Hayley in Melbourne, Florida 17 March 2006

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

There is a preview of Hayley's concert in Florida at FloridaToday.com.

Date of article: March 16, 2006

King Center to host Hayley Westenra

BY PAM HARBAUGH
FLORIDA TODAY

In concert. Hayley Westenra is a shooting star. She performs Friday at King Center. King Center for the Performing Arts

She's only 18 years old, but Hayley Westenra's star already is on a trajectory toward fame.

Westenra, who comes from New Zealand and whose music is evocative of that of Enya, performs Friday at the King Center. Steve Janicki, King Center executive director, said booking her was a little difficult because she has become such a "hot ticket" among presenters.

In fact, Janicki expects Westenra to be as popular a performer as Michael Buble or Josh Groban, both of whom appeared at the King Center before they, too, became ultra popular.

"She's got one of the purest voices," Janicki said. "It's phenomenal. I think it's even better, in a lot of ways, than Enya.

Although she's not at the Buble/Groban orbit yet, she's on her way, said Janicki, who has almost 30 years presenting show business performers.

"She's still got some work to do at getting her name out there," he said. "Probably in another year, she'll get to that point."

Westenra came to Janicki's attention through television and a presenters' showcase in New York City. He booked her for last year, but because of scheduling conflicts, she had to postpone her appearance until this season.

"You work on these things for a year and a half to two years out," Janicki said.

Westenra will perform without a warm-up act. Janicki described her style of music as "kind of operatic, new agey."

Hayley Westenra
When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: King Center for the Performing Arts, 3865 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne Cost: $25 to $45, plus handling charges Information: Call 242-2219 or visit www.kingcenter.com

Contact Harbaugh at 242-3717 or [e-mail]

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Richard

[stevemacdonald]

Check out the schedule:

17 March - Melbourne, FL
20 March - Worcester, MA
22 March - Gainsville, FL

So let me get this again: Hayley's performing way down in Florida tonight, then she flies way up north to Massachussets for the 20th and then flies way back down to Florida for the 22nd.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? You just know she's going to say to her mother, "I feel like a yo-yo, ma!"

[Richard]

Hello folks!

There is a very good review of Hayley's concert in Melbourne on Hayley's official forum. You can read it here.

Richard

[Caitlin]

Here is a review and pictures Yong-Le (Wormy)kindly sent me of the concert.

Being a fan of her since I first saw her on TV 5 years ago, I HAD to make the trip to Melbourne from Orlando to catch Hayley live. I have seen her performing live on DVD and have always been listening to her albums religiously, but Friday night was when she was best. The drive down to Melbourne was very well worth it.
Although I was hoping to see her perform with an orchestra, the acoustical set consisting of a grand piano, 1 electric guitar and 1 acoustic guitar hinted that we were in for a treat.
As the audiences and fans made their way through the hall to fill up the seats, Hayley's accompaniments, pianist and music director Jeff Franzel as well as guitarist (I forgot his name) took on the stage. Hayley then made her first appearance for the night. She was in a green dress, which complimented her sultry beauty. I could not believe my very own eyes. The spotlight shone on her as she started singing Pokarekare Ana. As soon as she hit the first note, I knew that it would be a night to reminisce. Hayley almost effortlessly pulled off splendid performances, song after song. You would imagine that she would run out of breath, but it was the other way round - Hayley's voice left everyone breathless. In between songs, she would explain about the next song she was going to perform, and interact with the audience. Her Kiwi accent did capture everyone's attention, not forgetting her wits and knowledge in music she shared in between songs. She was definitely very personable on stage with her cute personality. Perhaps, one of the memorable moments was when she mentioned about how tall she felt that night, because she was in high heels, and how she used to be the shortest girl in class.
After performing 4 songs, Hayley left the stage to her pianist and guitarist to entertain the audience. I thought that it was a rare moment to have the chance to see Jeff Franzel playing the piano, as he executed the keys with emotions and accuracy. After 2 pieces, Hayley came back on stage with Schubert's version of Ave Maria. The audience was already mesmerised by Hayley's enchanting voice the minute she stepped on stage, and we were all on board her odyssey through the night, until the 20 minute interval a couple songs later.
The pianist and guitarist took the stage again, entertaining the crowd with two more instrumental pieces - Ain't No Sunshine and Jeff Franzel's new piece of work, called Reminiscing, but I call it a magnificent piece of art coming to life. I was in the right isle, and did not have the opportunity to see how Jeff ran his fingers up and down the keyboard during the piano solo for that piece.
Then, Hayley appeared on stage again, this time, in a blue and green dress. It blended well with the blueish and greenish lighting the lighting engineer has set up. Hayley performed 3 traditional songs - The Mummer's Dance, The Mist of Islay and She Moves Through The Air, which was sung a cappella. When Hayley mentioned that she would be singing She Moves Through The Air which is a traditional Irish song, her pianist and guitarist goofed about behind her, wanting to leave the stage for Hayley herself. I did not get how some people were actually talking when she was singing a cappella, but despite the distraction from behind, the a cappella was out of this world. Who would have imagined that only one voice from a petite girl could sound so big that it filled up the whole auditorium. Simply amazing. After the 3 traditional songs, Hayley went on and delivered I Say Grace and In Trutina from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. It was like a free fall from the top of the highest building when Hayley said that the next song would be her last song for the night. She started with a traditional New Zealand folk song, and ended with another one - Hine e Hine. Personally, I thought that it was her best performance for the night when she sang that song. I could hear her voice, not only through the speakers but also her natural voice right from the stage. That was how powerful she projected her voice, but when you look at her singing her lungs out during the peak of the song, she seemed so calm, so effortlessly projecting her voice. It was unbelievable. Sound of the seats retracting echoed in the concert hall as she ended her last note. She was given her well deserved standing ovation.
She then left the stage with her pianist and guitarist, only to return to deliver 2 encores. She did her first public performance of her new song for the UK edition of Odyssey, The Water is Wide. I knew that we were in for a treat. The very last encore was my favourite song from her Pure album, Who Painted The Moon Black. She received a total a 3 standing ovations that night, the two followed after each encore.
And she left, to the backstage.
Fans then quickly made their way out to the foyer where Hayley would be signing autographs. I was one of them. It was a very long line, but everyone in the line was not going to leave for the same reason - to meet Hayley in person, get autographs and pictures taken. While I was waiting in line, I heard so many people praising Hayley for her magnificent performance, her timeless beauty as well as her enchanting voice that captivated everyone's heart, and ears of course. I had to wait in line for more than 40 minutes, as I was one of the last ones in line.
I was also hoping to hear Hayley without the mic, and she did, during her meet and greet session. She sang for an elderly person, and did a duet with a little girl. The smaller crowd in line gave her and the little girl a round of applause. And then it was my turn to meet Hayley in person. I must say that she is a very very nice individual, well mannered and polite. It was really an honour to meet Hayley in person, because it was like a dream come true. Cliché, I know, but it's a fact. When I told her that I am moving to New Zealand end of this year, her jaw dropped and gave me a wide grin, saying that I will enjoy myself in NZ. I jokingly threw her a question, "Hayley, can I record your next album?" and later on told her that I'm a graduate in sound engineering from a school in Orlando, and am completing my degree in June. I took a couple of pictures with her, and headed out the exit door ahead of me. I look forward to seeing her again, in her homeland when I move there.
I really enjoyed myself, each penny was worth paying for, and each mile in the car was worth riding.
Thank you, Hayley for performing in Melbourne, Florida.
We love you and good luck!

