Bournemouth Pavilion Rescheduled 4 March 2009

[Dave]

Hi guys,

It was a thoroughly enjoyable concert with Hayley wearing four different dresses and again threatening to sing 100 verses of... you know what!

Some of us hung around for an hour or two after the concert, not only waiting for Hayley but also helping the local Weatherspoons to withstand the recession... until we were thrown out at midnight! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

It's far too late now for me to think about any more detail than that (sorry!) and after warnings about photography, and the difficult problem of a man who must have been 7 feet tall sat directly in front of me, shielding me from the centre stage where Hayley spent most of her time, I took very few photos. But I will post one now and i hope you like it.

[img src="http://www.daveludlow.com/music/hayleywestenra/photos/2009/[20090304bournemouth/20090304bournemouth_hayleyatpianoP2450.jpg"]

Hayley at the piano as she finishes singing "Sonny", accompanying herself.

G'night all!

Dave

[Mark]

Hi Dave

Thanks for your prompt and quick report. Despite the very tall man infront of you, thats a great photo. Sounds like you had a good evening, although you dont make it clear if you managed to see Hayley after the show or not - just that you spent an hour or two in the pub - haha i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Looking forward to hearing more about it later.

Regards
Mark

[Jeff]

Good things come to those who wait and the good folk of Bournemouth have been waiting nearly 5 years for Hayley to make a return visit. On that occasion she brought the whole family with her, this time a string quartet and an unknown tenor. Like 5 years ago the weather refused to play ball although it eventually cleared for our post-concert meeting which brought distressing news of which more later.

The day started inauspiciously as I left home at 2pm to be greeted by a hail shower. having returned for my umbrella and woolly hat I met up with Grant at 3pm outside the Pavilion. Jordi and his wife soon followed and a surprise visitor Paddy. The much-awaited white minibus arrived at 3.50pm and I welcomed Hayley back to Bournemouth after 5 years. She seemed surprised it had been that long, an absence which she later referred to on stage. But absence makes the heart grow fonder !
Photos were taken including one of a painting she signed but I'll leave those details to the artist. I noticed her leg was trembling slightly, either with the excitement of meeting us or more likely with the cold and after 5 minutes tour manager Dave quite rightly took her inside.

The concert itself began with the special guest tenor Alexei, something of a surprise. His first song "Sleep" rather summed up its effect on me. A Billy Joel number followed then a classical aria which I enjoyed more although the Italian name escapes me. By ten to eight I thought it was high time we saw Hayley but we heard her silken voice "Let your arms enfold us" before we caught sight of her as she came onto the stage in a black dress and what looked to be 5 inch heels ! I won't list all the songs as others with a better memory than mine have already done so for other concerts. The highlight of the first half was "Songbird". I must confess up to this point I had preferred Eva Cassidy's version but having heard Hayley sing it live I now realise hers is just as good.

What struck me was the number of pop songs Hayley performed (no Puccini, Handel or Ave Maria in any version tonight) and all the classical items were left to the string quartet Raven. They opened with a medley from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, then came Gabriel's Oboe (arranged for Rachael's cello) and finally De Falla's Fire Dance, all splendidly done.

Later in the first half Hayley reappeared in another black dress (with dark blue motif) and slightly lower sparkly shoes. Her voice seems more powerful every time I hear her. What I particularly enjoy is the way Hayley can put over songs and "sell" them to the audience so you appreciate them in a way you never could before you heard it live. An example of this was the Mummer's Dance, a song I freely admit I've tended to overlook in the past because it doesn't appear on any of her UK released albums. Now I've heard it live I realise what a lilting good tune it has. Hayley closed the first half with Danny Boy, appropriate with St. Patrick's Day coming up and once again I was awestruck by that final note.

A stroll outide for some air at the interval was soon scuppered by the teeming rain and a broken umbrella handle ! Raven opened the second half with a piece called "Jealousy" and the girls certainly gave it plenty of energy, so much so that Rachael and Kirsty broke a strand in their bows. (In my day we used horse-hair but I bet the Equine Rights Society has put paid to that by now!) Then followed Czardas which Steph explained her Italian father had always wanted them to perform so they blended it with the theme from The Godfather and some of the audience (not me!) still managed to clap in the wrong place !

Returning to the stage in a lime/lemon dress Hayley commented she almost wished she'd kept up the violin. "You did alright !" quipped Andy the guitarist. No argument there! Then came "I know you by heart" recorded by Eva Cassidy three weeks before she died. This was Hayley at her most poignant. She seemed to put her heart and soul into this one and I know it's a favourite of many forum members. I'd like to hear it several times to appreciate its subtleties fully. Hayley moved over to the piano so we knew "Sonny" was coming and I could see why she had changed into lower heels to work the pedals ! Wuthering Heights saw her at her most expressive and dynamic, perhaps dangerously so in view of what we learned later. Like The Mummer's Dance this is another song I wasn't sure about at first when I only knew the Kate Bush version but hearing it live really makes an impression on you. By now Hayley was in another black dress with a silver leaf motif, which got a round of applause. When it came to the encore Hayley chose Hine e hine rather than a Japanese lullaby. I applauded loudly and encouraged my neighbour to do likewise in the hope that we might get the Japanese song as well since I've never heard it but the theatre staff had other ideas and the hall lights came on.

