Dave
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Post by Dave on Jul 27, 2015 23:33:29 GMT
Hi everyone, I've just been watching Hayley singing [details deleted 8-) ] and for me, it is Hayley's best ever 'live' performance, though I can think of plenty of other great performances she has sung over the years! My reasons are: the importance of the occasion, the quality of performance, the location, the background circumstances and its undoubted enduring qualities. But there may be similar or different reasons why other performances could be considered her best ever! So I thought it would be interesting to ask the question and see what suggestions come up. We may after a while use them to create a poll so if your favourite 'best' has already been mentioned, feel free to say so - and to suggest one alternative, there are many to choose from - and not all are available on Youtube. Professionally produced videos e.g. from TV are likely to figure highly but we shouldn't ignore fan videos taken at concerts, though as we may decide to promote any poll winner, it would be best if they are technically OK in video as well as audio. Embedded videos or direct links are all OK in this thread and I will reveal my hidden choice in the fullness of time, with an alternative if someone has already pinched it!   Just thought it would give us something to think about, so please fire away! Cheers, Dave |
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Post by Ross on Jul 28, 2015 3:09:15 GMT
Mine is the Christchurch Memorial for the earthquakes in 2011. It was a highly emotive occasion. A lot of people were crying while Hayley sang Amazing Grace. How she managed to control her emotions I don't know.
Sent from my SM-G900I using proboards
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Post by Libby on Jul 28, 2015 6:28:21 GMT
I'm not sure what Hayley's best live performance was... well, yes, I do, her performances in Madison, but then, I have no other live experiences to compare that to, that I've witnessed live, that is. And every song was a great performance, so I couldn't choose just one. I'm not sure I should include that when the concert I attended wasn't recorded, that I'm aware of.
But, one of my all-time favorite and most memorable live performances was the Moon Represents My Heart at the World Games in 2009. The whole thing, every sound gives me chlls: even when someone in the audience whistles at the beginning music, the audience's loud and excited approval the second she begins to sing, even Shin's less-than-perfect vocal performance is enjoyable. To this day, even though Hayley has performed it with better vocalists, and even by herself, that first performance moves me more than any of the subsequent performances of the song. Then knowing after the fact how fast her Taiwan concerts sold out made it even more special. I love how this one performance shot her up to such sudden, huge popularity in Taiwan. I'm sure she was already somewhat known there, since she's been popular in Asia for a while, but it just seemed as though this launched her career there even more. I can't believe it's already 6 years ago!
Although there have been many wonderful performances, including the highly emotional ChCh memorial concert that Ross chose, this one has stood out in my memory more than any other.
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Post by comet on Jul 28, 2015 10:18:14 GMT
I can barely play Twinkle Twinkle on the piano, I can't read music or play a guitar so I'm not sure if I am qualified to judge any performance by anyone to be best or otherwise. But the video I go back to on a regular basis is the Barcarolle with Dame Malvina Major, I just love it and that is not for any technical musical reason or some high or sustained note, it is the atmosphere between the two performers that gets to me every time. I wish they had recorded more material together over the years. But I am dying to know what title you deleted in your post  I watch lots of Hayley's performances on YouTube and at any given time, whatever I am watching thrills me. There is a great World in Union somewhere.. I can't just list every performance on YouTube.. |
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Post by martindn on Jul 28, 2015 15:36:33 GMT
Well, there are three very good suggestions above. Not sure I can better any of them. And to be honest I'm not sure what we are judging, is it technical perfection, audience reaction, or the ones that affected us most personally.
If the latter, I suspect most of us would go for the first time we ever heard Hayley live. That would be "Pokarekare Ana" on her Pure tour for me.
Or audience reaction, another good one was "Abide with Me" at Nottingham on her battle of Britain tour.
Then there are the duets. I particularly like the ones with Bocelli.
The one that gets the most hits on my YouTube channel is the Caccini "Ave Maria" at Beaumanor Hall.
Best concert - probably the Union Chapel.
Martin D
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Dave
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Posts: 7,700
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Post by Dave on Jul 28, 2015 17:04:03 GMT
Hi Martin, Libby and everyone, It can be for any reason or combination that you like, that for you make it her best or most special performance. Even, Libby, if no recording of it is avaulable - though it may be hard to include such a choice in any poll (depending I suppose on the reasons given). Mine is the same as Ross's, for the reasons mentioned in my first post, though I will add 'sheer vocal quality in the face of emotion and difficult circumstances'. Here it is... but I will now have to think of a different one as it was 'nabbed' straight away!  Cheers, Dave |
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Joe
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Supporting Hayley since 2003!
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Post by Joe on Jul 29, 2015 6:09:57 GMT
To me, Hayley's best live performances all took place in 2005. In November of that year, at Easton, Pennsylvania, was that wonderful concert with Hayley, Fiona Pears and Ian Tilley... 'Hine e Hine' stole the show for me that night! Hayley's gentle vibrato during the song's chorus harmonized with Fiona's warm strings to absolute perfection.
