Telford - 2 December 2006 (New!)

[Martin]

roger said:

“She gave a great performance and everyone was very impressed with her personality, she is not like a lot of celebrities.”

Roger
Thanks for finding this interesting report. I like this particular quote - could almost be the HWI motto!!

We will need to keep our ears to the ground for the ticket release date as I suspect they will go very very quickly.

Best wishes
Martin

[Mark]

Hi Roger

Thanks very much for locating this report. I too was very pleased to hear that "she is not like other celebrities". Of course, those of us who know her a little better are already well aware of that. A photographer from this paper was taking quite alot of photos before and I think during the performance, including the audience ! I will attempt tosee if any were published.

Perhaps this may be going off topic a little but after my fantastically (is that a word ?) enjoyable experience at Telford, a couple of things have become more apparent to me. Firstly, what I can only describe as the power of HWI and its members. By this, I mean that I hadn't fully taken on board until now perhaps how much we as a group are appreciated by Hayley and her team. For example, a comment from Steve Abbott in the interval "its good to see a blue shirt here tonight" (meaning Grant, I havnt got mine yet !). He also was only too pleased to chat to me about "Hayley things" whilst she was signing CDs despite this being the first time I had met him. In addition, he was more than willing to take some pics for us etc. etc. Also, we spoke to quite a few other people in the audience, whilst queueing to get in and afterwards. Even those who knew about Hayley, were asking us questions about this site, concert dates, the new album etc.etc. I'm sorry if I have been a little slow on the uptake here, I'm sure that most of you realised this long ago. I would also like to add that I felt proud to be member of HWI, almost seeing myself as an extension of Hayleys team !!

Last Saturday, also seems to have had some sort of effect on me, particularly yesterday (Sunday). I am sure I wasn't ill but was off my food ! I am more back to normal today though. What was that all about ?

Finally -gosh (to use a Hayley expression) this is nearly as long as one of Peters postings . Peter, yes, I do know what you mean about just standing and watching while she is meeting people and signing. Myself, Grant & Steve were on one side of her table, with those awaiting signing were on the other - it wasnt crowded. Therefore, on a few occasions, she would look across to Grant and I for perhaps the date of something when someone asked. On another occasion, someone shook her hand rather hard, after they had gone, she looked at me and said "gosh, that was a firm handshake" Small things maybe, but she made me feel involved and again, sort of proud to be there !!

Best wishes
Mark.

[grant]

tinky3344 said:

I would also like to add that I felt proud to be member of HWI, almost seeing myself as an extension of Hayleys team !!

Small things maybe, but she made me feel involved and again, sort of proud to be there !!

Excellent observations Mark!

I think both Steve and Hayley see us sort of that way as well!
Grant

[Richard]

Hello Mark!

You made some very interesting comments about your experience in Telford, and you weren't off topic at all.

There are a couple of photographs with the article from the Shropshire Star that Roger posted:-


Right: The Reverend Peter Lawley with Hayley Westenra before the concert

I posted them side by side so the caption from the article is correct! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Mark]

Hi Richard

Thanks very much for adding the pictures. I had spotted them but couldn't easily think how to post them. No pics of the audence ! Still, a nice pic of Hayley.

Mark

[Steve H]

tinky3344 said:

Last Saturday, also seems to have had some sort of effect on me, particularly yesterday (Sunday). I am sure I wasn't ill but was off my food ! I am more back to normal today though. What was that all about ?

Best wishes
Mark.

Hi Mark,

That's exactly how I used to feel on the day after a concert, the elation is followed by a fed up feeling, after St Johns Square last year it took me a week to get back to normal.

Now it does not seen to affect me so badly, because I know there is always another show, and another fix! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Welcome to the club! and I am glad you had a great time!

All the best,

Steve.

[Mark]

Hi Steve

Thanks for the reassurance. I didn't imagine that I could ever be affected like that !!

Regards
Mark.

[grant]

stevehome said:

tinky3344 said:

Last Saturday, also seems to have had some sort of effect on me, particularly yesterday (Sunday). I am sure I wasn't ill but was off my food ! I am more back to normal today though. What was that all about ?

Best wishes
Mark.

Hi Mark,

That's exactly how I used to feel on the day after a concert, the elation is followed by a fed up feeling, after St Johns Square last year it took me a week to get back to normal.

Now it does not seen to affect me so badly, because I know there is always another show, and another fix! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Welcome to the club! and I am glad you had a great time!

All the best,

Steve.

Hello again Mark.

