Paradiso | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 April 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2010 | |||
Genre | Classical, Traditional music | |||
Length | 58:23 | |||
Label | Decca, Universal | |||
Producer | Ennio Morricone | |||
Hayley Westenra chronology | ||||
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Ennio Morricone chronology | ||||
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Paradiso is an international album by Christchurch, New ZealandsopranoHayley Westenra, in collaboration with Italian maestro Ennio Morricone. It was released worldwide beginning 18 April 2011 in New Zealand.
Paradiso features new compositions written by Morricone for Westenra, as well as Hayley performing some of his best-known film compositions in vocalese. Westenra also contributed new English lyrics for some of Morricone's most well-known pieces, 'Gabriel's Oboe', 'La Califfa', and 'Malena'.[1][2][3] Westenra said she not only was inspired by 'Gabriel's Oboe' (the theme from the 1986 film classic The Mission), but also contributed lyrics to Whispers In A Dream (music:'Gabriel’s Oboe') in the spirit of world peace.[4]
Morricone produced all of Westenra's vocal performances and created new arrangements for each track, conducting instrumental sessions with his own 120-piece orchestra, Sinfonietta di Roma.[5][6][7][8] On 18 July 2011, Morricone commented, 'When I first heard Hayley’s voice I was impressed and fascinated. I was very pleased when I was asked to compose and arrange the pieces that Hayley sings on her CD and am delighted with the results. I want to mention that this is not just a small anthology but also includes new songs performed and recorded for the first time.. I wish our CD great fortune and many listeners and to this beautiful performer, a great career.'[9][10][11][12] Oscar-winning lyricist Don Black, Sir Tim Rice, and Marilyn and Alan Bergman also contributed lyrics to the multi-language album (including some English and Italian songs, a French and a Portuguese song).[2][13][14]
Paradiso became the 85th local #1 album since the inception of the Official New Zealand Music Charts in 1975.[15] It has been certified gold in New Zealand,[16] and became Westenra's fifth number one album in New Zealand, breaking the record for the New Zealand artist with the most #1 albums to their name announced by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (Rianz) in May.[17] It rose to number one on the Amazon Classical pre-release chart, and topped the HMV Classical pre-release chart.[18][19]
Paradiso hit #1 on the official UK Classical Charts, as well as the Classic FM chart, after its release in the UK.[20][21] It also reached #2 on the Amazon.com US classical chart after release in the United States.[22]
- 4Charts and Certifications
Track listing[edit]
- Gabriel's Oboe (Whispers In A Dream) lyrics by Hayley Westenra
- Cinema Paradiso: Profumo Di Limone lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- La Califfa lyrics by Ennio Morricone & Hayley Westenra
- Once Upon A Time In The West lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- Metti Una Sera A Cena lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- Cinema Paradiso: Would He Even Know Me Now? lyrics by Don Black
- Per Natale (L'Esprit de Noël) lyrics by Josephine Drai
- I Knew I Loved You (Deborah's Theme) lyrics by Ennio Morricone, Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman
- Lezione Di Musica lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- Da Quel Sorriso Che Non Ride Piu lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- The Edge Of Love lyrics by Tim Rice
- Amália Por Amor lyrics by Joao Mendonca
- Here's To You lyrics by Joan Baez
- Malena lyrics by Hayley Westenra
Japan Release:
- Gabriel's Oboe (Whispers In A Dream) lyrics by Hayley Westenra
- Cinema Paradiso: Profumo Di Limone lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- La Califfa lyrics by Ennio Morricone & Hayley Westenra
- Once Upon A Time In The West lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- Metti Una Sera A Cena lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- Cinema Paradiso: Would He Even Know Me Now? lyrics by Don Black
- Per Natale (L'Esprit de Noël) lyrics by Josephine Drai
- I Knew I Loved You (Deborah's Theme) lyrics by Ennio Morricone, Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman
- Lezione Di Musica lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- Da Quel Sorriso Che Non Ride Piu lyrics by Ennio Morricone
- The Edge Of Love lyrics by Tim Rice
- Amália Por Amor lyrics by Joao Mendonca
- Here's To You lyrics by Joan Baez
- Malena lyrics by Hayley Westenra
- Cinema Paradiso: Profumo Di Limone (Bonus Track) [Japanese Lyrics]
- Amazing Grace (Special Bonus Track)
Disc 2 [SHM-CD Special Edition]
- Gabriel's Oboe (Whispers In A Dream) Music Video
Promotion[edit]
