Post by Lothar on Sept 17, 2005 18:09:06 GMT
Hi all,
today I received an article about Hayley which was printed in The Sunday Times.
Greetings, Lothar
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sunday Times
2005-AUG-7; page 3
Interview by Fred Redwood
Teenage classical singer HAYLEY WESTENRA ishes she could spend more time at the family horne in New Zealand.
When I'm away travelling - as I am for 48 weeks of the year nowadays - there's barely a day that goes by without me thinking about my family horne back in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It's a bungalow in the suburb of Bryndwr. I have lived there all my life with my sister, Sophie, who is 15, other Isaac, 12, and my parents. My mum, Jill, used to be a teacher and my dad, Gerald, used to be a gemologist - a kind of a jewellery expert. Mum now stays horne and Dad worn.as one of my management team. My friends Anita, Sophie, Anna, Hannah and Katie alsp live nearby.
It's the last house in the road - there are woods to the back of us and we aren't overlooked. We spent days just playing around in the paddling pool and having picnics at the back with my pets, a rabbit and a cockatoo. Now I only get the chance to go back horne to Christchurch for a week in summer and two weeks at Christmas.
The house is about 50 years old and my father bought it about 20 years ago. He can't remember what he paid for it then, but it would be worth about NZ$500,OOO (i:195,000) on the market today.
Houses in Christchurch cost about 20% less than those in Auckland, which is the big city. I prefer Christchurch. It has a population of about 350,000 and it's got a friendly, small-town atmosphere. We have about four cinemas and a couple of theatres, showing mainly musicals - it doesn't offer that much in the way of entertainment. Sport is really big there, though everybody's into running, athletics and, of course, rugby. I like all that, too.
When I think back to the house, I can see it now. There's our drive with the blossom and cherry trees hanging over it; you take a right and there's the front door. Go into the hall, turn left and you're in the wash-house, go right and you're in the kitchen, and from there you get through into the living room. This is the main family room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the .back garden. It leads out to a newly builtt porch, 'which is a nice place to relax. Come out of the living room from a door inside and you're in the hall, where you fmd our four bedrooms and a athroom.
My success as a singer came amazingly quickly. I used to go busking with my sister when I was 12, and people would ask if I had any recordings. So I made a CD at horne and my mum would make linIe cardboard covers for them and send them in the post.
That's how it started. I was discovered busking by a journalist, and by the time I was 13 I had a record deal and I' d appeared on television a bit. But I was nothing special.
It was only on my 14th birthday thaU realised things had changed. I' d been really looking forward to my party. I' d helped put up all the disco lights, my family were there and so were about 20 of my school friends. But then I found that a television crew had ,been invited.' It feIt so bizarre, because I knew nothing about this. It was such an intrusion.
I was given a birthday cake with my face laser-copied on it, which I didn't want at alt. I was just a kid having a 14th birthday party, but there was this outside pressure, making me the centre of attention, and it was so embarrassing. The television crew
were nice enough - they stayed for a linIe celebration in the kitchen afterwards. But that party made me understand that things had changed for me for ever.
I'll always go back horne. My friends there are just now at the stage of leaving to go to university. They knew me before all this fuss and fanx started happening, and whel we get talking it' s like I' ve never left them. I miss everything about horne: the culture, the landscape everything.
Click for HUGE photo!
Below the photo is written:
New Zealander Hayle, Westenra became the fastest-selllng clasalcal artist of all time In the UK In 2003, when her debut International album, Pure, turned gold In under a week. Her new album, Odysse" 15 out on September 26 (Decca Black)
today I received an article about Hayley which was printed in The Sunday Times.
Greetings, Lothar
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sunday Times
2005-AUG-7; page 3
Interview by Fred Redwood
Teenage classical singer HAYLEY WESTENRA ishes she could spend more time at the family horne in New Zealand.
When I'm away travelling - as I am for 48 weeks of the year nowadays - there's barely a day that goes by without me thinking about my family horne back in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It's a bungalow in the suburb of Bryndwr. I have lived there all my life with my sister, Sophie, who is 15, other Isaac, 12, and my parents. My mum, Jill, used to be a teacher and my dad, Gerald, used to be a gemologist - a kind of a jewellery expert. Mum now stays horne and Dad worn.as one of my management team. My friends Anita, Sophie, Anna, Hannah and Katie alsp live nearby.
It's the last house in the road - there are woods to the back of us and we aren't overlooked. We spent days just playing around in the paddling pool and having picnics at the back with my pets, a rabbit and a cockatoo. Now I only get the chance to go back horne to Christchurch for a week in summer and two weeks at Christmas.
The house is about 50 years old and my father bought it about 20 years ago. He can't remember what he paid for it then, but it would be worth about NZ$500,OOO (i:195,000) on the market today.
Houses in Christchurch cost about 20% less than those in Auckland, which is the big city. I prefer Christchurch. It has a population of about 350,000 and it's got a friendly, small-town atmosphere. We have about four cinemas and a couple of theatres, showing mainly musicals - it doesn't offer that much in the way of entertainment. Sport is really big there, though everybody's into running, athletics and, of course, rugby. I like all that, too.
When I think back to the house, I can see it now. There's our drive with the blossom and cherry trees hanging over it; you take a right and there's the front door. Go into the hall, turn left and you're in the wash-house, go right and you're in the kitchen, and from there you get through into the living room. This is the main family room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the .back garden. It leads out to a newly builtt porch, 'which is a nice place to relax. Come out of the living room from a door inside and you're in the hall, where you fmd our four bedrooms and a athroom.
My success as a singer came amazingly quickly. I used to go busking with my sister when I was 12, and people would ask if I had any recordings. So I made a CD at horne and my mum would make linIe cardboard covers for them and send them in the post.
That's how it started. I was discovered busking by a journalist, and by the time I was 13 I had a record deal and I' d appeared on television a bit. But I was nothing special.
It was only on my 14th birthday thaU realised things had changed. I' d been really looking forward to my party. I' d helped put up all the disco lights, my family were there and so were about 20 of my school friends. But then I found that a television crew had ,been invited.' It feIt so bizarre, because I knew nothing about this. It was such an intrusion.
I was given a birthday cake with my face laser-copied on it, which I didn't want at alt. I was just a kid having a 14th birthday party, but there was this outside pressure, making me the centre of attention, and it was so embarrassing. The television crew
were nice enough - they stayed for a linIe celebration in the kitchen afterwards. But that party made me understand that things had changed for me for ever.
I'll always go back horne. My friends there are just now at the stage of leaving to go to university. They knew me before all this fuss and fanx started happening, and whel we get talking it' s like I' ve never left them. I miss everything about horne: the culture, the landscape everything.
Click for HUGE photo!
Below the photo is written:
New Zealander Hayle, Westenra became the fastest-selllng clasalcal artist of all time In the UK In 2003, when her debut International album, Pure, turned gold In under a week. Her new album, Odysse" 15 out on September 26 (Decca Black)
and put the photo back in! It's a great photo, by the way 