At just shy of 2 hours this was the longest Hayley gig I've been to and we emerged outside just before 10pm, nearly 3/4 hour later than the show back in 2004. But as we gathered at the stage door, the rain having relented, we learnt from tour manager Dave that the evening had taken its toll. "Hayley's throat is killing her !" he announced and I felt a cold shiver grip my heart that wasn't due to the weather. A planned group photo was forgotten and we quickly said our goodbyes and best wishes in 5 minutes.

As we retired to a local hostelry (thanks for the cider Roger and thanks for the photo Jordi !) we pondered how long this latest setback may last. On the bus home I read the programme. On page 4 Hayley says : "I'm told that I do too many concerts by people thinking I will ruin my voice or health." I went to bed praying those people were wrong.

[grant]

To the seaside! (again)

It was an early start for me this morning; leaving home just before 8am in order to achieve a late lunchtime arrival in Bournemouth. The train journey was uneventful but full of pleasant memories; calling at Reading, I smiled inwardly to myself remembering my first concert of 2009 just 25 days ago. A little later we called at Southampton airport where I had alighted on my last trip down here to meet Stephanie’s flight and the concert at Turner Sims.

Beyond Southampton I had to dig deep into distant memories; gliding through the New Forest, I cast my mind back to the last time I travelled this bit of railway and I had to dig very deep! It was actually April 1969 – a date that Jeff may recognise as being the last days of Bournemouth’s trolleybuses!!

Needless to say, I did not recognise anything once off the train which probably explains why I got horribly lost! First, turning right when I should have turned left and then turning left when I should have turned right! Consequently, what should have taken 15 minutes took forty.

I quickly washed, shaved and changed and left the hotel to be welcomed by a hail shower - or should I say, a "Hayleyshower"! and headed down the hill to the Pavilion Theatre which I actually managed to do without getting lost! Soon I am joined by Jeff and then Jordi and Olga and we wandered down to the stage door to wait for the minibus with it’s precious passengers.

By the time the minibus arrived, so had Paddy, there were also a few others waiting with things for Hayley to sign. It is quite cold and Dave is anxious for Hayley to get into the warmth of the theatre. I managed to talk to her long enough to tell her about the sale of posters; teasing her a little about the amount raised and watching her eyes widen as she learnt the total amount. She didn’t have to say anything – her eyes spoke a thousand words which gave me great pleasure.

By now Dave was ushering her inside so I quickly presented her with the ALW 60th birthday CD that Graeme had sent for her from Australia (I think she liked it Graeme! ). Time now to look for somewhere to eat; Jeff pointed us in the right direction before heading for his bus home and, as we headed off, we met up with Roger and Gordon who had missed Hayley by about five minutes.

Ten minutes later Roger, Gordon, Jordi, Olga, Paddy and I were sat in the local Weatherspoon’s considering our dinner options ……..

More later.

Best wishes
Grant

[roger]

Just in case earlier reports have caused concern over Hayley's health...

I have just spoken to Kathryn at Bedlam who tells me that Hayley has had a restful day and is perfectly okay.

Roger

[Mark]

Hi Roger

Thanks for the news - I was a little worried after reading the initial reports That reassuring to know.

Best wishes
Mark

[Mark]

Hi Jeff

Thanks so much for your report - sounds like another great concert. I hadn't really thought about it but you are quite right, Hayley is singing just about all non classical songs at these concerts. I am more convinced than ever that her next album will most likely not be a classical one !!


Hi Grant

Thanks for the first part of your report. What is it about these southern towns - do you remember Southampton and how many times did we get lost there

Looking forward to the next bit.

Regards

mark

[grant]

Hi Roger

Thank you for putting everyone's mind at rest about Hayley's health.

I thought she was in high spirits last night - even after the concert. I didn't pick up that she had a cold and they often come with side effects like a sore throat, hence Dave's comment at the stage door.

Clearly, Hayley still sang her heart out and obviously suffered for it afterwards.

Sounds like she had one of those rare days off today

Best wishes
Grant

[grant]

The concert

As is becoming the norm, we returned to the theatre at around 6pm. There are already a few people waiting in the foyer and the number grew steadily. Eventually, the auditorium doors are opened and we are allowed in. Having booked this concert only after the rescheduled date was announced, and upon discovering that I could now ‘fit it in’, I had to make do with seat C9 which is a bit off centre but the view turned out to be quite good, largely because of the orchestra pit which resulted in the view of centre stage being on less of an angle.