On 17 July 2011, Westenra talked about working with world-renowned composers on Paradiso when interviewed by Terry Wogan, and performed Whispers In A Dream and 'Songbird' live for BBC Radio 2.[23][24] On 1 September, Premier Christian Radio interviewed Westenra about recording Paradiso with Morricone and his orchestra in Rome.[25] On 15 September, Westenra appeared as a guest star on the popular Italian reality TV show for children 'Io Canto' (Canale 5) and sang 'Whispers In A Dream' and 'Cinema Paradiso: Profumo di Limone' with the show's 2010 winner, Benedetta Caretta.[26][27] The BBC programme Songs of Praise broadcast 'Whispers In A Dream' as performed by Westenra in Salisbury Cathedral.[28][29] Also, Hayley was interviewed by several American media outlets, including Fox News, to promote the album's release in the United States.[30][31][32][33][34][35][36] On 17 October, Westenra appeared on CNN for an interview entitled 'Prodigy Puts Words to Morricone's Classics'.[37]
Paradiso Homecoming Tour[edit]
To promote and spread Paradiso, Westenra plans to embark on the Paradiso Homecoming Tour, a tour of the UK, New Zealand, and east Asia.[38][39][40]
During the tour, River of Dreams and Paradiso is reentering New Zealand Albums Chart at #6 and #7 on 21 Nov,[41] and Paradiso is reentering #1 on TaiWan classical music chart.[42]
Charts and Certifications[edit]
Charts[edit]
| Certifications[edit]
|
International Release[edit]
Region | Date | Label | Format | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand | 18 April 2011 | Decca | CD | [48] |
Japan | 8 June 2011 | Universal Music Japan | CD/DVD | [49][50][51] |
Australia | 10 June 2011 | Universal | CD | [52] |
Portugal | 28 August 2011 | Decca | [53] | |
United Kingdom | 29 August 2011 | [1][54] | ||
Canada | Universal | [55] | ||
Russia | Decca | [56] | ||
Spain | [57] | |||
Germany | 30 August 2011 | CD/MP3-Downloads | [58][59] | |
France | [60] | |||
TaiWan | 31 August 2011 | CD | [61] | |
Italy | 20 September 2011 | [62] | ||
United States | 29 August (for DD) /4 October 2011 (for CD) | CD/Digital Download | [10][63] | |
China | October 2011 | Decca | CD | [64][65] |
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on amazon.co.uk'. April 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^ ab'In the studio with Morricone'. classicfm.co.uk. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^Gill, Andy (26 August 2011). 'Paradiso review'. London: independent.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2011.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on marbecks.co.nz'. April 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Success came early'. BBC Breakfast. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^'Marty Recommends Paradiso'. rte.ie. August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra & Ennio Morricone, Paradiso (Decca)'. 26 August 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^'Message from Ennio Morricone'. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^ ab'Hayley Westenra album on iTunes'. 29 August 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^'Westenra: così strego Morricone'. famigliacristiana.it. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^'Paradiso on QVC from HWI archives'. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- ^'HAYLEY WESTENRA'S PRESENTS 'PARADISO''. 20 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso review'. allmusic.com. August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra Cracks Record #1s'. scoop.co.nz. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^'Latest Gold / Platinum Albums'. RadioScope New Zealand. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^'Looking back at a musical mixed bag'. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. 2 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^'Hot New Releases in Classical on amazon.co.uk'. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^'Classical Music-coming soon on hmv.com'. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^'Classical Artist Albums Archive'. theofficialcharts.com. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^'Classic FM Chart with 'Paradiso''. classicfm.co.uk. September 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^'Amazon.com US classical chart'. amazon.com. October 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^'BBC radio 2 program'. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'HWI archives of BBC radio 2 program'. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^http://www.premierradio.org.uk/listen/ondemand.aspx?mediaid={19CC47AD-4CA3-4E5D-860C-7420359ED5C3}
- ^http://www.tv.mediaset.it/canale5/io_canto/
- ^http://www.hayley-westenra-international.com/content/hayley-io-canto-italian-tv-15-sep-2011
- ^http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013028v#synopsis
- ^http://www.hayley-westenra-international.com/content/hayley-songs-praise
- ^'International Singing Sensation Hayley Westenra - Fox News Video - Fox News'. Fox News. 4 December 2011.
