ALW's Birthday in the Park - 14 Sept 2008

[comet]

Hi Stephany,
Just watched the two videos, Whistle down the Wind is great, I never heard Hayley do that one before.

watching these videos makes me realise how lucky I have been with the Hayley concerts I have been to,
we have always been just a few metres from the stage, I'm not sure watching a big screen has quite the same level of intimacy,
but a large outdoor gathering can have a great atmosphere too !

[Martin]

Sept 15, 2008 7:06:55 GMT Stephany said:

Hayley performed "All I ask of you" with Lee Mead. The crowd was very lively, singing along and waving- there was obviously no kiss at the end of the duet even though everyone was sort of expecting it.

Except for Denise Van Outen (Lee's partner)

Martin

[Martin]

Sept 15, 2008 7:06:55 GMT Stephany said:

She also sang "I believe my heart" with Duncan James and "Whistle Down The Wind" from the musical 'The Woman in white' as a solo performance. Hayley had two GORGEOUS new dresses.

Hi Stephany
"Whistle Down the Wind" is from the musical "Whistle Down the Wind" which was in the London West End ten years ago.

Great dresses - hopes she wears one at Sandhurst.

Martin

[Stephany]

Hi Martin,

Thank you for the information - I didn't know that. I knew that the other song Hayley performed with Duncan was from the Woman in White musical but I wasn't sure about the other one.

Comet - there was indeed a huge crowd as you can see on the videos. Of course all the fans of Idina Menzel were at the front!

Stephany

[grant]

Hi Stephany

So you made it to the concert afterall??

Many thanks for the info and the pictures, I love the two new dresses and wonder if the one in the top pictures is the black and gold one referred to in one of the recent Irish concert threads.

The red one appears to have a Celtic feel about it, so I wonder if it's from the same designer as the green one.

Lots of love
Grant

[Stephany]

Hi Grant

Unfortunately I didn't make it because I have very important job interviews coming up so my weekend was very busy! Apparently it was an exceptional event and I'm very happy to see that Hayley performed not just one, but three songs. 'All I ask of you' is probably Lloyd Webber's most beautiful duet so it's great to see that he chose Hayley to perform it. What an honour it must be for her!

I also like her new dresses - the black one especially! There are other beautiful pictures of Hayley at this event on www.gettyimages.com

Here's the wonderful video of Lee Mead & Hayley Westenra singing 'All I ask of You'. A big thank you goes to the Lee Mead's fans for this!

Lots of love
Stephany x

[Richard]

Thanks for the links, Stephany!

To find the photographs quickly, click HERE.

Hayley's new dresses are both stunning, but I definitely like the black one best.

Love,

Richard xxx

[gra7890]

Hi Stephany,
Thanks for the links and photo's. Sorry you could not make it there yourself

Good luck with the job interviews Let us all know how they go.

Best Wishes,

Graham

[natalie]

My review

Hello everyone

Bit of nightmare journey getting there

Replacement bus for 1 part of the journey there

In line I got chatting to 2 very nice gay men they into theatre and not really got fave artist

Got in did not want to make mad dash to the stage as I knew after while I would edge more to back and did not want to distrube anyone more then I had to.

Talking to lady next to me ,told her about Jonathan whom she never heard off (she never heard of G4 too)Hmm

She and her hubby edge their way forward after Jonathan performance which wassplendid

no not them moving but Jonathan performance

Wish he sung more then 1 song love to hear it again by him he now made it his own

I did give my cheer full blast ( near by was one of the stands camera man was working and you could see better then from where I was sitting) I got look from nearby people so I said I adore him and how nice he is to fans and did brief pr

Went back to my blanket andquick pr to those near me

I thought Idena voice was bit strange and only performer whom i did not think was talented

I do like Rydian and when he sung he makes a great phantom very scarey
Hayley was great
I prefer her though to sing with Jonathan then with Ducan

I thought John B was great

Lee ----I think the show should be Lee and the birthday celebration of Sir Andrew

