Post by roger on Jul 6, 2006 17:50:11 GMT
Although this mentions the Newmarket event, it is really more general so I am posting it here.
From the Cambridge Evening News...
It's been a bit of a fairytale
IT'S HARD to believe stunning New Zealand songbird Hayley Westenra is still a teenager.
How many 19-year-olds do you know who have sung before presidents, prime ministers and royalty, recorded platinumselling albums and performed duets with Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras?
"It's all been a bit of a fairytale really," bubbly Hayley says with a smile. "It's only been four years since I was back at school, so it's a bit crazy."
A fairytale it may be, but the success of this vivacious teen has not been down to pure luck but rather graft, determination and an overwhelming passion to perform.
Plus, of course, the fact that she has, in the words of her hero Bocelli, "the voice of an angel".
This incredible voice was first noticed when Hayley was cast in the role of "the littlest star" in a play. "I was six years old and chosen to sing a solo in my Christmas school play," she recalls.
"That's when my parents first noticed that I could sing. After that I started going in anything local that involved singing or dancing. Singing was my passion and the one thing I found really fulfilling."
By the time she was 11, the young starlet had appeared in 40 amateur stage musicals in her home town as well as mastering the violin, piano and ballet. So she took her talents on to the streets of Christchurch, busking with her sister Sophie.
"I was going to put the money I earned from busking towards buying an expensive, full-sized violin," she says.
"But I noticed that while when I was singing I'd get this huge crowd of people and as soon as I picked up the violin they started to dwindle, so I thought 'hmm, okay, maybe I should stick to the singing!'."
By a stroke of luck, a local journalist was among the spectators and offered to put the young prodigy on a local TV channel. Before she knew it, Hayley had been signed by a New Zealand label and later Decca Music Group.
Although Hayley's personal musical taste is eclectic, with favourites including Eva Cassidy, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles and Travis, she found that her crystal-clear voice was most suited to classical music.
"I do like pop music but classical music came so easily and really matched my voice," she explains.
Her debut album, Pure, released when Hayley was just 15, was a mixture of classical melodies, alongside light pop and Maori songs, with highlights including a spiritual performance of Amazing Graceand a rousing rendition of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights.
Purewas a huge hit, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in the history of the UK classical charts.
Last year Hayley released her second album, Odyssey, a mixture of classical, easy listening, folk and pop, of which she is immensely proud.
"I wanted to create an album that was chock-a-block full of fantastic songs regardless of their genre," she says.
There is real growth and maturity in the album, with Hayley's voice retaining its purity but sounding more rounded.
"I think my voice is richer and has gained a lot more depth," she says. "My interpretation of songs has also improved through gaining more life experience to draw on when I'm telling stories and expressing emotions."
Touring has become a regular part of the young songbird's life since her angelic voice thrust her on to a global stage.
"I had completed a New Zealand tour when I was 14 but my first major tour was of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and UK and that was pretty exciting. My whole family came along so it was a lot of fun," she says.
This year she has been the envy of women around the world, touring the globe with the Armani-clad classical quartet Il Divo.
"We have been all across America, the UK and Europe and the guys have been a lot of fun to be around. In Spain in particular it was wild but the guys were very sweet and looked after me like older brothers. I was aware that there were a lot of jealous women out there though."
As well as performing in Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall, Hayley has sung before George Bush, Tony Blair and the Queen, which she admits caused a few flutters.
"I really shouldn't have been nervous because people like the Queen and President Bush are in no way music critics. I'm sure they have a lot of other things on their mind and aren't actually taking any notice of my singing, but I was pretty nervous!"
Meeting presidents and royalty was eclipsed, however, when Hayley met her all-time hero Andrea Bocelli and went on to perform a duet with him for her album Odyssey. "He was the one person who really inspired me growing up," she says.
"I was star struck when I met him at the Classical Brit Awards and he told me I had the voice of an angel, which was really sweet. I'm in such awe of his voice."
A highlight in Hayley's calendar this month will be performing an open-air concert at Newmarket Races as part of the July Festival. "Open-air concerts are my favourite types of shows because they have a real atmosphere and I like being out against the elements really," she says.
"It's just a magical experience performing underneath a starlit sky and the audience is relaxed, drinking glasses of wine, and you have kids wandering round. I am really looking forward to performing at Newmarket and I've got my fingers crossed for the weather."
See Hayley Westenra perform at Newmarket Racecourse on Thursday, July 13. For tickets call the box office on 01638 675500.