- ^http://www.interviewmagazine.com/blogs/music/2011-10-03/hayley-westenra-ennio-morricone-paradiso/
- ^http://www.okmagazine.com/2011/10/soprano-hayley-westenra-recalls-meeting-prince-william-says-he-kate-make-the-sweetest-couple/
- ^http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/10/10/hayley-westenra-morricone
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2011.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2011/10/14/785032.aspx[permanent dead link]
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^'CNN.com Video'. CNN.
- ^http://www.hayleywestenra.com/live/
- ^http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/news/2011/09/hayley-westenra
- ^http://www.mna.com.tw/events_CN.asp?eventID=110[permanent dead link]
- ^http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/nzalbums
- ^http://www.g-music.com.tw/GMusicBillboard5.aspx
- ^ ab'The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 27 June 2011'(PDF) (1113). Pandora Archive. 30 June 2011: 8, 21. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^'irishcharts.com - Discography Hayley Westenra'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^'charts.org.nz - Hayley Westenra and Ennio Morricone - Paradiso'. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^'HAYLEY WESTENRA'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^'New Zealand album certifications – Hayley Westenra – Paradiso'. Recorded Music NZ.
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on amplifier.co.nz'. July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on hmv.co.jp'. July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD'. amazon.com. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD and DVD'. amazon.co.jp. June 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on sanity.com.au'. July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD'. cdgo.com. July 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on hmv.com'. July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on amazon.ca'. July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD'. universalmusic.ru. August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD'. hmv.es. August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on amazon.de'. July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso download in MP3'. amazon.de. August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD and download in MP3'. amazon.fr. August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Westenra albums on books.com.tw'. August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^'Paradiso CD'. amazon.it. August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^'Hayley Westenra albums Paradiso on amazon.com'. July 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=22513824
- ^https://www.amazon.cn/dp/B005MM9KTS
Hayley Westenra in 2006 | |
Background information | |
---|---|
Birth name | Hayley Dee Westenra |
Born | 10 April 1987 (age 32) Christchurch, New Zealand |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | |
Website | www.hayleywestenra.com |
Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987)[1][2] is a New Zealand singer, classical crossover artist,[3] songwriter, and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide. Pure is the fastest-selling international début classical album to date, having made Westenra an international star at age 16. In August 2006, she joined the Irish group Celtic Woman, was featured on their Celtic Woman: A New Journey CD and DVD, toured with them on their 2007 Spring Tour, and was also featured on their DVD, The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection, released in 2008. Westenra has produced five New Zealand number one studio albums, holding the title for the most number one records for any New Zealand act, a record shared with alternative rock band Shihad since the release of their 2014 album, FVEY.
