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Post by timj on Feb 9, 2009 5:47:59 GMT
Thanks for all the hard work Ross, great videos! Sophie's got chops!......TimJ
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Post by Richard on Feb 9, 2009 11:46:06 GMT
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Post by postscript on Feb 9, 2009 11:59:26 GMT
Well done, Ross, you have done us superbly proud. Glad you were able to meet up with the family. It was good to check with Jill regarding posting Sophie on here and glad she was happy about it. Super coverage. Thank you for all your hard work. I've forgotten my password on the server you posted so waiting that to come through so i can hear and download on my own space (save my PC space) on the same server.
There is something very delightful about Sophie. In many of her stances you can see a Hayley-like person, yet something about her shouts out she's Sophie and I don't think its the dresses. Despite being separated by three years there is something about the two girls that give the impression of their being twins rather than 'just' sisters.
Peter S.
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Post by comet on Feb 9, 2009 13:11:42 GMT
THANK YOU
SOPHIE
For allowing Ross to share these wonderful performances with us
and allowing us to show our support for you here on HWI
THANK YOU ROSS
For taking the time to take these and upload them for the rest of us |
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Post by comet on Feb 9, 2009 13:21:23 GMT
Hi Annie, I'm quite sure EVERY member here recognised Sophie's dress in a split second, We have all seen it or an identical one dozens of times on Hayley's Live in New Zealand DVD, which almost every member here has and has viewed many times ! I'm sure that was all that was meant by the "I'm saying nothing" comment and all the regular members would have known that immediately  |
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Post by pjrcorreia on Feb 9, 2009 23:03:25 GMT
Thank you very much Ross for the videos, and Jill and Sophie for allowing them to be posted here for HWI members!  Paulo Correia  |
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Post by grant on Feb 10, 2009 0:12:30 GMT
Hi Ross WOW!! What a lot of catching up I've got to do having been away in Reading and then doing reviews and photo's!  I'm getting round to looking at your report, pictures and videos and so far have just downloaded and watched one video. Quite a coincidence that last night I heard a beautiful song for the first time sung by Hayley; Eva Cassidy's "I Know You By Heart" and a little over 12 hours later, the same song sung by gorgeous Sophie! Thanks to your video. As this is a new one for Hayley, could they have been singing it together whilst Hayley was home in New Zealand? I thought Sophie sang it just beautifully and I'm beginning to wonder why I haven't got one single Eva Cassidy album in my collection!  I'll have to catch up with the others later. Best wishes Grant |
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Post by grant on Feb 10, 2009 0:17:21 GMT
Hi Peter There is something very delightful about Sophie. In many of her stances you can see a Hayley-like person, yet something about her shouts out she's Sophie and I don't think its the dresses. Despite being separated by three years there is something about the two girls that give the impression of their being twins rather than 'just' sisters. I totally see where you are coming from! When I first saw Ross's pictures, I could easily have believed that some were of Hayley, yet close up they are quite different. I hope we don't have to wait too long for Sophie to release a CD. Maybe she will come to the UK to promote it with Hayley. Best wishes Grant |
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Post by Ross on Feb 10, 2009 1:22:19 GMT
Hi Ross WOW!! What a lot of catching up I've got to do having been away in Reading and then doing reviews and photo's! I'm getting round to looking at your report, pictures and videos and so far have just downloaded and watched one video. Quite a coincidence that last night I heard a beautiful song for the first time sung by Hayley; Eva Cassidy's "I Know You By Heart" and a little over 12 hours later, the same song sung by gorgeous Sophie! Thanks to your video. As this is a new one for Hayley, could they have been singing it together whilst Hayley was home in New Zealand? I thought Sophie sang it just beautifully and I'm beginning to wonder why I haven't got one single Eva Cassidy album in my collection! I'll have to catch up with the others later. Best wishes Grant Gerald and Jill said that it is hard for Sophie to find songs that Hayley hasn't sung before. In fact Hayley wanted to do The Holy City after hearing Sophie sing it but I think Sophie said no lol.It might be awhile before Sophie releases a CD as she will be busy at university studies. Gerald did say that there could be a possibility of Hayley and Sophie singing together at some stage (I hope so). |
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Post by gra7890 on Feb 10, 2009 21:57:50 GMT
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Post by musicfan on Feb 11, 2009 1:49:18 GMT
Watching Sophie makes me realise again that performers like Hayley are born, not made.