From the Cambridge Evening News...
It's been a bit of a fairytale
IT'S HARD to believe stunning New Zealand songbird Hayley Westenra is still a teenager.
How many 19-year-olds do you know who have sung before presidents, prime ministers and royalty, recorded platinumselling albums and performed duets with Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras?
"It's all been a bit of a fairytale really," bubbly Hayley says with a smile. "It's only been four years since I was back at school, so it's a bit crazy."
A fairytale it may be, but the success of this vivacious teen has not been down to pure luck but rather graft, determination and an overwhelming passion to perform.
Plus, of course, the fact that she has, in the words of her hero Bocelli, "the voice of an angel".
This incredible voice was first noticed when Hayley was cast in the role of "the littlest star" in a play. "I was six years old and chosen to sing a solo in my Christmas school play," she recalls.
"That's when my parents first noticed that I could sing. After that I started going in anything local that involved singing or dancing. Singing was my passion and the one thing I found really fulfilling."
By the time she was 11, the young starlet had appeared in 40 amateur stage musicals in her home town as well as mastering the violin, piano and ballet. So she took her talents on to the streets of Christchurch, busking with her sister Sophie.
"I was going to put the money I earned from busking towards buying an expensive, full-sized violin," she says.
"But I noticed that while when I was singing I'd get this huge crowd of people and as soon as I picked up the violin they started to dwindle, so I thought 'hmm, okay, maybe I should stick to the singing!'."
By a stroke of luck, a local journalist was among the spectators and offered to put the young prodigy on a local TV channel. Before she knew it, Hayley had been signed by a New Zealand label and later Decca Music Group.
Although Hayley's personal musical taste is eclectic, with favourites including Eva Cassidy, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles and Travis, she found that her crystal-clear voice was most suited to classical music.
"I do like pop music but classical music came so easily and really matched my voice," she explains.
Her debut album, Pure, released when Hayley was just 15, was a mixture of classical melodies, alongside light pop and Maori songs, with highlights including a spiritual performance of Amazing Graceand a rousing rendition of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights.
Purewas a huge hit, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in the history of the UK classical charts.
Last year Hayley released her second album, Odyssey, a mixture of classical, easy listening, folk and pop, of which she is immensely proud.
"I wanted to create an album that was chock-a-block full of fantastic songs regardless of their genre," she says.
There is real growth and maturity in the album, with Hayley's voice retaining its purity but sounding more rounded.
"I think my voice is richer and has gained a lot more depth," she says. "My interpretation of songs has also improved through gaining more life experience to draw on when I'm telling stories and expressing emotions."
Touring has become a regular part of the young songbird's life since her angelic voice thrust her on to a global stage.
"I had completed a New Zealand tour when I was 14 but my first major tour was of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and UK and that was pretty exciting. My whole family came along so it was a lot of fun," she says.
This year she has been the envy of women around the world, touring the globe with the Armani-clad classical quartet Il Divo.
"We have been all across America, the UK and Europe and the guys have been a lot of fun to be around. In Spain in particular it was wild but the guys were very sweet and looked after me like older brothers. I was aware that there were a lot of jealous women out there though."
As well as performing in Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall, Hayley has sung before George Bush, Tony Blair and the Queen, which she admits caused a few flutters.
"I really shouldn't have been nervous because people like the Queen and President Bush are in no way music critics. I'm sure they have a lot of other things on their mind and aren't actually taking any notice of my singing, but I was pretty nervous!"
Meeting presidents and royalty was eclipsed, however, when Hayley met her all-time hero Andrea Bocelli and went on to perform a duet with him for her album Odyssey. "He was the one person who really inspired me growing up," she says.
"I was star struck when I met him at the Classical Brit Awards and he told me I had the voice of an angel, which was really sweet. I'm in such awe of his voice."
A highlight in Hayley's calendar this month will be performing an open-air concert at Newmarket Races as part of the July Festival. "Open-air concerts are my favourite types of shows because they have a real atmosphere and I like being out against the elements really," she says.
"It's just a magical experience performing underneath a starlit sky and the audience is relaxed, drinking glasses of wine, and you have kids wandering round. I am really looking forward to performing at Newmarket and I've got my fingers crossed for the weather."
See Hayley Westenra perform at Newmarket Racecourse on Thursday, July 13. For tickets call the box office on 01638 675500.
I definitely agree with Hayley about her voice, it has so much more depth and fullness now. I hope she has fun at the concert (and that the weather will be good!).