Edinburgh Castle, 20th July 2006

[postscript]

stevehome said:

Hi Andrew, Roger and Dave,

I wonder if we could get some ties made in the Hayley tartan, with 'HWI' printed on them for the staff to use at the 'posher' concerts like Cadogan Hall?, I am sure I could get my company to sponsor the manufacture it you think its a good idea?

Its nice to be back!

Steve H

Hi Steve. Obviously any form of sponership is helpful but:
1. to be of value wouldn't it be better (and superior and Hayley is top quality in all she does and is assocociated with her) that the design alone shouts Hayley?

2. If you look at my earlier post on this I suggested a range of possibilities for sale which would mean funds to her charitable interests.

3. I think the HWI membership generally would be interested in acquiring these items. Beyond that, Hayley supporters as a whole. I think we need inclusivity not exclusivity to a 'refined band'.

Peter

[Steve H]

Hi Peter,

Sorry, I did not intend the tie to be exclusive, just needed to put a limit on the sponsorship element!

It would be a great idea to have HWI merchandise, but I am sure Roger and Dave are aware that that would require more input from the Managers who are already very busy, there is also the funding element and what happens if they do not sell as well as you hope?

Its a difficult one, perhaps as HWI grows a solution will arrive.

Take care Peter,

P.S Perhaps we could all wear this superb outfit to Hayley events, then we would definitely not loose anyone!

[graemek]

Hi Everybody,
From Flying Angel, Il Divo site:
'Here are my pics, you can use them, except for selling...'

There's been a lot of talk about copyright but the quote above
captures the spirit of showing pictures on fan websites.
This pic is by flying angel:


Notice anything missing in the poster?
Graemek

[postscript]

Yes, sorry, Steve, perhaps we were slightly at cross-purposes.

You were looking at a small production in relation to perceived resource. i was looking at a wider issue and I accept careful thought has to be given to funding but likewise also sponsorship and material could be sold at Hayley Concerts and as part of the Hayley existing merchandising.

If a percentage goes to Hayley, quite rightly, but also contributions are made to UNICEF, say, then perhaps a promoter might like to see it not as 'getting his money back (which he might ultimately) but as further promotion for him in supporting Haley and UNICEF.

I accept there is much work in the co-ordination and arrangement and perhaps it is merely 'an idea' for the moment.

By the by, the garb the distinguished-looking gentleman is wearing in your close-up picture is his town or smart casual. You saw his casual casual (yellow and green) at Wisley!

Who is he, by the way? He looks quite a handsome fellow!
Peter

[roger]

This is nothing new. The question of merchandising and donations to UNICEF has been discussed at regular intervals for years. Unfortunately, it is totally impractical. We have tried it in the past and the results, frankly, were pathetic and not worth the time and effort we had to invest in it. The additional workload for future fundraising activities would be significant and we are already under severe strain. There might even be legal implications involved with which none of us (not my knowledge) are sufficiently qualified to deal.

There is a link to the UNICEF website from the front page of HWI. Anyone is more than welcome to use it. However, I do not want to discourage future members from joining this forum by appearing to be asking for money at every conceivable opportunity as has been implied by recent suggestions. Worhty cause though it may be, that is NOT primarily what we are all about.

Simon and I reached the point when we were bursting at the seems long ago. I would therefore appreciate it if NO further suggestions that would result in additional work for the Management Team were proposed without at least consulting us first. For the foreseeable future though, we simply CANNOT deal with it.

Thank you.

Roger

[Richard]

graemek said:

Notice anything missing in the poster?

Hello Graeme!

I see there is no mention of Hayley in the poster, but there is probably a simple explanation. The poster would have been prepared and printed months ago, soon after Il Divo were booked for the concert, but it was only recently that Hayley was confirmed as supporting them on this tour. It would not have been practical to amend the poster in time.

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[Richard]

With thanks to Kay on Il Divo's forum, here is an extract from a review in the Edinburgh Evening News, 21st July 2006 by Martin Lenon:-

The opening act was the crystal-clear voice of New Zealander Hayley Westenra. Topping and tailing her all-too-short set with two beautiful Maori songs, Pokarekare Ana and Hine E Hine, she entranced and stunned the growing crowd with ethereal versions of Scarborough Fair and May It Be, among others.
Really, Westenra should now be sending shivers down an audience's collective spine in her very own headline gig at the Castle.

Richard

[Steve H]

Really, Westenra should now be sending shivers down an audience's collective spine in her very own headline gig at the Castle.

I would second that, If Hayley ever does this venue on her own I will be there, queuing behind Andrew for the best spots!

Steve H

[Oksana]

Hi everyone

Thanks for the fantastic photos; and the flowers that were given to Hayley were beauitful! I especially loved the delphiniums (?), which matched Hayley's blue dress. I'm so glad she liked them! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Thanks for posting the article clipping, Richard, except they spelled Hayley's first name wrong. Still, it was a lovely description of her performance.

Oksy

[Joe]

andrew said:

Hello Andrew,

The bouquet and card are absolutely beautiful. Hayley must've been really touched when she rec'd them. I'm showing your pics of them again!

Cheers,
Joe

[roger]

stevehome said:

Really, Westenra should now be sending shivers down an audience's collective spine in her very own headline gig at the Castle.