Maria she is so talented

Loved Denise but looking at the Video Screen thought she looked not well

Jodie she was brillant

Jessie-------robot---who can sing

Jason we should of yelled g'day JasonBig Smile great to see him

The lad whom won Britain got talent-------------blimey what a voice beautiful

Elaine wonder performance

Not going to list everyone else or I be like coco and got a little list

Went home differant way great journey back but son was working on the computer so hence I could not do my review

[martindn]

Thanks for the video Stephany. It must have been quite a night. It is interesting to compare that performance of All I ask of you with the one she did at Lincoln with Aled. I would say that I prefer Aled's voice to Lee's, and Hayley seemed more relaxed at Lincoln (understandably, and perhaps encouraged by recognising a number of HWIers in the front row). But last nights peformance had more "chemistry" between the performers.
Stephany, do you know that ALW himself chose the performers and songs? If so it was a great honour for Hayley that he chose her to sing three songs when some other artists only got to sing one!

I think she did them proud. I loved them all, especially Whistle down the Wind.

Martin

[Stephany]

Sept 15, 2008 20:41:18 GMT martindn said:

Stephany, do you know that ALW himself chose the performers and songs?

Hi Martin,

I honestly don't know but I presume it was the case. ALW likes to control everything and this particular event was a good occasion for him to promote his work...not just to celebrate his birthday. I'm not surprised that he finally announced officially the title of 'Phantom 2' at this event. So I like to think that he personally chose the performers & songs.

The line-up was pretty impressive. I am actually surprised at how good Lee Mead is. I mean, vocally, he sounds really great. Better than I thought! I was disappointed by Idina's performance but I also think that the songs she got to perform didn't suit her (special) voice.

I also read somewhere on a musical theater message board that some people thought Hayley was "pretty average and strutted around a lot".

Stephany

[Libby]

Thanks Stephany for the photos and videos, and Richard for the link to the rest of the photos. I really like the new dresses, especially the black and gold one. I hope she wears it a lot more!

It's no surprise to me that Hayley was chosen to sing "All I Ask of You", since she has performed it so beautifully before. It was outstanding this time! Going by this performance, you can't tell me Hayley can't hit high notes anymore! It sounded pretty high at the end to me. I liked Lee much better than any of Hayley's other duet partners for this song! He has a tone similar to Josh Groban's. Very smooth, not irritating in his high notes like certain other Hayley duet partners. The Whistle Down the Wind song was okay; her voice sounded great of course, but the song wasn't terribly exciting. The other song was fine, too, with more higher notes for Hayley. The youtube videos were awfully shaky, and there was too much talking and laughing in the first one. And I saw no strutting whatsoever from Hayley! I didn't notice her walking around that much.

How come in photo #3, it calls her "Hayley Westenra Henshall"? And I think it's #17, where she's at the edge of the photo, she looks like she's about to take a dive off the stage! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif I guess that wouldn't be a first for Hayley, according to her mum on the DVD interview.
The photographer didn't do very well on that one!

It sounds like ALW had a very enjoyable show for his birthday!

[Joe]

Thanks, Natalie, for your report from Hyde Park! Also thanks to Stephany for the videos and photo links.

That Lee Mead sang "All I Ask of You" quite well with Hayley. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Cheers,
Joe

[graemek]

Sept 16, 2008 0:12:03 GMT Libby said:

you can't tell me Hayley can't hit high notes anymore! It sounded pretty high at the end to me.

Yes Libby, its best not to take any notice at all about what others say about Hayley.....just listen to her. I nearly fell off my chair after 'All I Ask of You'.

Wonderful stuff, thanks all, looking forward to finding out that the programme has at least been televised in part.

If a beautiful, elegant, regal carriage is "strutting", then let Hayley "strut".
.....all the best with your interviews Stephany.....despite the financial upheavals at present.

Graeme

[Steve H]

Hi Stephany,

Great find as usual on the video's and photo's - I am sure you will soon get your wish for the west end performance!

Take Care

Steve.