Ulysses, NYC - 20 March 2007

[Stephany]

Awwh your report was excellent, Alena - makes me wish I was there. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

I was very curious about Hayley covering "Dulaman" because as you say it was a bit risky; the song being in Gaelic with a speed pace but apparently she did extremely well. Same for "Summer Fly"; although I'm sure the background music wasn't as good as on the CD recording.

"Mummer's Dance"...*sigh* it's an excellent song choice and I really hope Hayley will sing it more often in the near future.

"Sonny" has quickly become a favourite of mine so obviously I'm really jealous that you got to hear it, haha! It's a slow song but (at least on the CD), Hayley is really into it and the lyrics are so powerful and moving....I would love to hear her sing and play it simultaneously on the piano. What a treat that would be!

Thanks again for the lovely review, Alena!

[mariannek]

Hi Alena,
You did an excellent job !!!
So personal and feeling, I got teary !!
What a wonderful experience for you, thank you so much for sharing !!!
Hayley would have absolutely loved the positive feedback, I am sure !!
Love, Marianne

[comet]

Hi folks.
Lovely review Alena,
My heart is just aching to see Hayley live in Dublin on June 13th,
I have Treasure playing in the background as I type.

Roll on June

at least I Have A new Journey DVD to watch in the meantime.

comet

[mariannek]

Hi Comet,
You are waiting for June !!!
Think about us * poor * people here in Australia !!
I don't think Hayley has been here since her PURE Tour, and I missed all of that !!!
And there seems nothing planned for her return !!
So...cheer up...she is coming your way !!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
Love, Marianne

[alena]

OOPS I had left out Amazing Grace - I am not surprised because it's another that isn't the highest on my list (especially as it came after the excitement of Mummers' Dance) but I added it to the review. Of course, with Hayley, everything she sings is lovely, but some everyone's got their favorites and Dulaman and Summer Fly and Mummers' Dance are mine!!!

[fusilier23]

With apologies for the delay in posting this, I've been in a transitional time at work and was a bit Hayleyed out after last weekend. But, all things have their time, and here is my humble attempt at a review:

In the aftermath of the Celtic Woman concert and surrounding events, which you can read about in another thread, it would be hard to experience anything greater. However, I had still booked a ticket to Ulysses, partly in case I did not get to say hello to Hayley at Celtic Woman, partly to support her because she has been so wonderful with her fans in the past, me included.

Anyway, it had been a somewhat rough day at work, so I was definitely ready for a meal of "comfort food" and a concert of Hayley's relaxing music. I had a relatively easy time getting through the Holland Tunnel and finding Pearl Street (thank you Mapquest). Parking in a nearby garage, I made my way over to Ulysses, stopping to pick up a bottle of wine for Steve and Hayley as a thank-you gift for Saturday, and get a picture from that night printed out.

I took a seat near the bar in Ulysses after stowing my things on the seat reserved for me, close to the stage but with a somewhat restricted view, and chatted up Tim from Pennsylvania, the brave soul who'd waited for Hayley with me in the rain, and Mark from NH, an air traffic controller and Desert Storm veteran. I had not stopped for lunch that day, and hungrily tucked into Irish sausage and mash, followed by some excellent Bailey's flavored ice cream for dessert (shame on me, I know). We watched some folks from NZ tv setting up in the back, and did our best to avoid any incriminating shots. Alena and husband Josh arrived and I chatted with them also.

The show began at 8:30 with a Celtic/gospel esemble of keyboard, guitar, and violin played by an excellent young fiddler named Laura MacPhee (who also sang and played the guitar on one song), and also, I believe by a blonde named Jane Hunt, though both did not play at the same time. Although they were very good, I crave your indulgence for not naming specific pieces, since I regrettably did not keep detailed notes.

Then came the moment that everyone was waiting for, with the owner of Ulysses stepping up and asking everyone to put their hands together for Hayley. This we did lustily, and from closer up, since Steve A invited us to move closer to the stage, since the Universal reps who were supposed to have those seats apparently wouldn't be there (hmph, their loss). Hayley looked lrelaxed in silver and black satin top, jeans and tall black boots, certainly different from her gowns and cocktail dress of Sunday night, but she of course looks lovely in anything I have seen her wear.

After greeting the audience, she began with "Prayer" from Odyssey (not to be confused with "The Prayer"), her voice ringing out pure as always. I am not always an advocate of starting the set with a slow song, but it fit in very well after the fiery fiddle pieces of the opening act, and the relaxing sentiment was just what I needed. She then said that we all probably knew the next song, so she wouldn't introduce it, and launched into "Scarborough Fair," which certainly all of HER fans know now. Her voice was thoroughly warmed up now, and she moved effortlessly through the passages made so famous by Paul Simon long ago. In my opinion, her version is POLES better.

After some banter about Celtic Treasure and how proud she was to launch it, she began the can't-miss "Shenendoah." It was of course very good, however, it was a somewhat truncated version, with an instrumental verse in the middle. Afterward she made mention of the Celtic Woman tour, and how great it was to be a part of it, then began "Dulaman" which she uses to open the second set there. Although this version was very good, I think I preferred the sparser accompaniment used during the CW show, which shows off her voice better. Caccini's "Ave Maria" was next, and was lovely, although perhaps slightly out of place given the setting, followed by the bittersweet "Sonny."

With further mention of Celtic Treasure she began "Summer Fly." Although this piece seems to have generated some controversy, let me be the first to say that not only does it fit Hayley's voice very well, but it shows that she is capable of MUCH more than just slow "ethereal" pieces, and it is good for her to show she has other strings to her bow and do original pieces, after all, she said herself that if no new pieces are written we are robbing the future of a past. In Trutina followed, taking us waaaaay back to Pure. Although she did it well, it was tranposed down, I believe.