Across classical music to easy listening, folk and pop style songs, Westenra has performed songs in English, Māori, Irish, Welsh, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Latin, Japanese, Standard Mandarin Chinese, Catalan, and Taiwanese Hokkien.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Westenra has performed for dignitaries all over the world. She is the second youngest UNICEF Ambassador to date and has contributed to charities around the globe.[9]
- 2Career
- 7Discography
Early life[edit]
Hayley was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her parents, Gerald and Jill Westenra, have two other children, Sophie and Isaac. Hayley's grandmother Shirley Ireland was a singer, and her grandfather was a pianist who also played the piano accordion.[10] She has Irish, Dutch and English heritage.[11][12]
She began performing at age six when she was cast in the lead singing role of 'Little Star' in the Christmas play[10] at her school, Fendalton Open Air School.[13] After the show, a teacher who had watched the performance approached her parents to tell them that their daughter was 'pitch perfect'.[10] The teacher encouraged Hayley to learn how to play a musical instrument; soon after she learned to read music and play the violin, piano, guitar, and recorder. She then began voice lessons and discovered a passion for musical theatre. By age 11, she had performed more than 40 times on stage,[10] but was often given male parts: '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 a poor sick boy. There was a severe lack of singing boys and, at the time, it was quite disappointing.'[14] Westenra attended Cobham Intermediate School in 1998 and 1999, where a performing arts building was later named in her honour.[15] She won a talent quest in her first year (Year 9) at Burnside High School, which she attended from 2000 to 2003.[16]
Career[edit]
2000-2002: Debut[edit]
At 12, Westenra entered a professional recording studio to record Walking in the Air, a demo album originally created for friends and family. At first, there were 70 copies made, all paid for with the money she was earning busking. Soon after, 1,000 more were cut for sale, hand-out, and publicity. After finishing her album, Westenra and her sister Sophie busked in Christchurch, giving away a few of the original 70 albums (at the behest of passersby) and selling some of the latter 1000. The pair drew large crowds, and one woman asked the girls if they had ever recorded anything. The woman, a journalist with Canterbury Television, asked Westenra to appear on air.[17]Gray Bartlett, the director of a concert promotion company, saw the show and became interested in working with Westenra.[17] Shortly after, she was offered a recording deal with Universal Records New Zealand.[18] On that label, Westenra, who in the meantime was attending Burnside High School,[19] released a self-titled album of show tunes and light classical songs, as well as My Gift to You, a CD of Christmas music. Following the success of her albums, she was offered and later received lessons from Dame Malvina Major.[10]
2003-2004: Pure[edit]
Westenra's albums were successful in New Zealand, but she was not well known worldwide until she signed a contract with Decca Records and recorded Pure, a CD of classical, light pop, and traditional Māori songs. Decca's British president was also impressed with her voice when they signed her to the label, saying that she was 'captivated by the beauty and expressiveness of her voice.'[20]Pure enjoyed record success: it became the fastest-selling international debut album in the history of the UK classical chart, with 19,068 copies purchased in its first week alone, quickly reached No. 1 on the British charts, and entered the UK Pop Chart at #8.[17][21] Over two million copies of Pure have been sold to date. In New Zealand, Pure has been certified 12 times platinum, making her the best-selling artist, regardless of genre, in the country's history.[22]
Pure's success ensured that Decca would take Westenra seriously. Some of her fame today can be directly attributed to the way in which Decca promoted her. Although the traditional audience of classical crossover music is adult women, they also promoted her music to children and teenagers.[23] In 2004 Westenra recorded the end-title song for Disney's movie Mulan II.[24] They also featured her in the national Radio Disney music education tour for middle-school students. Later that year, she was featured in the song 'Bridal Ballad' recorded for the movie The Merchant of Venice.[25]
Westenra was the 2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards winner of 'Highest Selling New Zealand Album' and 'International Achievement Award'.[26] On 20 February 2004, Prime Minister Helen Clark awarded her for being the first New Zealand artist to receive the tenfold platinum status in the New Zealand market, where she held the number one artist position for 18 weeks.[17] She has won two Japanese Grammies for her work (Song of the Year, 'Amazing Grace' and Album of the Year, Pure). Her version of Amazing Grace was used as the theme song for the popular Japanese drama, Shiroi Kyoto (The White Tower). Hayley met the cast of the series during a promotional tour of Japan in October 2003.
