Beijing Great Wall - 24 August 2013

[jimg]

Frank Lin has just posted this on Facebook. Hayley Westenra fans in Taiwan's photo.

i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc132/JimGuild/8f7afd8e-fd8e-42d6-9f82-856c96820bc3_zpsd3f481be.jpg [/img]

Is this a new dress for Beijing?

[Libby]

Yes, I think it is a new dress! Thanks Jim and Frank!

Edit: I'm almost starting to feel like I've seen that dress before, but I cannot think where. Maybe I'm having a false memory. Taylor, can you help?

[Bamafan]

Hey yall! HW Fans in TW Has just posted several pics of Hayley's performance at The Great Wall. All are clickable:




















-Taylor i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

[Richard]

Hello folks!

Jillian has identified Hayley's dress as an Amanda Wakeley creation HERE.

Richard

[Richard]

Hayley Westenra Fans in Taiwan have added three more photographs to their Facebook album:


Click on the image to enlarge.





I've shared the album on our Facebook page.

Richard

[martindn]

Lovely photos. Thanks for posting guys.

Martin D

[Richard]

There is a short report in English here:

english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20130827/101476.shtml

Eclectic at Great Wall Forest Festival 2013

By CCTV reporter Liu Wenwen

The Great Wall, woods and two days of music, how about a weekend like that? Here in Beijing, the "Great Wall Forest Festival" has offered just that. The festival is the only one of its kind that is mainly dedicated to classical music in China. Now in its fouth year, it brings together a list of musicians that cross music genres.


2013 Beijing Great Wall Forest Festival

The hills are alive - with the sound of music.

Staged near the Shuiguan section of the Great Wall in Yanqing County, the annual Great Wall Forest Festival welcomed the most spectators ever in its rather short four-year history. City dwellers hang out with their family and friends, catching the tail end of summer.

It’s an absolutely gorgeous venue. Set in the shadow of the Great Wall, the mountains and forest never let up. Seeing a concert in a setting like this is truly an extraordinary experience.

It’s a great platform for the musicians as well. Other than classical music, the 2013 Great Wall Forest Festival includes some folk and pop acts.

Indie singer and song writer Liang Xiaoxue found himself fit comfortable in the music scene here. Started out in 2008, Liang is hailed as one of the best in China and has toured around the country. His stylish voice and songwriting certainly find some new fans at the event.

"Classical music and pop music, or folk music, can work really well together. You see I have a violinist in my band and I use sound of instruments like cello, piano in my album. It’s really nice to be part of this festival as my music reached some new listeners here," said Liang.

As darkness falls, the valley is soothed by the cool breeze, while the prime time of the festival has just begun. Soprano Hayley Westenra teamed up with China Broadcasting Film Symphony Orchestra, sharing her favorites with the audience including "I Dreamed a Dream", "Whisper in the Wind", "Bridge Over Trouble Water". The songbird’s beautiful voice enchanted the music enthusiasts.

I caught up with her backstage right after her performance. "'Bridge Over Trouble Water' is just one that I really love, so I put it in! It was wonderful! I love singing outdoors. Coming from New Zealand we have beautiful scenery too. So I kind of feel like home," Westenra told me.

The night was filled with nastalgia when pop diva Tsai Qin took to the stage. The veteran singer from Taiwan has been in the business for over three decades, with a multitude of classic numbers under her belt. And the audience are not disappointed as Tsai Qin spin hit after hit.

As pop, country singers share the stage with Beijing Wind Orchestra and the China Broadcasting Film Symphony Orchestra, the two-day festival has seen a harmony of difference.


Pop diva Tsai Qin performs at the festival.

Hayley makes a brief appearance towards the end of the attached video:

english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20130826/104374.shtml

I've posted the link on our Facebook page.

Richard

[Simba]

The small portion of BOTW was really good And Hayley loves singing outdoors eh? That's nice to hear

[comet]

Thanks Richard, Wonderful bit of video from China no less.

Isn't it amazing,

when you compare what is possible today compared with the early concert reports on HWI from around 2003 / 04 when we were lucky to have a few photos.

[martindn]

Thanks for that Richard. Now I understand why Hayley seemed so impressed with that venue. Wish I could have been there. I love outdoor concerts too. I have seen Hayley perform outdoors only four times, and it isn't enough. By the way, both of her concerts in my home county of Leicestershire were outdoors.

Martin D

[Libby]

I Dreamed a Dream sounded nice, too.

Hayley might enjoy performing at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington, USA! Josh Groban performed there once.

[Bamafan]

Wonderful video! They sound like terrific performances. And an English speaking Chinese news channel? That's new to me! No complaints, though.

-Taylor i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

[Richard]

Hello folks!

This tweet should be in this thread:

Hayley Westenra ‏@hayleywestenra
In a forest, by the Great Wall, music rang out, over the mountains... Thank you so much, Beijing. That was one of those 'pinch-me' moments.

http://instagram.com/p/dhY_R9L2vQ

Hayley also posted the photograph on Facebook, so I've shared it on our Facebook page.

Richard

[Richard]

Frank Lin has uploaded CNTV's video to YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRsOPIqEu-o

Thanks Frank!

Richard

[comet]

Aug 27, 2013 21:48:29 GMT Libby said:

I Dreamed a Dream sounded nice, too.

Hayley might enjoy performing at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington, USA! Josh Groban performed there once.

Made me think of Red Rocks. Now there's a venue.