Gateshead - The Sage 29 Feb 2012

[Dave]

Hi everyone,

We can discuss in this thread Hayley's Concert at Gateshead - The Sage on Wednesday 29 February 2012. This is part of the Hayley's UK Paradiso tour, as published by Ticketline and Hayley's official website today.

Please discuss anything about the tour as a whole in the main thread entitled UK Paradiso Tour Feb/Mar 2012 - General Thread.

Dave

[grant]

Hello everyone

I've just secured seat A21 using the venue's superb 3D seat selection system and you get 30 minutes to complete the process. Although Row A, there appears to be a couple of short rows in front which are fully booked so don't know whether that means there are people sitting there or the rows won't be there for this concert

I am thrilled to be seeing Hayley at this magnificent venue. I have visited; toured and photographed it on two occasions but have never seen a concert there. It is one place where I have prayed for Hayley to perform.

Best wishes
Grant

[Richard]

Hello folks!

Tickets for this concert are now available from the venue:

www.thesagegateshead.org/whats_on/event.aspx?e=&eid=634509260921792099_17&ts=634661406000000000&spid=22300&id=22301&df=634636512000000000&dt=634661567990000000&g=&p=&f=&ar=&keywords=&match=any

Richard

[gra7890]

Hi Grant,
Yes very 'high tec' 3D booking...... Did it early this morning but rushed off to see the All Blacks; so only just had time to log on.....

I booked a seat in one of the front side boxes as it is a bit higher than the front stalls.

Leap year day........'I wonder if Hayley will ask the question '

Look forward to seeing you and others there .

Best Wishes,

Graham

[grant]

Sept 9, 2011 13:15:01 GMT gra7890 said:

Hi Grant,
Yes very 'high tec' 3D booking...... Did it early this morning but rushed off to see the All Blacks; so only just had time to log on.....

I booked a seat in one of the front side boxes as it is a bit higher than the front stalls.

Leap year day........'I wonder if Hayley will ask the question '

Look forward to seeing you and others there .

Best Wishes,

Graham

Hi Graham

Yep! Will be good to catch up again Don't know who else might come along.

Best wishes
Grant

[grant]

Hello everyone

My ticket for this concert arrived this morning i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

It describes this concert as Hayley Westenra and her orchestra "and guests"

Best wishes
Grant

[gordon]

Hi Folks,

Just booked Stalls D29 through the Box Office.

Gordon

[gra7890]

Just about to set off for a day in Newcastle and I might find my way to the Sage later

Graham

[Paddy]

Feb 28, 2012 14:09:31 GMT grant said:

Feb 28, 2012 0:43:11 GMT Paddy said:

Isn't it a bit early to be going?

I haven't left Ireland yet.
And then it's quite a long way from Newcastle .........

Paddy

HaHa! Noooo Paddy not going NOW, just thinking that no one else had confirmed their attendance and was wondering if
I was likely to have some company. Other than Hayley of course! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Guess I'll see you tomorrow then Llandudno seems such a long time ago.

Best wishes
Grant

Reassuring greetings to Grant - from Newcastle.

Looking out for a rover Rover.

Paddy

[Richard]

Hello folks!

I'm looking forward to the reports and photographs from tonight's concert. Meanwhile here's a preview from the Evening Chronicle:

What's On: Hayley Westenra, The Sage Gateshead

by Gordon Barr, Evening Chronicle
Feb 29 2012



HAYLEY Westenra is back after a two-year self-imposed hiatus. She kicks off her UK tour at The Sage Gateshead tonight and Entertainment Editor Gordon Barr caught up with her.

HAYLEY Westenra was just 15 when she found global success.

Still holding the record for the fastest selling debut classical album ever, she is back with a vengeance after taking a break from the business due to burn-out.

Hayley will be 25 in April and her new found maturity is emphasised in her latest album Paradiso, tracks from which she will perform live at The Sage Gateshead tonight at the start of her UK tour.

“I had to take a break because I had just worked myself into the ground really,” Hayley tells me.

“Now I’m very conscious of pacing myself. It’s quite hard to say no to things. Sometimes you have to do that in order to get through everything, through the year.

“I find it hard to say no, but I learned to pace myself a bit and put priority on just living and not focusing too much on work, getting a bit more of a balance.

“Now I’m older, I feel I’ve got a lot more options in terms of styles.

“I intend this year to be all about experimenting, trying different sounds and not worrying about making a new album, but just playing around in the studio for the fun of it really.”

Hayley indeed has more options now, as is borne out by Paradiso, on which she worked with famed producer and composer Ennio Morricone.

“I usually tour with a band and a quartet, but we are expanding to a small orchestra for this tour. On my latest album Paradiso, the arrangements are done by Ennio Morricone and they require more than just a string quartet.

“You need something a bit bigger. About five years ago I was invited out to Sicily to meet the maestro (Morricone).

“He had heard one of the albums and liked my voice, and was interested in working with me on a collaboration album he was doing.

“So I went to Sicily to meet him where he was holding a concert and it was all very magical.

“He was this intimidating man, wearing big glasses and I was very overwhelmed by his presence. When it came to the meeting I was OK with it, fair enough, I was still chuffed I had the opportunity to meet him.

“When we were coming up with ideas for my latest studio album, his name came up and I suggested maybe we should approach him and see if he is interested in doing one track with me.

“We ended up making a whole album together. I was pretty thrilled to have that opportunity to work with not only him but his team of people, his orchestra, and in his studio in Rome of all places. It doesn’t get much better. My next album location is going to be hard to beat that. He composed a couple of new songs for me and even his old repertoire he completely rearranged the pieces, some of these are very iconic but he still found a way of making them very different.

“You would think he would be very attached to the original instruments but he was more than happy to mould them around my voice.

“I spent a lot of time with him in the studio one on one and it was something I didn’t expect so it was wonderful to have his input and direction. That was invaluable. He really managed to get a lot more emotion out of me than I thought I could give.

“It was definitely one of my career highlights. I grew a lot as a performer and singer working with him on this album. So it was, for me, quite a turning point.”

Hayley Westenra is at The Sage Gateshead tonight.

Richard

[Jillian]

I read the first paragaph of this article 'HAYLEY Westenra is back after a two-year self-imposed hiatus' and thought 'WHAT?' two years? Couldn't be? Then I realised that Hayley's last UK tour was the Christmas Wishes tour in December 2010. But Hayley has certainly been doing a lot since then!

Anyway, looking forward to hearing how this concert went! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Terribly jealous I'm not there myself!

Cheers,
Jillian

[martindn]

Well, I suppose it must just about be over by now. I hope those of you lucky eough to be there had a great time. I'm looking forward to the reports and photos; it is far too long since the last UK concert.

Martin D

[gra7890]

Just back home after a great concert but rather : after a long day....

Set list included songs from Pure, Treasure, HSJS, and Paradiso plus two duets and then three encores....( Planned as we heard the last at the sound check ! )
I will not spoil it for those going to the Tour later by saying too much; but you are in for a treat
I am not an expert on Hayley's dresses but I don't think I have seen either of them before.... shoes ? well that's a different answer i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Time for some :zz: now......

Graham

[Libby]

Nothing from Odyssey?

I do hope we get a few shots of the dresses, especially if they're new!

[Jillian]

Hi!

I've seen a couple of photos on Twitter of Hayley doing a signing after the concert, so that's something for concert goers to look forward to!

Cheers,
Jillian