[Richard]

Thanks for the wonderful review Yong-Le, and thanks to Caite for posting it. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

I'm pleased you had a great time with Hayley, and here is a larger version of your picture with her.

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[wormy]

Thanks for posting up my review Caite
It was a fun and exciting night , although I wish I had the time to make a trip to Gainsville for another show of hers..

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

[roger]

Hi Yong-Le,

Many thanks for the fine review and for the nice pictures. I have taken the liberty of sending them all through to Simon to upload to the main site. I hope you don't mind!

Roger

[wormy]

Hey Roger,

Oh, I don't mind at all!!!
Thanks a lot!

Yong-Le

[Joe]

Hi Yong-Le,

I enjoyed reading your review of the concert! So glad you had the opportunity to meet her after the show. Great pic of yourself and Hayley!

Cheers,
Joe

[postscript]

Thank you Caite, Congratulations Yong Le for a superb concert report on Melbourne Florida Concert.

I caught all your excitement which re-echoed my own emotions when I first encountered Hayley face to face and her thrusting her hand into mine shaking hands. She bowled me over completely and I have remained bowled over ever since.

Your bubbling freshness rekindles my own reaction when I first saw her perform (but didn't then meet her) at The London Palladium. That performance, followed by actually meeting her at Derngate, made me determined to keep tabs. Family problems did not then allow that until July (or was it September?) 2005 when I met Keith, Dave, Roger, Belinda at St James' and subsequently at HMV.

From that point on I was a Hayley follower for another 9 concerts until her last ones in the UK at Shrewsbury and Huddersfield.

Welcome aboard. Good luck with your move to NZ. I am sure I would feel happy there too and I am intending to visit--but only when .I can tie it in with a Hayley tour! Beautiful though NZ surely is, what point if Hayley's not there?!!!

Peter

[wormy]

Thank you, Peter. I am still pretty much in cloud 9, and it seemed like the concert was just yesterday. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
I am hoping to see Hayley in NZ when I start my life afresh there.
We'll see.

Yong-Le

[Caitlin]

Here's another review of the Melbourne Concert thanks to Bob Frye.

