Hayley in Ottawa, 2-4 March 2006

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

There is a preview of Hayley's March concerts in Ottawa at OttawaStart.

ARTS • February 19, 2006
New Zealand's brightest young singing star Hayley Westenra
Posted by mcollins

joins Jack Everly and the NAC Orchestra for CTV Pops concerts, March 2 to 4

Hayley Westenra, the 18-year-old New Zealander with the voice of an
angel, joins Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the NAC Orchestra for CTV Pops
concerts from Thursday, March 2 to Saturday, March 4 at 20:00 in Southam Hall. Jack
will take audiences around the world in the opening half of the programme in a
series of light orchestral classics.

Hayley Westenra is the best-selling artist ever in her home country of New Zealand
where her debut album Pure has gone Platinum 12 times over. In the UK, Pure went
straight to No. 1 on the classical charts making her the fastest selling debut
classical artist of all time ahead of Charlotte Church, Pavarotti and Bocelli. "A
ton of star quality," is how Newsweek International described her, while The Times
said, "the control and purity of her upper registers defy belief." Hayley has now
also become the biggest selling classical artist in Japan, where her hit single
"Amazing Grace" turned Gold.

Hayley has performed in front of presidents, prime ministers and the Queen. She has
duetted with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Russell Watson. She has
appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Wembley Arena and the Royal
Albert Hall. She has sung for 200,000 at Auckland Domain (largest live concert) and
Melbourne "Carols by Candelight" (largest TV audience - NZ, Australia and Asia). The
teenager has also appeared as a special guest with the world's leading orchestras
including the Moscow Philharmonic, the Boston Pops and the London Philharmonic; and
she has made her National Arts Centre Orchestra debut in the sold-out Lord of the
Rings Symphonic concerts in July 2004.

Now Ottawa audiences will have the chance to hear more of this remarkable young
performer in selections from her first album Pure, her latest release Odyssey and
more. The second half of these CTV Pops concerts features her perfect soprano voice
in "May It Be" from Lord of the Rings, the gorgeous traditional Maori song
"Pokarekare Ana", Orff's "In Trutina" from Carmina Burana, "O mio babbino caro" from
Gianni Schicci , "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem, "Ave Maria", and her
hit single "Amazing Grace".

The affable and enormously talented Jack Everly will open the programme with a
global journey beginning with Around the World in 80 Days. The NAC Orchestra will
sparkle in such light classics as Chabrier's Espana, Borodin's In the Steppes of
Central Asia, Villa-Lobos's The Little Train of Caipira, Cowan's Waltzing Matilda,
America the Beautiful, The Pines of Rome and Robert Farnon's "Ottawa Heights" from
Canadian Impressions.

Tickets for Hayley Westenra, Jack Everly and the National Arts Centre Orchestra from
March 2 to 4 are on sale now at $34.50, $51.00, $53.00, $63.00 and $65.00, with box
seats at $92.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to
Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at
613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC's web-site at
www.nac-cna.ca <http://www.nac-cna.ca/> .

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music,
Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 947-7000 ext. 384 or
email [e-mail]. Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall
are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID
card.

-----------------------------------

Richard

[Oksana]

Thanks for the article, Richard! Interesting how it only states her classical repertoire...

I just saw a commercial for Hayley's concert on CTV. Well, I only saw the last few seconds when my mom called me into the room. I'll try to catch it again and tell you what it said!

Oksana

[Andrew]

Hi All,

Oksana, I wonder if in essence, the commercial you mentioned included the following information?

(The link below takes to you directly to the source):
www.nac-cna.ca/en/whatson/results.cfm?EventID=4360

National Arts Centre
Centre National Des Arts

Hayley Westenra
NACO: CTV Pops
March 2 - 4, 2006

This 18-year-old with the voice of an angel is the best-selling artist ever in her home country New Zealand – and in the UK, her first CD Pure has become the fastest selling classical release in history. First heard at the NAC in the Lord of the Rings symphony – a sold-out hit – Hayley now returns to dazzle with her perfect sound.
“A ton of star quality.” Newsweek International; “The control and purity of her upper registers defy belief.” The Times, UK

There is another advertisment here, which is similar, but different:
www.ottawaplus.ca/portal/profile.do?profileID=1022116

Hayley Westenra's New Zealand

This 18-year-old with the voice of an angel is the best-selling artist ever in her home country New Zealand – and in the UK, her first CD Pure has become the fastest selling classical release in history.

Where: National Arts Centre
53 Elgin St
Ottawa, ON
When: Mar 02-04, 2006 8:00 pm

First heard at the NAC in the Lord of the Rings symphony – a sold-out hit – Hayley now returns to dazzle with her perfect sound in a New Zealand-inspired multimedia programme including images of her enchanted island.

“A ton of star quality.”
- Newsweek International

“The control and purity of her upper registers defy belief.”
- The Times, UK

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

Hayley's own concerts in Ottawa are getting quite a few mentions in the Canadian press. Here is an extract from today's Ottawa Sun, but there is a little mistake which I've highlighted!

