Post by Dave on Feb 8, 2007 22:34:42 GMT
This interview is copied from Haven, thanks to ManicKangaroo. 
I haven't been able to locate an online source for this (I did look) so I'd better repost it in full!
Cheers, Dave
I haven't been able to locate an online source for this (I did look) so I'd better repost it in full!New Zealand’s “Voice of an angel”, soprano Hayley Westenra sold two million records before the age of 17, with her debut album, Pure, reaching No.1 on the UK classical charts and going gold within a week. Now 19, she has just been named one of the ten Outstanding Young People In The World and is about to release her third album, Treasure, on February 26.
Tell me about your new album
Its called Treasure and the songs kind of sum up my life so far, with songs my grandmother taught me, songs I’ve picked up on my travels, and some of my own as well. They are songs that I hold very close to my heart, like Danny Boy, which I actually recorded for my Nana. I’m just really excited by the music. It’s a really good place to be when you kind of go, “Gee I enjoy listening to my album”. Usually its like, “Oh gosh, turn that off.”
Do you ever listen to yourself on the radio and think, “God, I’m good”?
Not really. I’m always critical of my work. Sometimes I think, “That sounds good, but I could do a lot better now.” I recorded the end-title song for the movie The Merchant Of Venice. It came on TV one day and I was watching it, but I forgot I had done the end-title song and when it came on, I was like, “Oooh.”
You’ve performed for royalty and world leaders, and with the likes of Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras. What has been your most intimidating performance?
Performing for President Bush, the Queen, Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, all in one room as part of a dinner organised by the American Embassy. And to make matters worse, it was organised by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and I’m a huge fan. He was right next to me as I was singing his works and it was very scary. I was thinking, “Oh gosh, I can’t get the words wrong.” And there were only about 50 people in this room, so I’m scanning the room, thinking, “Oh, there’s the Queen, there’s George Bush, and what’s Cherie Blair doing?” It was very surreal.
Busking at the age of 11? Couldn’t you have just asked your parents for money?
I could have, I guess, but then I would have had to pay them back. I was performing as part of a choir and we were rehearsing for an outdoor festival and some of us didn’t have money for lunch. So someone came up with the brilliant idea of busking. It was kind of a joke, but we did really well. And it inspired me to go out on my weekends. It’s kind of addictive, the feedback that you get from the audience, the energy that you get from the crowd. It’s a real challenge to try to grab people and stop them in the street as they’re walking by. And then once you have a crowd, to try to keep them there. I earned some pocket money from it, but I also gleaned a lot in terms of confidence and structuring my show. Nowadays I sometimes revert back to my busking days.
I read somewhere that you’re actually a rugby mascot?
Whenever the All Blacks play, if they’re nearby, I perform the national anthem for them. It’s a great position to be in because I get great seats to games , they’re amazing on the field and always win. And I’ve become friends with them as well. They’re great guys. They’re very sweet and they love music as well. They haul out the guitar after matches and sing their way back to the hotel on their bus.
And you’re also a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF?
I’ve been working on a programme to provide bicycles for girls in Ghana. Back in New Zealand, everyone owns a bike. It’s something you take for granted. But in Ghana, these bicycles are life-changing. Many girls don’t make it to school because they have to travel these huge distances and have to look after the younger siblings and carry out household chores. The bikes help them get to school to get an education.
What do you do when you’re not traipsing around the globe?
I like to sleep. When I have a few hours off while touring, I like to explore the city I’m in, get lost in it and be a tourist. I like sitting around in cafes. Drinking cappuccinos. It’s times like those when I think, “Wow, this is really nice, I should do this more often.” But I’m usually in the airport.
[From Metro (Feb 1 2007)]
Tell me about your new album
Its called Treasure and the songs kind of sum up my life so far, with songs my grandmother taught me, songs I’ve picked up on my travels, and some of my own as well. They are songs that I hold very close to my heart, like Danny Boy, which I actually recorded for my Nana. I’m just really excited by the music. It’s a really good place to be when you kind of go, “Gee I enjoy listening to my album”. Usually its like, “Oh gosh, turn that off.”
Do you ever listen to yourself on the radio and think, “God, I’m good”?
Not really. I’m always critical of my work. Sometimes I think, “That sounds good, but I could do a lot better now.” I recorded the end-title song for the movie The Merchant Of Venice. It came on TV one day and I was watching it, but I forgot I had done the end-title song and when it came on, I was like, “Oooh.”
You’ve performed for royalty and world leaders, and with the likes of Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras. What has been your most intimidating performance?
Performing for President Bush, the Queen, Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, all in one room as part of a dinner organised by the American Embassy. And to make matters worse, it was organised by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and I’m a huge fan. He was right next to me as I was singing his works and it was very scary. I was thinking, “Oh gosh, I can’t get the words wrong.” And there were only about 50 people in this room, so I’m scanning the room, thinking, “Oh, there’s the Queen, there’s George Bush, and what’s Cherie Blair doing?” It was very surreal.
Busking at the age of 11? Couldn’t you have just asked your parents for money?
I could have, I guess, but then I would have had to pay them back. I was performing as part of a choir and we were rehearsing for an outdoor festival and some of us didn’t have money for lunch. So someone came up with the brilliant idea of busking. It was kind of a joke, but we did really well. And it inspired me to go out on my weekends. It’s kind of addictive, the feedback that you get from the audience, the energy that you get from the crowd. It’s a real challenge to try to grab people and stop them in the street as they’re walking by. And then once you have a crowd, to try to keep them there. I earned some pocket money from it, but I also gleaned a lot in terms of confidence and structuring my show. Nowadays I sometimes revert back to my busking days.
I read somewhere that you’re actually a rugby mascot?
Whenever the All Blacks play, if they’re nearby, I perform the national anthem for them. It’s a great position to be in because I get great seats to games , they’re amazing on the field and always win. And I’ve become friends with them as well. They’re great guys. They’re very sweet and they love music as well. They haul out the guitar after matches and sing their way back to the hotel on their bus.
And you’re also a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF?
I’ve been working on a programme to provide bicycles for girls in Ghana. Back in New Zealand, everyone owns a bike. It’s something you take for granted. But in Ghana, these bicycles are life-changing. Many girls don’t make it to school because they have to travel these huge distances and have to look after the younger siblings and carry out household chores. The bikes help them get to school to get an education.
What do you do when you’re not traipsing around the globe?
I like to sleep. When I have a few hours off while touring, I like to explore the city I’m in, get lost in it and be a tourist. I like sitting around in cafes. Drinking cappuccinos. It’s times like those when I think, “Wow, this is really nice, I should do this more often.” But I’m usually in the airport.
[From Metro (Feb 1 2007)]
Cheers, Dave
