voice is distinct without being edgy, as is her mum's. I suspect it may be the NZ accent. I'll know for sure in Feb.......TimJ
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Post by milewalker on Jan 4, 2008 18:46:00 GMT
She does have a very nice speaking voice. There are times I wish she would speak a bit more slowly so that these pedestrian American ears can keep up - but even this has improved over the course of time
Jon
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Post by grant on Jan 4, 2008 19:26:10 GMT
Hello everyone!
I totally agree! Hayley's voice is always a pleasure to listen to. It has often been said about her singing voice that she could sing anything, even a telephone directory. Well, I for one would be quite happy to sit and listen to her reciting one as well!
To be serious for a moment, I think, as has already been aluded to by Tim, that it is her native New Zealand that has a part to play here. I have only spent a short time on North Island, but found the people friendly without exception. This coupled with one of the nicest (in my mind anyway) accents the world has to offer, and you are a good way to the reason why we find Hayley's voice so appealing.
Several of us have already suggested that she would make an excellent chat show host and, for me, that is partly because of her speaking voice. In truth, the attributes she has would almost certainly make it possible for her to tackle anything she wanted to. Just give her time!
Best wishes
Grant
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Post by thomas on Jan 4, 2008 21:43:07 GMT
Hi all! I agree totally as well! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Hayley has got a beautiful, soft voice with a lovely kiwi accent. The remembrance of her voice is one of the reasons that made me smile a lot of times when I was reading "In Her Own Voice".  Thomas |
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Post by Nordly on Jan 5, 2008 2:05:56 GMT
Hayley singing a telephone directory??? ROFL!!!
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Post by Nordly on Jan 5, 2008 2:06:18 GMT
no offense, BTW
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Post by postscript on Jan 5, 2008 15:51:52 GMT
Hayley singing a telephone directory??? ROFL!!! I have traced your comment back to a post in this thread (no 4) by Grant. He could not remember from whom he was quoting. It originated from me in a post in which I stated, more or less, that I would pay to hear Hayley sing even if it was the telephone directory. The point being that while there is music I like and other music I definitely don't, if it were Hayley singing I would still go. The same applies to Chris Garrick and his friend David Ponsford . I can't stand jazz but these are such superb instrumentalists that I still go to their concerts. They are my 'what to do after Hayley other than more Hayley' thread.. Sorry the URLs are not masked. I have been away too long and need to refind the post that gives me the answer--it is there, I know. I have now found it and it is here. Thanks entirely to Richard. Peter S. |
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Post by Oksana on Jan 5, 2008 19:21:32 GMT
It amazes me that she hasn't put it to further use as a presenter or announcer. Perhaps she has and I simply don't know about it. Hi Steve, This isn't quite "presenting" or "announcing," but Hayley has narrated two commercials for Unicef on the subject of HIV/Aids. The link doesn't seem to be working right now, perhaps someone else can point us to where the videos are? Oksy |
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Post by Tin on Jan 6, 2008 2:17:10 GMT
There are times I wish she would speak a bit more slowly so that these pedestrian American ears can keep up - but even this has improved over the course of time Jon Makes two of us here. When I first heard Hayley converse in talk shows or in some other occasions, I did find her speak a bit too quickly, and her cute Kiwi accent added to the challenge. What I did was turn up the volume so that I could catch the words more easily. And I thought to myself that time, 'If I'm gonna hear this in my listening exams, I'll fail for sure.' But now it seemed I have got used to it. Well yea sometimes I still have to stop at certain points and hear some particular phrases again, but I think I'm more familiar with her accent now. By the way, yes Hayley's voice is very pleasant to the ears. Silky and smooth like her singing voice. Tranquilising too. |
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Post by Mr Yang on Jan 6, 2008 6:00:45 GMT
Thanks to Hayley. Now I am not afraid of watching NZ movies and TV shows.
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Post by timj on Feb 26, 2008 3:57:36 GMT
Hayley has a Kiwi accent, common throughout NZ, the thing I find most endearing is the addition of the extra vowel sound in some words (no, home, etc.) it's described as a "schwa" or epenthesis by linguists and is the result of a clash of Linguistic Rules, probably between Mauri and English,Scottish,Irish or a combination since they all immigrated to NZ. It's more pronounced by the girls who are more adept at liguistics anyway, in addition there is something about some vowels being placed more forward in the mouth. I sort of understand how these effects can produce an accent,but I can't make my mouth do any of it. (I am after all a linguistically challenged male.).....TimJ
( I wonder what any of you would write about if stuck in an airport!)
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Post by postscript on Feb 26, 2008 15:38:47 GMT
Hayley has a Kiwi accent, common throughout NZ, the thing I find most endearing is the addition of the extra vowel sound in some words (no, home, etc.) it's described as a "schwa" or epenthesis by linguists and is the result of a clash of Linguistic Rules, probably between Mauri and English,Scottish,Irish or a combination since they all immigrated to NZ. It's more pronounced by the girls who are more adept at liguistics anyway, in addition there is something about some vowels being placed more forward in the mouth. I sort of understand how these effects can produce an accent,but I can't make my mouth do any of it. (I am after all a linguistically challenged male.).....TimJ ( I wonder what any of you would write about if stuck in an airport!) Probably reviewing my trip and beginning to put my notes in some sort of order, dependent upon whether they are for solely my own pleasure or might be worth an article somewhere. That is if concluding a trip. If starting out, perhaps the reverse, reviewing in my mind some sort of detailed plan, or simply observing what is round me. I have not been creative writing for some time of late for diverse family and personal reasons but in my younger day I used to write poetry, describing the scene around me or the mood at that moment. The first four poems in my only ('so far', the optimist in me says!) volume of published poetry--never went into a reprint so don't get excited--opens with four poems titled simply 'On the Tube' versions one to four, although none were ever completed in situ but mulled over for a long time afterwards. They were also written over a period years as I was only intermittently on the tube. I don't think in any form of creative writing, unless one is a superlative genius, one is ever fully happy with what one creates but mulls for ever afterwards... or perhaps I'm just not very good! On the other hand it is the possibility of different interpretations that cause 'great' writers to be perceived as 'great' because there is so much to interpret. On his death-bed Graham Greene added a comma to his will. The result was mayhem in terms of what he meant by adding that comma and the debate ended up in the High Court as some believed it changed his entire intention, which was why he added it. The alternative argument was that he added it to further clarify what he originally meant! What I find interesting in Hayley is which comes first for her: the theme/tune to which she finds words or the words to which she tries to find a tune.Then of course in song writing there is the accompaniment and harmonies. Roger may have something interesting to say here and perhaps re-title this off-topic diversification! When the question has been asked of me I reply that the metre and rhyming style come as an integral part of the germinating idea. Peter S. |
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