The theatre is pretty full with only a few empty seats dotted about. I sat next to a very nice couple (from Bridport I think?) – Alan and Valerie, who I got into conversation with after Valerie noticed my HWI sweatshirt. It’s always nice to meet new people, particularly when sat on ones own like I was last night. Turns out this is also the first time they have seen Hayley live, so I am going to be very interested in their reaction.

Once again, there is a variation to the format of the concert, with Alexei being announced as a special guest. Unlike Llandudno, where his performances were interspersed with Hayley's, he sang his three numbers straight off and was never seen again.

As has become the norm, Hayley began to sing off stage and, even knowing what to expect, the intensity of those first few lines sung with the stage in total darkness never lessens for me. Hayley's beautiful voice, like a magnet, drawing me to a new level of consciousness. I watch closely as Hayley, still in total darkness, slips onto stage – music – lights – applause - and once more, Hayley stands centre stage smiling her smile and waiting for her cue to sing again. Someone once asked why I come to see Hayley perform so many times – silly question!

After “Prayer” Hayley continued with “Scarborough Fair”, “The Water Is Wide” and “Songbird” before introducing the band, although this time, when introducing Andy, she introduced him as “All the way from Carlisle”. Didn’t she used to say Leeds?

Leaving the stage to Raven, their three pieces were as previous concerts and, just like all the other concerts where I’ve seen them perform, they received a terrific reception. I may have missed it, but I didn’t catch the plug for their CD, but I made a point of saying to Valerie that they had a CD out and that it was worth having and she sent Alan to get one in the interval!

After the first few concerts, “May It Be” had been dropped from Hayley's second set reducing it to three numbers. Tonight it was back to four with “Amazing Grace” inserted after “The Mummers Dance”, giving Hayley the opportunity to tell the tale about not realising bagpipes could only play in E flat. I thought it sounded particularly good tonight, it has always been a favourite of mine, but I can’t explain why it felt different tonight!

When Hayley says “The next song has over 100 verses you know what’s coming next, although this time she didn’t say anything about locked doors. Giggling at the audience response she came out with “OK, we’ll just sing 99 then” Hang on Hayley, that’s my line! I thought, although actually it felt quite complimentary that she should like my suggestion enough to ‘adopt’ it. “Danny Boy” concluded the first half and Hayley left the stage with a wave.

The second half of the concert remained unchanged with Raven opening with “Jealousy” and “Czardas/Godfather Theme” the latter, Stephanie pointed out, always caught the audience out. Once again tonight was no exception apart from the smug ones amongst us who’d heard it before and kept their hands firmly on their knees!

The highlight of this tour for me has now become this next song because I think it has some of the simplest yet most moving lyrics I’ve ever heard in any song – and the way Hayley sings it is just stunning. “I Know You By Heart”. It’s a song I just don’t want to end.

All too soon the band strikes up for “Wuthering Heights” played faster tonight as confirmed by Tim afterwards, so fast in fact that Andy snapped a guitar string and cut his hand in the process – thankfully, not seriously as also confirmed by Tim afterwards. The concert ended with a contest for which lullaby would be the encore. I voted loudly for Nemu No Ki, but Hine e Hine won after which Hayley left the stage for the final time and the lights came up.

Best wishes
Grant

P.S There's more to come and a few pictures

[roger]

The last time we saw Hayley at this venue was on 1st April 2004 at the end of the Pure Tour. I wrote in my report that, when I left my hotel the following morning it was raining. When Gordon and I left our hotel this morning... it was snowing! Don't go there again Hayley or we'll get an earthquake!

Anyway, back to the plot...

Approaching the Bournemouth Pavilion in the afternoon


The same fountain from the steps of the venue after the concert

Somewhere between the two, this happened...

Prayer
Scarborough Fair
The Water Is Wide
Songbird
The Mummers' Dance
Amazing Grace
Shenandoah
Danny Boy

I Know You By Heart
Never Saw Blue
Pokarekare Ana
River of Dreams
Sonny
Santa Lucia
Both Sides Now
Wuthering Heights

[Encore]Hine e Hine

...all interspersed with Raven! Wow, they are good.

It is always a pleasure to meet up with other members, especially those whom I have not previously met. It was especially pleasing therefore to meet Paddy, Olga and Jordi. I hope you all enjoyed your visit and that Engald treated you well. I hope to meet up with you all again in the future.

Roger

[riverofdreams]

My name is Paul, I am 19 years old, I have enjoyed reading others reviews on the show and would like to share mine.