Also in 2004, she began her world tour of New Zealand, Australia, Japan, USA and Britain, performing in a concert in November for Her MajestyThe Queen, the Prime Minister Tony Blair, The Prince of Wales, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and President George W. Bush.[27] In her autobiography, she remembered feeling more nervous in an audition where she sight read to Andrew Lloyd Webber an unreleased piece that he had written.[1][28]
After her world tour, Westenra recorded a live DVD, Hayley Westenra: Live from New Zealand, featuring duets with baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes and soprano Sophie Westenra in St. James Theatre. David Horn, the producer of her live TV special, which aired on PBS' Great Performances, said, 'Her singing is so gorgeous, it's reminiscent of the great boy-soprano sound of Anglican church choirs.'[10][23][29]
Westenra concluded 2004 with a Christmas tour of the East Coast of the United States as guest soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra.[30]
2005-2007: Odyssey; touring with Il Divo; Treasure; and Celtic Woman[edit]
In 2005, Westenra released a new album, Odyssey. A mix of classical, pop, Celtic, and new-age music, she co-wrote and arranged some of the tracks on the album, which was released in the United States on 18 October 2005. A more recent version of Odyssey containing several recordings not on the original album was released in the United Kingdom on 10 April 2006, her 19th birthday.
Also in 2005, she was featured on the motion picture soundtrack for The New World with the song 'Listen to the Wind'.
Westenra spent the first half of 2006 performing as a supporting act for the pop-opera quartet Il Divo on a worldwide tour, though in March she performed solo concerts in the US as well. That tour officially ended in June, but was then extended by six performances. She then held several concerts in the UK and Germany through the end of the northern summer.[31] On 5 September 2006, Westenra was named as one of the ten outstanding young people in the world by the Junior Chamber International, becoming the first New Zealander so honoured.[32] On 13 November 2006, she participated in the dedication of the New Zealand War Memorial in London, performing God Save the Queen and God Defend New Zealand, the national anthems of the UK and New Zealand.[33] Three of Westenra's great-uncles served in World War II; one was killed.[13]
In August 2006, Westenra joined Celtic Woman[34] and is featured on their second major DVD/CD album, Celtic Woman: A New Journey, which was released 30 January 2007 and immediately hit the Billboard Top 200 music chart at #4.[35] She toured with the group in the United States in 2007, with scheduled appearances in 88 venues across the country; the tour ended in June.[36][37] During this time, Hayley alternated with Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, who had recently returned from maternity leave, to maintain a five-member line-up. She also got along well with another member, Chloë Agnew, who was at the time only 17 years old.[38][39]
Westenra's third international album, Treasure, was released on 26 February 2007 in the UK. All the songs on this CD were chosen by Westenra, who gave her record company 'no say in the matter'.
'I basically didn't let them in on what I was recording until the last minute so they had no choice. I didn't give them much room to disagree.'[40]
Tracks on this album include 'E Pari Ra', 'One Fine Day', 'Let Me Lie', 'Danny Boy', and 'Abide with Me'. Westenra co-wrote four of the fifteen tracks, and the album also features singer Humphrey Berney. The US/Australia/NZ edition followed in March under the name Celtic Treasure. Westenra dedicated the album to her grandmother, Shirley Ireland. Inside the sleeve of the British edition, she wrote:
'I come from a musical family, and one with a real sense of history. My forefathers were on the maiden voyage from Ireland to Christchurch, New Zealand in 1850 – there's even a commemoration plaque in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, which bears the name Westenra. My grandmother used to sit me on her knee and sing songs like Danny Boy from as early as I can remember. A singer herself in her earlier years, she has always been a never-ending source of songs. It's this legacy of music that she's been passing down to me since my childhood, and it's many of these beautiful old songs that I've explored here on my album.'