I would second that, If Hayley ever does this venue on her own I will be there, queuing behind Andrew for the best spots!

Steve H

...And I'll be queueing behind you queueing behind him! Polite lot, aren't we!

Roger

[Richard]

Hello folks!

I'll be next in the queue, so who's going to be behind me? i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Oksy, that spelling mistake annoyed me too, so I've corrected it in my quote this morning. Unfortunately I can't moderate the original article!

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

[postscript]

roger said:

This is nothing new. The question of merchandising and donations to UNICEF has been discussed at regular intervals for years. Unfortunately, it is totally impractical. We have tried it in the past and the results, frankly, were pathetic and not worth the time and effort we had to invest in it. The additional workload for future fund raising activities would be significant and we are already under severe strain. There might even be legal implications involved with which none of us (not my knowledge) are sufficiently qualified to deal.

There is a link to the UNICEF website from the front page of HWI. Anyone is more than welcome to use it. However, I do not want to discourage future members from joining this forum by appearing to be asking for money at every conceivable opportunity as has been implied by recent suggestions. Worhty cause though it may be, that is NOT primarily what we are all about.

Simon and I reached the point when we were bursting at the seems long ago. I would therefore appreciate it if NO further suggestions that would result in additional work for the Management Team were proposed without at least consulting us first. For the foreseeable future though, we simply CANNOT deal with it.

Thank you.

Roger

I accept your points entirely Roger, especially the one about not wanting new people to feel there is an obligation/.expectation or that in not being supportive of such initiatives they are not fully taking part.

In terms of additional work on the Managment Team, that was never in my mind. The ideas promoted were only on the basis of 'throwing out ideas' to see if there was any interest, as something worth discussing.

If anyone thought they were and it was cleared as appropriate by those for whose benefit it was thought to be, then clearly they would be the ones expected to carry the burden, as I would be so prepared to do, were there to be support for them, except that at the moment my health precludes such involvement. The sole reason I have not been pro-active in offering further assistance generally, in what ever guise would further reduce the workload on those already carrying the burden. But that does not mean I was expecting or intending, by implication or directly by default, to 'dump' the workload on anyone else.

Peter

[postscript]

richnorri said:

graemek said:

Notice anything missing in the poster?

Hello Graeme!

I see there is no mention of Hayley in the poster, but there is probably a simple explanation. The poster would have been prepared and printed months ago, soon after Il Divo were booked for the concert, but it was only recently that Hayley was confirmed as supporting them on this tour. It would not have been practical to amend the poster in time.

Best Wishes from London,

Richard

A plausible explanation but I don't buy it wholeheartedly. In my experience these things are usually at the last minute before distribution to the advertsing sites, or the bill poster. Three reasons.
1. Why tie-up money (paying for the work) too far ahead of need.
2. Contingency of something going wrong so why commit earlier than practicality of distribution demands.
3. Knowing 'someone' would front them, presumably, then the design brief would allow space for either a late insertion or a single colour overprint.

Maybe I'm just too organised, or too accustomed to large international promotions. All these points are automatically raised right at the planning stage and provision made for them--or at least when I was running major campaigns, they were!

Peter

[postscript]

richnorri said:

With thanks to Kay on Il Divo's forum, here is an extract from a review in the Edinburgh Evening News, 21st July 2006 by Martin Lenon:-

The opening act was the crystal-clear voice of New Zealander Hayley Westenra. Topping and tailing her all-too-short set with two beautiful Maori songs, Pokarekare Ana and Hine E Hine, she entranced and stunned the growing crowd with ethereal versions of Scarborough Fair and May It Be, among others.
Really, Westenra should now be sending shivers down an audience's collective spine in her very own headline gig at the Castle.

Richard

YEAH OH YEAH Her really very own gig!!!!

Sticking my neck out on purely scraps falling to the floor, will she be doing her own concerts any time soon?

That then raises another question, were she to do so, in what format?
She filled The London Palladium for a single night (my first experience of her live) and went on to a wonderful variety of venues and backing through the fall of 2005:
Lowry, churches, abbeys (overflowing so she came back three weeks later), Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Concert Hall (she'd previously been at Bridgewater Hall, etc.

So, if international CD 3 is due next year (Spring?), this implies autumn 2006 busy arranging, recording and long-term planning, would she promote it via a world tour, so it is Spring 2007 before we get Hayley running her own concerts?

If one is to draw any conclusions from Hayley's own PUBLIC statements without putting words in her mouth, the Il Divo experience was:
1. a form of wider promotion;
2. Cost-effective and comparatively hassle-free, riding on someone else's main management structure;
3. Learning the ropes by doing the hard graft--being someone else's curtain warmer. She's previously said she thought her laurels had arrived too easily and this was her way of properly earning them, in her eyes.

What we can add is that over the two years I have been following her live, her stage presence, audience command, self-confidence, authority have all deepened and strengthened. This diminutive figure commands with a comfortable easy-flowing assurance.that is in no way commanding, witness her handling of interruptions at`Wisley and Regents Park.

Gradually, she has given us more songs per session. Her voice is strengthening and is increasingly sustainable over a long stretch. Perhaps that is what she is waiting for and when the voice is ready, perhaps for the launch of her next CD, all will be ready for a full 'Hayley's in charge' series of concerts?

Peter