I've been considering your "condition" on Sunday after the concert and have come to the conclusion that you are suffering from a serious bout of excessive 'Hayleywowing'

Alas, there is only one known cure

LOTS MORE HAYLEY

Grant

[postscript]

martin said:

roger said:

“She gave a great performance and everyone was very impressed with her personality, she is not like a lot of celebrities.”

Roger
Thanks for finding this interesting report. I like this particular quote - could almost be the HWI motto!!

We will need to keep our ears to the ground for the ticket release date as I suspect they will go very very quickly.

Best wishes
Martin

Yes, eyes out. My eye is on the Grassington Christmas release of tickets this Friday. Isn't it fun finding other people still responding to Hayley as instinctively as we all did the first time and subsequently--'unlike many celebreties'. Yep indeed!

Peter S.

[postscript]

A superb post on the Telford thread, Mark, detailing what it is like to be close to Hayley while she is 'working the glad hand'. You feel a part of the whole.

What is also interesting (and this is where the sweatshirts come in, except they are a bit warm in summer, or indoors in a well-heated theatre) is the attraction to raise a question.

Most people do not think there is anything mre to Hayley than simply buying her CDs and attending her concerts when they are close enough. Why should, particularly the majority of the group she attracts, think otherwise? It is amazing how much else they might be interested in, if they know about it.

There is the book and theDVD for example. Regardless of whether or not I am wearing a Hayley-orientated garment (and the ties and the roses, when available, are too subtle, unless many of us are there en masse (when it would be very effective) I always find it easy to strike up conversation in a queue.

You can gauge to what extent people are interested in talking and learnig more about Hayley. Very rarely do I mention the times i've met her, because i don't steer the conversation that way. What I do is point out Amazon as an obvious source and what else is available about her. If they are internet-orientated then of course, so much is to be found on H-W-I. You never know how much help you give Hayley by spreading the word that way, because you never know to whom those people pass on their newly acquired knowledge.

I rang a friend the other night I have known for years but haven't spoken to let alone seen for awhile. It turns out she is a keen Hayley fan but had no idea of the web site and said she will visit. Hopefully Marie will join us--I mention the name in case she reads this as a further prompt. By the way way, she prefers it pronounced the Scottish way. Don't get excited Andrew, she's happily married to an artist! We've been friends for years but I will give you this clue, the rhyming couplet at the bottom of my posts was originally written for her, many, many moons ago. I thought at the time it was, and would remain, the best rhyming couplet I would ever write.

Peter S.

[postscript]

grant said:

tinky3344 said:

I would also like to add that I felt proud to be member of HWI, almost seeing myself as an extension of Hayleys team !!

Small things maybe, but she made me feel involved and again, sort of proud to be there !!

Excellent observations Mark!

I think both Steve and Hayley see us sort of that way as well!
Grant

I think any association with Hayley is something to be proud of and when she decides to acknowledge you, even if it is a private acknoweldgement, you feel great.

I mentioned a 'private' acknowledgement a few posts back under the Toast thread when I confessed how i had been caught out in her handling of the roudy element, by voicing a support she hadn't at that time wanted, at least, not from me!

Then, in Llandudno, I was in the front row six feet from her when she was close to that edge of the stage. She looked down towards me. There was no facial movement at all. Her eyes said it all, it was a very clear 'hi Peter' which no one else would have been aware of, nor were they intended to be. It was just a generously given very private moment in the middle of singing.

Peter S.

[grant]

Then, in Llandudno, I was in the front row six feet from her when she was close to that edge of the stage. She looked down towards me. There was no facial movement at all. Her eyes said it all, it was a very clear 'hi Peter' which no one else would have been aware of, nor were they intended to be. It was just a generously given very private moment in the middle of singing.

Peter S.

Hi Peter

Although it wasn't included in my review, sitting as close as we were (only about 4/5 feet away) we could clearly see that Hayley was scanning the nearer elements of her audience for much of the time, regularly fixing her gaze on someone for those precious seconds!

Hayley already knew we were there, so there was no need to say 'Hi!' but perhaps an occasional glance to make sure we were enjoying ourselves as much as she was.

I did notice her eyes catch mine a couple of times, the first time bringing a smile to my face as she was singing "fade away" at the time!

Don't you just love her!

Grant

[oncewaslost]

Bless you all,

With reference to these withdrawal symptoms after listening to Hayley live or even on recorded material. I am glad to find I am not the only one who suffers from this.
I have never heard Hayley perform live, though would dearly like to do so, I find I suffer from these symptoms after watching Live In NewZealand or listening to her CD recordings.

