Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - 17Dec2010

[Jillian]

Hi Spiderman,

I'm sure Hayley has perfectly cheerful Christmas plans this year - I imagine that the scheduling of the Christmas Wishes tour was arranged around her plans not to go to New Zealand rather than the other way around.

I'm sure that Hayley will be just fine and will have a lovely Christmas.

Cheers,
Jillian

[milewalker]

Hayley Westenra’s Christmas Wishes, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Published on 19 Dec 2010

Keith Bruce

Guitarist Andy Moore’s mum Janice, a local lady, got a bit of a raw deal, one couldn’t help thinking.

Her lad happened to be in town on her birthday, as a member of Hayley Westenra’s touring quartet. This was acknowledged, but not only did the Kiwi songbird decline to sing Happy Birthday (on the dodgy grounds that she hadn’t rehearsed it with the band), but Janice was overshadowed as the night’s local hero by violinist Stephanie Benedetti, sister of Nicola and a member of the Raven string quartet, whose brief solo spot won probably the loudest cheer of the evening.

Probably in part due to this newspaper drawing attention to their presence on the bill, there were some in the audience for whom the Benedetti factor was an important reason for their attendance, but really this was Westenra gig and as such quite a low-key start to the Raymond Gubbay series of Christmas concerts.The number of performers he often presents on stage were only present in the other local act, the NYCoS Renfrewshire choir, whose opening of proceedings with two contemporary carols was followed by a couple of songs backing Westenra.

The material was eclectic indeed, ranging from the traditional to contemporary favourites like Little Road to Bethlehem, which Shawn Colvin made famous, two of the singer’s own compositions from her Winter Magic album of last year, and an opening Little Drummer Boy that was surely designed to echo her appearance in the Royal Albert Hall for Remembrance Day.

The presentation might have been a tad slicker, close miking of the piano of musical director Timothy Evans did no favours to the sound balance, and a little more duetting with swinging baritone Thomas Oliver (of Welsh choir Only Men Aloud) would have been welcome, but it was still a charming start to the hall’s festive programme.

Star rating: ***

www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/arts-ents/music-reviews/hayley-westenra-s-christmas-wishes-glasgow-royal-concert-hall-1.1075377

[Libby]

Spiderman, I was kind of kidding. I think your scolding is a little harsh. I do have compassion for her. My own brother hasn't been home for Christmas, or for anything, for years!

I just didn't see how it affects the citizens of New Zealand that much, unless she were to make some public appearances. I would wish for her to be home with her family just as much as anyone else, but it's not really anybody's business, anyway.

I'm of the opinion she planned it this way. It's not too hard to guess why she's not going to NZ (yet). I still think she will get there eventually. That would be sad if she waited all the way till next Christmas. That would mean not seeing them for 2 years!

I'm kind of hoping she will launch the new album, and maybe start touring in NZ before she goes back to London. That way, she could still be around her family and friends for a while. But it seems as though we would've seen a release date by now if it was going to be released within the next month or so.

[Richard]

Dec 20, 2010 6:41:16 GMT Libby said:

I would wish for her to be home with her family just as much as anyone else, but it's not really anybody's business, anyway.

Hello Libby!

You're quite right in saying that Hayley's Christmas plans are nobody's business but her own, so please keep this thread on topic, everybody.

Many thanks,

Richard

[Jillian]

Hi everyone,

There's a great review of the Glasgow concert in this blog here: vazzasplace.blogspot.com/2010/12/hayley-westenra-christmas-wishes-live.html

Cheers,
Jillian

[Jillian]

Hi everyone,

There's another interesting review of the Glasgow concert on Hayley's official forum:

hayleywestenra.forums.umusic.co.uk/t/1664.aspx

A rather nice story from a fan who travelled from Portugal all the way to see Hayley and managed to see her as she left the venue.

Cheers,
Jillian

[pjrcorreia]

Dec 21, 2010 11:37:21 GMT Jillian said:

Hi everyone,

There's another interesting review of the Glasgow concert on Hayley's official forum:

hayleywestenra.forums.umusic.co.uk/t/1664.aspx

A rather nice story from a fan who travelled from Portugal all the way to see Hayley and managed to see her as she left the venue.

Cheers,
Jillian

Thanks Jillian, this is very special for me too, I'm very happy to read the first impressions from a fellow countryman.

Greetings from Portugal,
Paulo Correia

[Jillian]

Hi Paulo,

It's a great story, isn't it? i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif I did enjoy the bit about the clueless taxi driver coming up to a bunch of fans and saying, 'Taxi for Hayley?'. Ha ha ha ha If Hayley ever wants to make a secret escape in Glasgow again, she'll have to remind herself not to book him!

Cheers,
Jillian