Seven months earlier, there was a concert in Denmark to celebrate the bicentenary of Hans Christian Anderson's birth. Hayley sang 'Never Saw Blue', surrounded by a dazzling sea background. Several mermaid figures, either on stage or suspended on wires, gracefully tumbled and moved as if they were swimming in the ocean. Singer Morten Harket, from the group A-HA (who is a forum member!) appeared at the concert as well. Photos showed Morten handing his leather jacket to Hayley who, in the chilli night air, deftly puts it on.
Here is 'Never Saw Blue' from our HWI YouTube channel..
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Post by stevemacdonald on Jul 29, 2015 21:27:42 GMT
On a warm summer night in 2004 Hayley performed in Bryant Park, New York City with Skitch Henderson's Orchestra, The New York Pops, and did a sensational job of it. About an hour before the show started she came onstage almost incognito wearing sunglasses and jeans to do a sound check with a few a cappella verses of Amazing Grace before a sparse audience that was just starting to arrive at the park. So picture this: a nice, empty bandshell stage, a relatively quiet park with only a few people around and an unassuming Hayley just there to make sure the mic settings were right. With a soft but sturdy voice she began to sing the opening words. In an instant everyone in the park stopped whatever they were doing (moving lawn chairs into position, unfurling blankets, organizing picnic items, etc.) and looked up at the stage to see where this strikingly beautiful sound was coming from. She made it through about two minutes of the song before the sound check was all done and then, most unexpectedly, everyone there erupted in applause and loud cheers. Her a cappella sound check was impossibly magical and she never sounded better. The ensuing concert was great, as I said earlier, but that impromptu performance was a gift beyond measure.
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Post by Libby on Jul 30, 2015 6:37:54 GMT
On a warm summer night in 2004 Hayley performed in Bryant Park, New York City with the Skitch Henderson Orchestra and did a sensational job of it. About an hour before the show started she came onstage almost incognito wearing sunglasses and jeans to do a sound check with a few a cappella verses of Amazing Grace before a sparse audience that was just starting to arrive at the park. So picture this: a nice, empty bandshell stage, a relatively quiet park with only a few people around and an unassuming Hayley just there to make sure the mic settings were right. With a soft but sturdy voice she began to sing the opening words. In an instant everyone in the park stopped whatever they were doing (moving lawn chairs into position, unfurling blankets, organizing picnic items, etc.) and looked up at the stage to see where this strikingly beautiful sound was coming from. She made it through about two minutes of the song before the sound check was all done and then, most unexpectedly, everyone there erupted in applause and loud cheers. Her a cappella sound check was impossibly magical and she never sounded better. The ensuing concert was great, as I said earlier, but that impromptu performance was a gift beyond measure. I've never heard about this event before. Is there a thread with more info? I'd dig it up myself, but I don't have that kind of time tonight.  |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Jul 30, 2015 7:12:02 GMT
I've never heard about this event before. Is there a thread with more info? I'd dig it up myself, but I don't have that kind of time tonight. Here are two old reviews of this event: Review 1Review 2 |
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Post by Simba on Jul 30, 2015 14:23:41 GMT
Ah! Nice thread, very interesting. To me Hayley's best live performances vocally and most engaging were from 2011, the Paradiso tour in New Zealand (Thanks Jillian for your amazing videos!) And the "Friday is Music night" performances. To shortlist from Jillian's videos, I'd pick, Wuthering Heights Prayer Amazing Grace (to me her best rendition of this song) La Califfa (omg, her best performance of this too, I'm listening to these as I'm typing :')) ofcourse and all other performances too, but these stood out. And ofcourse her Scarborough fair performance with Celtic woman. And then from Friday Night is music night, oh how I wish there were videos to it. All the new songs she sang were daring and bold, not more about the song but her performance was particularly impressive with "A million miles away", brilliant emotion, articulation and expression, and ofcourse vocally perfect, Light years ahead of any of her performances from "A West side story", deserves more recognition, this one. www.hayley-westenra-international.com/content/hayley-friday-night-music-night-bbc-radio-2#millionBut the video I'd like to share is this one
SONGBIRD - BBC TV for Children in need. Again a really heartfelt and vocally precise performance. It's really a tie between the underrated Million Miles away and Songbird, but if you're going for one with a video, you have your answer  |
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Post by martindn on Jul 30, 2015 16:55:42 GMT
Couldn't agree more Simba. I remember that performance and it is included on one of my own home made CDs. A "Million Miles" I agree is a great performance.
Martin D
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Post by I-H-F on Jul 30, 2015 22:08:14 GMT
Belfast, Ulster Hall, 7 December 2009. O Holy Night with the RTE Concert Orchestra.
Also, Hine e Hine, from the same night.
First time seeing Hayley with an orchestra. They were superb and Hayley was at her brilliant best. Everything was just right. An amazing evening.
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Dave
Administrator
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Posts: 7,700
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Post by Dave on Jul 30, 2015 23:48:00 GMT
Hi everyone, thanks for keeping this going! I have converted a couple of the links into the actual videos and added a more direct link to the Million Miles audio.  Cheers, Dave |
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Post by comet on Jul 31, 2015 9:37:54 GMT
Sometimes I just glance at the number of views on a YouTube video,
This one is getting close to seven and a half MILLION.
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