I have a theory.
YOU MAY NOW GET YOUR PILE OF STONES READY i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
AND POSSIBLY THE VERY LONG SLEEVED COAT

This is the theory:
When Hayley is singing she draws you the listener much closer to the presence of a higher power.This joy and elation you feel at the time decreases after listening to Hayley.
The withdrawal which seems quite real is similar to that of smokers or other addicts. So you listen again and again.
This higer power I refer to would in most cases be referred to as GOD.So by being close to this wholesomness or goodness you are in some way closer to God which is the "Still have'nt found what I'm looking for" element in our searching lives.

I am not suggesting that Hayley is actively or knowingly doing this, it seems simply to be the effect, Like faith healers not wanting to be healers the JUST ARE and some of them have difficulty carrying this ability it is not something they wanted.
I have often thought Hayley can look "TRANSFIXED" while she is singing looking slightly upwards or skywards. (it may only be at the spotlights or an upper balcony).
I have noticed that many were attracted to Hayley's music the VERY FIRST time they heard it, I too was the same which I find quite unusual,I would have music playing a lot of the time in the background but was CAPTIVATED the very first time I heard Hayley singing, I am almost afraid to go and see her live in case I become overcome with emotions that I cannot handle.
I have access to about two and a half thousand albums of music and NO ONE has ever brought out the joy and elation that Hayley brings out.

Do I hear the clatter of falling stones. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

TO THE MODERATORS:
Feel free to delete this post if you find it a bit over the top.
May God bless you all.

[postscript]

Welcome 'Oncewaslost'.

I think, perhaps, yours is the most open post on the theme you raise that I,certainly, have yet come across, but I am not one of the longest people here. I think that what you say, somewhat more directly is what many feel but most of us need a few posts to feel able to 'open up' quite as clearly.

I think you will find many posts on the theme that Hayley is without doubt a spiritual person and certainly has a spiritually beneficial effect in the way people react to her.

I think it is important, in the light of the wide diversity of opinion we encompass, being an international forum, that we need to avoid in any way determining what we individually may mean by 'spiritual'. 'Simple' spiritual awareness is most importantly non-denominational and that is how we should keep it.

As regards a sense of wellbeing, of uplift, if nothing more than a simple down-to-earth basic decency, is without doubt a hallmark of the Hayley experience, but there are many people in that vogue in ordinary life. There are also many amazingly talented young people doing their own thing in less limelight than Hayley who need also applauding for their basic goodness of value awareness.

Despite all this and the many reasons for seeing good things in this life (and it is true, you will find what you seek, so it is in the seeker's intent as much as anything else what you discover) there is certainly something extraordinarily special about Hayley, which is hard to define. She is, simply, someone in whose presence you are glad to be if that, in effect, is all that you can contribute to the occasions, appreciation of that wonderful state of simply being.

I think it is something that is inherent in all creative people. We are beginning to learn that soon we will see Hayley's original creativity in greater prominence. For the moment, her creativity is defined by the extraordinary quality of her voice, on which she works hard to nurture, cherish and help grow at its own rate and readiness and the interpretation she places on the songs she sings.

One can gain from reading, usually poetry but also passages of music which one knows is sublime, that inner sense that one is touching an idea, a state of being, that, through creativity, touches the divine. It is why a society's ability to appreciate the arts is an indicator as to the wellbeing and 'elevated state' of that society.

The best that most of us can achieve is to be thankful for the insight that enables us to recognise that talent in those who have it and to have the inner peace to appreciate it and give encouragement.

This you have done in your first post here, so I hope we will hear more from you and that we in turn will give you something you will appreciate and wish to stay with us, posting regularly.

Yours ever,

Peter S.

[mariannek]

oncewaslost said:

Bless you all,

With reference to these withdrawal symptoms after listening to Hayley live or even on recorded material. I am glad to find I am not the only one who suffers from this.

Hi, Oncewaslost,
First of all...a very warm welcome to the forum....a forum without equal, I should think !!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Your post absolutely thrilled me, because as Peter already said you have put your experience into the most open and honest words !!!
When first listening to Hayley, and watching her DVD I was totally enthralled !! Every day I felt the need to have that Haylyey magic in my life !! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
In between those moments I realised I was somewhat sad... it was like grieving ....now a year later I understand my feelings and cope much better !!! My heart now focuses on Hayley, praying for her wellbeing and her future !! I give thanks to God every day for His blessing upon Hayley and each one of us who love her so much !! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

So you are not alone at all....look forward to your company

Lots of love, Marianne