My fave two songs of the evening finished out her formal set. Hayley actually took the time to explain what the Mummers were all about: singers and dancers celebrating the arrival of spring (which was the next day) parading through the medieval towns with garlands and banners. The piece itself is one she does far too infrequently, this was actually the first time I had heard it, I think, though I have heard bits and pieces on the net. It was wonderful, capturing the cheerful abandon of the revelers celebrating the arrival of the long-awaited warmer season after months of winter. "Amazing Grace," the perrenial spiritual favorite, closed out the set.

Hayley left, but quickly returned to the stage for two encores: "Pokarekare Ana," the ethereal NZ farewell which most of us first heard her sing for the first time, and "Danny Boy," which she said she'd normally dedicate to her Nana, who sang it when she was younger, but in this case she would dedicate to Dan, the owner of Ulysses, who had set this up. This was also down a half-step, most likely to avoid there being issues like there were on Saturday.

She did mingle with the crowd afterward and signed a few items, including pics I had taken for Caite and for Tashi, as well as a second copy of Celtic Treasure, which I promised her I was not looking to sell, only give as a gift, and her bio. I took a few pics, but none during the show. Hayley was actually FLOODED with gifts when she sat down to sign, including at least two beautiful bouquets of flowers. She took a few pictures with the staff of Ulysses, which was nice. I decided to get going about 11, since it was still a "school night," so I walked out with Alena and Josh, and headed home after bidding them good night.

I concur with Alena that it is good that Hayley is taking risks and not afraid to speed songs up, she is, after all, growing and changing as a person and her music is bound to reflect this. After all, what worked when she was 16 isn't necessarily going to work at 20, when she's seen as an adult, and performers who stagnate tend to fade. It is also good that she appears to understand that there is a difference between taking a calculated risk and being rash, and also that it is better to hold on with one hand while you reach out with the other, something some other perfomers never seemed to grasp.

I have to say, though, that the trasposition down of a few pieces leads me to wonder. I hope it is only the natural aging process (which will lead her away from the boy-choir sound) coupled with the wise decision to conserve her voice in the face of a VERY grueling tour that led her to do this. She herself has said she needs to slow down, and I hope after this is all over she does just that, not only from concern, but because she deserves a nice rest after all that she's done in the past few months.

Though I didn't get to say it at length, thank you, of course, Hayley, for the happiness you brought to this area this month. Good luck with the rest of the tour.

[Joe]

Hello Steven,

Another spectacular review, my friend. Many thanks to you and so many others this week who gave Hayley that big American welcome.

[Richard]

Many thanks for your wonderful reviews, Alena and Steven!

I'm pleased to hear that Hayley is taking a few calculated risks and pulling them off. I'm sure she will never do anything rash, and she seems to know which up-tempo numbers suit her voice and personality. She has clearly grown as an artist after just a few concerts as part of Celtic Woman, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her again back in London next month.

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Martin]

I entirely endorse Richard's comments - well done everyone especially Alena. This is where the Forum (and the internet) thrive bringing together like minded people with the touch of a keyboard.
It's also gratifying reading such positive comments on Hayley and the direction she is taking particularly the many references to risk taking. This is quite contradictory to recent negative reviews stating the exact opposite!

Martin

[Mark]

Hi everyone

Thanks to Steven & Alena for your reports of what must have been a fantastic evening. As Martin says, it is reassuring to read such positive reviews and I am also particularly looking forward to seing Hayley again in 2 weeks time. I also echo what you say Martin about the internet bringing the members of HWI together, no matter where you are in the world, which is also brought home even more when photos are added to the reports posted. Well done to all our fellow members on the other side of the pond

Best regards
Mark.

[grant]

Steven and Alena - thank you for your wonderful reviews. Ulysses sounds like the perfect venue for Hayley - small and intimate.

Steven, once again you have made me feel as though I was there (although my feet didn't get wet this time!).

Alena, your review and pictures are great - Am I to believe that this was your first attempt at a review? DON'T let it be the last!

As for using "the correct words" Alena, go with what feels right to you. I usually find that once I get going, the words just come and they always seem right to me.

I believe that if you were to take away the authors details and just present the text, it is quite likely that the reviewer would be recognised for the 'style' of their review - we're all individuals and that's what makes it interesting.

Best wishes

Grant

[hayleyw]

Hi guys! It's Hayley here! Just wanted to say it was great seeing some of you at the show on Tuesday. It was a bit of a change from the Celtic Woman tour but I loved the intimacy of the gig and getting back to my own hand-picked-by-me material! If you know what I mean.

I'm about to write a newsletter for everyone, so don't want to spill all the goss just yet sorry (not that I have anything too scandalous!), but just wanted to say a hi and thank you!

2nd show in Nashville tonight!!

Hayleyx

PS. I have to admit, I was a bit nosy and did happen to read the reviews of the show (glad you liked, because I had a blast!) -Re. keys, all the songs I performed on that night I sang in the same key as I recorded them. In the CW show however, Danny Boy is up a semi-tone (or half-step) as it was originally Meav's solo...

[toronado]

Ohhh, I lived in Nashville for a year, it's a great city, I hope you're having a good time!

[Stephany]

Hey Hayley!
It's lovely to see you here; thanks for signing in!! I was about to say that I hoped you would perform at similar intimate venues in the near future; because we feel we are privileged, haha!
I wish you all the best for the rest of the CW tour; and don't forget to rest & relax from time to time!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
Lots of love,
Stephany

[Raymond]

Hi Hayley,

It is great to hear that you enjoy performing in the Celtic Woman concerts. Remember to take some rest.

Cheers,
Raymond