Without the Westenra name Sophie would be unremarkable. She is not consistently in tune and that is a fairly major sin. Perfect pitch is critical if you want to make a living as a singer. TV talent show judges eliminate singers with pitch problems straight away.
From what has been published about her, Sophie is a talented academic and I think that is likely to be where her future lies perhaps with music as a sideline. It sounds like she knows that anyway and is putting most of her energies into university.
I don't see any likely successors to Hayley in the current crop of well known singers in NZ.
Elizabeth Marvelly has superb management and is she is pushing hard to inherit Hayley's crown, but her debut CD has sold poorly in NZ and everywhere else it has been released and I'm not sure it sold enough copies for EMI to record her again. Time will tell. Personally I don't think there is anything special about her - she is quite pitchy at times also- and I can't see her achieving international stardom.
Anna Leese has a magnificent voice but is likely to be the next Kiri rather than the next Hayley as she does more opera than light classical (though she did perform with Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras in the last year.)
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Post by sophielw on Feb 11, 2009 9:29:44 GMT
This is Sophie Westenra here. Musicfan, I can understand your view, given the videos you have heard. I would just like to explain that in Via Dolorosa, the keyboardist accidentally played the whole song down a semitone, (as he had left on a transposing button which had been used for a previous song), and this threw me out when it came to the chorus. I'm sure you will understand that a singer relies a lot on muscle memory, and when it came to the chorus, I hadn't learnt the interval jump, but instead the note itself. Hence I sang the wrong note and it sounds awful I know!!! Also, I do hear where I occasionally went a little sharp, and I certainly did cringe a little, but this happens to a lot of singers when they are nervous. At this concert I was aware that I was being directly compared to Hayley which, I have to say, did add some pressure! I'm not trying to make excuses for myself, and I respect your opinion based on the videos, but just wanted to explain a couple of things. Warmest regards Sophie Westenra |
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Post by grant on Feb 11, 2009 10:25:41 GMT
Hello Sophie and welcome to the forum from a cold but sunny Central England. It's great to have you here despite the fact that you probably felt you had to sign up to respond to musicfan's post. Anyway, I hope you will stay now you are here, I am a huge fan of Hayley but have always regretted not discovering her earlier as I missed out on the 'family' tour in 2004 when you were all over here together but I live in hope of meeting you and Isaac one day! I have been following this concert thread since it was opened as I've only heard snippets of you singing before and, so far, I've only listened to one track "I Know You By Heart" a song I didn't know until Hayley sang it at the Reading concert last Sunday and I loved it! I think you have a great voice and I love your version of it too and, like many here, hope to have a "Sophie Westenra" CD in my collection one day. As for what you ultimately decide to do in life all I can say is "Just follow your heart" Lots of Love Grant |
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Post by Dean McCarten on Feb 11, 2009 10:56:30 GMT
Hi Sophie, A very big welcome from South Cumbria I must admit I loved the video's ross kindly uploaded for us. Like Grant, I too am very sorry I missed out on the 'family' tour in 2004 when you were all over here together but I live in hope of meeting you and Isaac one day! I also hope to have a "Sophie Westenra" CD in my collection one day. and hope that you get the chance to come back to the UK and do some more concerts with Hayley. Take care, Dean |
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Martin
Global Moderator
HWI Management Team
Posts: 3,339
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Post by Martin on Feb 11, 2009 11:08:08 GMT
Hi Sophie and a Big Welcome to the forum I entirely endorse Grant's post and would add that I admire and respect what you're doing. It can't be easy with big sister comparisons!  Certainly, if there was an opportunity to see you perform here in the UK then I (and Grant) would be there in the front row. Best wishes Martin |
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