Ottawa this week

By LOUISE DANIELS, OTTAWA SUN

THURSDAY

Eighteen-year-old singer Hayley Westenra sings at the National Arts Centre, 53 Elgin St. for three days in a row, until Friday. Her last album sold the most copies ever in her native land, New Zealand. Tickets are $34.50-$92 in advance.

---------------------------------------

I think they mean until Saturday!

I bet Hayley is really looking forward to these concerts, and I'm looking forward to reading some reports! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[alien]

Coming Up in the Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, February 25, 2006

Sunday

In the Weekly: Critics of mainstream news media's sanitized coverage of the Iraq war are becoming more numerous and increasingly vocal. Chris Cobb examines why the war coverage is flawed and, as Canada's troops become more deeply involved in the Afghanistan conflict, explores the possible implications and potential pitfalls for the nation's news media.

In Arts & Books: If you are the type of reader offended by rave reviews, you might want to pass on a review of Nova Scotia writer Ami McKay's debut novel, The Birth House.

Monday

In Arts: Steven Mazey talks to Hayley Westenra, the young classical pop star from New Zealand who headlines three nights at the NAC.

Wednesday

In Food: Bringing peace to the breakfast table, Food editor Ron Eade makes the lightest, fluffiest, poached scrambled eggs you've ever seen -- with much less fat than traditional scrambled eggs.

Thursday

In techweekly: Bert Hill takes stock of the changes ushered in by Nortel CEO Mike Zafirovski during his first 100 days at the helm.

Friday

In Driving: Is the Smart car a wise choice for winter? We put Canada's smallest vehicle to its biggest test.

Next Saturday

In Style Weekly: Is it possible to raise a responsible citizen? We look at how to lead by example.

www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=8a3e00c3-120c-4241-b6d5-66bbd48e928e&k=81473

So, we should be expecting an interview on Monday

Allen

[stevemacdonald]

Good luck locationg that story. It might be available to subscribers only.

[stevemacdonald]

www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/arts/story.html?id=2d4850bb-accb-4349-a037-512138cdeb3f&k=29351

[Richard]

Thanks for the link Steve!

To avoid too much duplication, you can read a transcript of the article on the Media board here.

That is a great article, so I hope the Ottawa Citizen will publish a review of one of the concerts!

Richard

[Dave Gibson]

Help,
Two questions: 1.Are there any tickets availible for the March 4,2006 show?
2.Do you need a passport to go from the U.S. to Canada?
Any info would be appreciated.
Thank you very much,
Dave Gibson

[alien]

Hi Dave,

You can find tickets to the March 4 concert at:
www.ticketmaster.ca/artist/958562

There're tickets in different sections available, try to experiment with the options, the ticketmaster site isn't exactly that smart in terms of "best available".

For travelling from US to Canada, I *think* you don't need a passport. For the moment, Canadians can enter the US without a passport so it should be the same the other way around.

New rules shouldn't be in effect for another couple of years...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28188-2005Apr5.html

You should call the airline to confirm just in case.

Allen

[roger]

With thanks to cbsnews.com ...


Hayley Westenra: Teen Angel

NEW YORK, March 3, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(CBS) CBSNews.com's Ellen Crean interviewed singer Hayley Westenra.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's 1 o'clock on a Thursday afternoon, and Hayley Westenra is still in her pajamas, but not for the usual reasons that an 18-year-old girl would be in such a situation.

Hayley was up late the night before, singing for an audience with the Ottawa Symphony. And it wasn't going to be many days before she would meet up again with Il Divo to continue their joint tour.

Spurning a cup of tea or coffee in favor of a drink mix from the health food store, Hayley settles down for a chat on the phone. There's sure a lot to talk about. She is touring partly to support her album, "Odyssey." It's the follow-up to her debut album, "Pure," which has sold 2 million copies to date, topped the U.K. classical charts and also went Top 10 in the pop equivalent. In Japan, Hayley had a No. 1 single with "Amazing Grace."

Her voice is more operatic than pop, definitely more Charlotte Church than Britney Spears. It's almost startling to hear such a sound pouring forth from one so young.

"I guess I do just probably take it for granted," Hayley says, explaining that she does not hear her own voice the way her fans do. "I am aware of my faults and the things I need to work on."

But, to those who don't have a fabulous singing voice and have always imagined that it must be wonderful, she does admit, "The singing fills my whole body and my soul. Everyone loves to sing, even if it's in the shower. I'm lucky enough to give pleasure to other people."

Among those to whom she has given such pleasure is Andrea Bocelli, who did a duet with her for "Odyssey" and with whom she has performed in concert. But, when they first met, he told her that he had listened to her singing and told her, "You have the voice of an angel."

His was the first album Hayley ever bought, she recalls, and so she was understandably nervous when they first met three years ago ("It was at the Classical Brit Awards in London"). And then, later, she was invited to sing with him; as it turns out, the song they performed together, "Time To Say Goodbye," was one to which she had sung along many times when she listened to his music.