I have been listening to Hayley since December of 2004 when her special aired on PBS. I had never heard of her until the show started. I am not impressed with most singers in most genres and I listen to a lot of instrumental music. Before Hayley sang her first note I was already expecting to hear “just another singer.” I actually surfed through the channels one more time and missed the Maori introduction. I arrived on PBS again when she began Pokarekare Ana. I just about dropped my remote. Hayley has the most beautiful tone I have ever heard. I listened and at the end of the song I was breathless. Hayley gave a flawless performance of a great song. I still wanted to see if she could keep this level of performance up throughout the special. She did and I was hooked on her immediately. I bought her CD, Pure, in less than 24 hours and ordered the DVD from PBS. I now own all of her CD’s including US and UK versions, a single from Japan and Disney’s Mulan II soundtrack (yes, for one song only). I can’t get enough of Hayley. She has the voice that I have always searched for.
I live in Knoxville, TN and had plans to see Hayley in 2005. I bought tickets to Tampa and Detroit but both were cancelled because Hayley was scheduled to begin recording Odyssey. This year I had planned to attend in Charlotte, NC but it was cancelled for some reason. I almost gave up but the longing to see her in concert and meet her in person compelled me to go to Melbourne, FL. I traveled 12 hours to see her and it was worth every minute and every mile.
Previously, I had planned to attend concerts with Hayley performing with a full orchestra. I wasn’t sure if Melbourne had one. When I walked into the auditorium, I saw a grand piano and 2 guitars on stage. Since I usually hear Hayley with an orchestra, I wasn’t disappointed to know I was about to hear her perform in a different setting. The excitement grew. She opened with Pokarekare Ana. The pianist and guitarist gave fantastic performances. I first noticed, without the orchestra, that not one note was missing from the original score. The arrangements with two instruments still sounded full, rich and complete. I have always noticed that Hayley’s arrangements are scored with a lot of attention to detail. Also, the arrangements may feature other musicians but the arrangements and performance always allow Hayley to be the focus. This concert was consistent with that philosophy. Hayley sang a variety of songs of pop, classical and sacred music from Pure and Odyssey. She gave flawless performances throughout the night. I like Hayley’s attention to detail and how she shapes the phrases. Her interpretations are heart-felt and her music touches me in a personal way.
During the concert, Hayley joked about her being short. Another time she was introducing “She Moves Through The Fair” and she told us that she would sing it a cappella. I gasped for breath in anticipation of hearing her perform this. The pianist and guitarist started to leave and she said, “You don’t have to leave…(unless you want to)”. There was some laughter because of how playful Hayley was with her musicians and her audience. After Hayley finished “She Moves Through the Fair” the musicians returned. Hayley laughed and said, “I thought I got rid of you guys.” She has a great sense of humor. With Hayley’s fun-loving personality, I didn’t feel like I went to a concert. I felt like I came to visit my friend Hayley along with many of her other friends and we were just having a good time together. There seemed to be no barrier between Hayley and the audience. She interacts with the audience and talked to us as if she knew every one of us. This may be the reason so many people feel comfortable talking to her after her concerts.
If you are really a Hayley fan, you need to go to her concerts. We received a gift for attending this one. Our gift was a performance of “The Water Is Wide”. It is on a new release for the UK but it hasn’t been released yet. Hayley told us that it was the first time she had ever performed this song in public. What a treat it was. Thank you Hayley.
Just because the concert was over didn’t mean that she had stopped impressing me. While signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, she never gives any indication that she is in a hurry or trying to rush the crowd through. Some artists might meet the audience because they feel obligated. Hayley seems to enjoy meeting her fans and spending time with them as much as she enjoys singing. Thank you Hayley for spending so much time with us and especially spending time with me, signing my autographs and taking a picture with me. I will cherish that moment forever.
If you ever get a chance to see Hayley in concert, please go. You will not be disappointed and traveling any distance is worth the time. I didn’t think that my affection for Hayley and her music could increase but it did…a lot.

Bob and Hayley: (sorry the picture is so small!)

[roger]

Many thanks for your fine review, Bob, and to you for posting it, Caite. It sounds as though it was a very special event but Hayley's concerts always are!

Roger

[wormy]

caite said:

Previously, I had planned to attend concerts with Hayley performing with a full orchestra. I wasn’t sure if Melbourne had one. When I walked into the auditorium, I saw a grand piano and 2 guitars on stage. Since I usually hear Hayley with an orchestra, I wasn’t disappointed to know I was about to hear her perform in a different setting. The excitement grew. She opened with Pokarekare Ana. The pianist and guitarist gave fantastic performances. I first noticed, without the orchestra, that not one note was missing from the original score. The arrangements with two instruments still sounded full, rich and complete. I have always noticed that Hayley’s arrangements are scored with a lot of attention to detail. Also, the arrangements may feature other musicians but the arrangements and performance always allow Hayley to be the focus.

Bob,
That was what I thought as well. It was a great concert wasn't it? I'm sure you drove back to Knoxville a happier man.

Yong-Le

[Richard]

Thank you for the excellent review Bob and Caite!

It's amazing how so many people all over the world form the same opinion of Hayley as I did when I first saw her two and a half years ago. I promise you my opinion hasn't changed the tiniest bit in all that time, and I know yours never will either! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes from London,

Richard