Post by roger on Jul 7, 2006 14:04:17 GMT
From the Cambridge Evening News
Songbird's flying visit
Sensation Hayley Westenra was the special guest at an end- of-term school service at Ely Cathedral.
The chart-topping songbird hails from New Zealand but popped up to Ely from her London home to help present prizes at the King's Junior School prizegiving event.
The 19-year-old records on the same record label as The Choirboys - Ely's pintsize version of the Three Tenors - who reached the charts with their smash hit album last year.
Ely Cathedral choristers Patrick Aspbury and CJ Porter-Thaw were reunited with the third member of The Choirboys, Ben Inman, a chorister at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire, to sing during the service.
Tony Duncan, head of King's Junior School, said: "We were delighted Hayley accepted the invitation and her presence made our service of thanksgiving, at the end of a very eventful year, even more special than usual."
Ely Cathedral is also breaking with 1,000 years of tradition to create its own girls' choir from September this year, a development Hayley found exciting.
The girl choristers, aged 13-18, will all be pupils in King's Senior School.
CJ's father, Neil Porter- Thaw, who is the director of music at the school, said: "Hayley was discovered busking in Christchurch, her home town in New Zealand, when she was a similar age to Patrick, CJ and Ben, so she was able to pass on her advice to all our talented children."
Songbird's flying visit
Sensation Hayley Westenra was the special guest at an end- of-term school service at Ely Cathedral.
The chart-topping songbird hails from New Zealand but popped up to Ely from her London home to help present prizes at the King's Junior School prizegiving event.
The 19-year-old records on the same record label as The Choirboys - Ely's pintsize version of the Three Tenors - who reached the charts with their smash hit album last year.
Ely Cathedral choristers Patrick Aspbury and CJ Porter-Thaw were reunited with the third member of The Choirboys, Ben Inman, a chorister at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire, to sing during the service.
Tony Duncan, head of King's Junior School, said: "We were delighted Hayley accepted the invitation and her presence made our service of thanksgiving, at the end of a very eventful year, even more special than usual."
Ely Cathedral is also breaking with 1,000 years of tradition to create its own girls' choir from September this year, a development Hayley found exciting.
The girl choristers, aged 13-18, will all be pupils in King's Senior School.
CJ's father, Neil Porter- Thaw, who is the director of music at the school, said: "Hayley was discovered busking in Christchurch, her home town in New Zealand, when she was a similar age to Patrick, CJ and Ben, so she was able to pass on her advice to all our talented children."
Unfortunately I didn't get around to visiting Ely Cathedral though. 