"It is such an honor any time I do sing with him," she says. "He is a very warm person. And he did give me one word of advice: To live my life tranquilly. Hard to do at the moment, but I do try."

She also has performed with opera star Jose Carreras, but she has an even higher aspiration: "When The Three Tenors are reunited, I would love to be invited to perform with them." (That would be not only Carreras, but also Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.)

On her album "Odyssey," Hayley covers "Both Sides Now," the song written by Joni Mitchell that was a huge hit for Judy Collins in 1967.

(CBS)
"Initially, it just jumped out at me was a great song," Hayley says. "But as I read into the lyrics more, I just became very attached to them. And every time I perform the song, I look into the lyrics differently."

Hayley has said that when she made "Odyssey," one of her goals was to make a record that would represent her as a person, and she took the opportunity to choose songs that reflected how she felt about life and the world. But when you're a teenager, things change fast.

"Obviously, you keep on growing as a person," says the young singer, "and I recorded (Odyssey) a year ago, so I have moved on quite a bit. It's definitely closer to representing me than 'Purer' …. Now, I'm doing a lot of writing. That's the next step up."

For Hayley, a life of song started when she was a very young child.

"Singing was very instinctual. It just made sense to me to sing whenever I could," she recalls. "I feel very fortunate to have this gift, so I do want to share it with the world and do whatever I can to just use it the best I can, for good. It does feel like a calling."

By the time Hayley was 11 years old, she had appeared in at least 40 amateur stage musicals in Christchurch, New Zealand. Was there ever a role she wanted that she did not get?

"Oh, yes, I'm sure there was," she replies with alacrity. "I got boy parts quite often. In ballet, there were not enough boys. So they ended up choosing half and half. I got chosen to wear the grey suit and the wig, and not the pretty dresses. In 'A Christmas Carol,' I was Tiny Tim, so I got to be quite a sick, sick boy. There was a severe lack of singing boys and, at the time, it was quite disappointing."

These days, Hayley doesn't have to pretend to be a boy, but she's sure getting to sing with the boys. She is touring with Il Divo, and she's well aware "there are a lot of jealous women out there."

The truth is, while she says that they have been "lovely and welcoming," she doesn't hang out with the members of Il Divo on the road: "While they may go out after the shows, I don't because I always regret it the following day. As you get older, your voice becomes more settled, and you can take liberties like that. But my voice is still developing and so it's very fragile."

But it’s not all business with her voice. Hayley often sings and hums just for fun.

"I do! I can't help it," she says. "Sometimes, when I have a show coming up and I have to rest my voice, it can be quite frustrating. I can't help but sing around the house."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEN QUICK ONES With Hayley Westenra

Dog or cat?
Dog. (Hayley doesn't have a dog but a bird, a cockatiel named Zac.)

Spring or fall?
Fall

Sweater or sweatshirt?
Sweatshirt

Favorite color?
Green

Favorite song?
"I couldn't begin to say."

Latest movie seen?
"Pride & Prejudice"

Brownies: Nuts or not?
Nuts.

Dinner for two or dinner for 20?
"Dinner with all my friends would be a rare treat."

Last meal?
"A home-cooked meal; one of my mom's or dad's dishes"

Motto?
Two of them:

"Live life to the full."

"A mistake is something to learn from. You have to make mistakes in order to grow."

[Raymond]

Thank you. I am wondering who sings 'I couldn't begin to say.'?

Raymond

[micro]

richnorri said:

I bet Hayley is really looking forward to these concerts, and I'm looking forward to reading some reports!

I saw her featured on CTV news(I have it on tape) and was quickly convinced to see her at the art centre.

I was disapointed with the first half of the show :zz , just the orchestra playing (where's Hayey!) Fine for those that like orchestra/classical (not I). In the second half, Hayley walks onstage wearing a long blue dress. She looked amazing. She sang while being backed by about 70 musicians and a 50 member choir(a very full stage). I expected a great performance and was not disapointed.

I have a picture if anyone's interested.

[Andrew]

Hi 'micro',

It's great to hear from you. I'd be really pleased to see your photograph of the concert, which you mentioned.

Please could you post this up on the Forum for us?

If you experience any problems trying to post up your photo, send me a PM and I'll help. Most of us on this Forum initially experienced "teething troubles" when trying to post up photos.

Hope to hear from you very soon.

Regards,

Andrew

[Andrew]

Hi All,

I'd like to post up this outstanding photograph of Hayley in Ottawa, on behalf of HWI member, Guy (aka 'micro').
Guy, thank you SO much for sharing this picture with us- this one really sweeps the trophies off the table!

The full size picture may be admired in luxury at the following link:
i41.photobucket.com/albums/e263/mistersheen/Hayley_Orchestra.jpg

What does everyone have to say to Guy for this contribution to the HWI Forum then?

Quite frankly, I'm STUNNED!

This photograph certainly deserves a round of applause...and a standing ovation too!

Regards,

Andrew