Arriving at the Pavilion just after seven there is crowds of people waiting in the foyer, I look for the merchandise table which is strangely in the middle of the foyer instead of being at a table with a chance of viewing what the merchandise was there is just a sign DVD, Pure CD etc. I immediately brought a programme which was at an amazing cost of only three pounds.
I voice came across the foyer, “Please switch all mobile phones off” which disappointed me as I was hoping to take a picture. I checked as I went into the auditorium if I was aloud to use a camera which I was told I wasn’t.
I next made my way to Row C Seat 27, the auditorium looks pretty full but the most surprising thing was I was the youngest person there and didn’t see anyone who looked my age group at the start or after. The view of the stage looked amazing and luckily the people in front of me wasn’t blocking any view for me.

As the concert started a singer Alexei entered the stage and performed three numbers, he was good but seemed to be only there to kill time and once he was off was not mentioned anymore. Next Hayley begins singing from the wings the opening of prayer which made the perfect opening number for her. Once she entered she made her way to the middle of the stage, It felt unbelievable that she was standing only two rows away. She looked amazing and looked very confident.
She continued with Scarborough Fair, The Water Is Wide and Songbird which all she sounded amazing on, she then left the stage for her support Raven who performed three pieces, all four girls looked great at the front of the stage but by the second number was waiting for Hayley to come back. When she reappeared she again looked stunning in another outfit which she performed the numbers Amazing Grace, Shenandoah and closing the first half with Danny Boy which was a good ending the firs half of this enjoyable show.

In the interval I was speechless that Hayley had only just been only seconds away, people got up to get Ice Cream etc and I expect people were making there way to the merchandise if they hadn’t already. Before I knew it the second half started with Raven performing Jealousy and The Godfather Theme. Both were preformed well and on the Godfather Theme Tune there was a moment of laughter as it was difficult to pinpoint where the song ended and most people including myself clapped at the wrong point.
Hayley then reappeared and performed Eva Cassidy’s I Know You By Heart which I though was the best song she performed and didn’t want it to end. The second half continued with some brilliant numbers including River Of Dreams, Never Saw Blue and Pokarekare Ana. Hayley made her way to the piano for the song Sonny. Hayley went on to finish with Wuthering Heights which she sung extremely well and was another highlight for me of the evening.
Reappearing for one last number Hayley chose out of two songs Hine E Hine which before everyone knew it was the end of the show.

In all it was an amazing show, I really enjoyed the whole evening, I just hope its not another five years before Hayley makes another appearance in Bournemouth.

[Mark]

Hi Paul

Thanks so much for your report and a very warm welcome to the forum. I'm so pleased that you had a good seat and yes - just a few yards from where Hayley was standing on stage.

I guess it is quite often the case that there are not many younger people at Hayley's concerts and I do think that it's a shame. I think that its purely down to the fact that she is just generally not very well known amongst children and teenagers. I sometimes take my youngest daughter who is 14 with me to see Hayley and on more than one occasion, she has been the only 'child' in the audience.

Anyway, so pleased that you enjoyed the concert and thank-you for sharing the experience with us.

Best regards

Mark.

[martindn]

Well guys, I'm shattered , having just got back from one of my excursions to the Isle of Man, and have worked for 27 of the last 33 hours, so am dead beat. But I couldn't go to bed without reading the reports about this concert.
My reaction to hearing about Hayley's throat was "Oh no! Not again" and I hope she really is OK. She has a busy schedule ahead of her still, with Japan and NZ. It might sound hypocritical of me, having worked the hours I just have, to say to Hayley "don't overdo it", but I am going to anyway. Hayley, that voice of yours is too precious to risk doing any damage to. You have never given a bad value performance in your life, of that I am absolutely sure! So take no notice of those who say you should do even moe. I am surprised that five years after first seeing you perform, I can still afford to go to your concerts. But then, for me to overdo things only damages my brain, which has been beyond redemption for years!
It was a lovely clear evening for my flight back to Birmingham, and I had a lovely view of Anglesey, the River Conwy and the Great Orme, and I thought of Hayley who performed at Llandudno, right below me, a few days ago. Actually I probably had an aerial view of Birmingham Town Hall too, but didn't recognise it.
So thanks for the reviews Jeff, Grant ROD and Dave, You are the people that makes it worthwhile coming here when I feel I should be in bed. And of course thanks above all to |Hayley, who gives so much pleasure to so many people.

Martin

[david]

Hi everyone,

Thank you Grant, Jeff, Dave, Roger and Riverofdreams for all the reports and photos posted so far! This sounds like another unforgettable Hayley concert for all! Thanks Roger for the reassurances with Hayley's health, good to hear that she is fine especially after the weather there and in Birmingham the day before.

Cheers
David

[gra7890]

Hi Everyone,
I hope that Hayley is OK and that she is not over-exerting herself.

Graham