On the day before St. Patrick's Day 2007, she performed as part of Celtic Woman for President George W. Bush at the White House.[41] She had plans to present the president with a petition to place a mandatory carbon cap on the United States.[42] The goal of the petition was compliance with the commitment made by President Bill Clinton in previous years to follow the Kyoto Protocol.[43] However, she was not able to present the petition because the president was rushed away after the concert, due to security concerns.[44]
Also in 2007, Westenra's vocals were featured in the soundtracks of the movie Flood and the television series, Jekyll, composed by Debbie Wiseman, in the UK. In November 2007, Hayley Westenra successfully staged a Japan 'Treasure' concert tour in Fukuoka, Sapporo, Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama, Hiroshima.[45][46]
2008-2010: Hayley Sings Japanese Songs; Different Voices; Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2; and Paradiso[edit]
In June 2008, Hayley released an album for Japan, called Hayley Sings Japanese Songs. The songs include popular Japanese songs sung in English, and some in Japanese. Amazing Grace is performed as a duet with the late Minako Honda, in English and Japanese.
On 1 October 2008, Westenra recorded as solo vocals in the CD 'Different Voices' composed and conducted by Debbie Wiseman and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with narration by Stephen Fry and lyrics written by Don Black.[47] On 30 November 2008, Westenra was presented by Elaine Paige with the Variety Club Showbiz Awards 2008 Classical Performer of the Year for raising money to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.[3][48]
A second Japanese album, Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2, was released in March 2009.
On 5 February 2010, Westenra performed 'Silent Night' on the soundtrack of Nativity![45]
In the spring and summer of 2010, Hayley began working with film composer Ennio Morricone for a collaboration on her album Paradiso.[49] The album featured new songs written by Morricone, as well as some of his best known film compositions of the last 50 years. Hayley recorded the album with Morricone's orchestra in Rome during the summer 2010.[50]
On 30 October 2010, Westenra staged a recital at the Shanghai Grand Theatre with international backing musicians in an east Asian concert tour.[51]
2011-present: Various concerts and the Taiwan Tour[edit]
On Memorial Day, 29 May, Hayley was invited to perform for the annual PBS special, the National Memorial Day Concert live in Washington, DC. She performed the song Pie Jesu following the emotional story of a woman who had never met her father, who died in the Vietnam War, but got to know him many years later through a soldier who had fought alongside him.[52][53][54][55][56] On 22 July, Westenra was among artists performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra in an American West-themed show from a BBC radio concert programme Friday Night is Music Night.[57][58] On 24 July, Westenra staged the 61st King's Lynn Festival concert with Daniel Boys and performed classical repertoire including new songs from Paradiso.[59]
On 23 October 2011, Westenra performed the New Zealand national anthem 'God Defend New Zealand' at Eden Park in Auckland before the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and also performed the traditional New Zealand song 'Now Is the Hour' to bring the event to a close.[60][61][62]
In October 2011, Songs of Praise broadcast 'Whispers in a Dream' and 'Amazing Grace' performed by Westenra in Salisbury Cathedral.[63][64][65][66] On 31 October 2011, Westenra was featured on André Rieu classical music album And the Waltz Goes On with the only vocal track 'Dreaming of New Zealand'.[67][68]
To promote Paradiso, Westenra would be embarking the Paradiso Homecoming Tour from 17 September 2011 to 8 March 2012.[69][70][71][72] On 12 March 2012, Westenra attended a reception for celebrating the achievements of inspirational women today the event held by the Duchess of Cornwall to mark Commonwealth Day.[73][74][75] On 22 April 2012, Westenra staged a debut concert at the Koncerthuset in Copenhagen and on 14 June, Westenra staged a concert with RTÉ Concert Orchestra and David Brophy at National Concert Hall in Dublin.[76][77][78]
In April 2013, Westenra staged a Far East tour in Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung and performed with Chinese tenor DinYi in Beijing.[79][80][81] On 30 November and 1 December 2013, Westenra staged a concert with City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir and the Hong Kong Treble Choir in Hong Kong.[82][83]
On 29 April 2014, Westenra was one of the performers at Classic FM Live in Royal Albert HallLondon.[84][85][86]
Performances[edit]
On 24 August 2003, Westenra performed on the stage with opera tenor José Carreras and Bryn Terfel in front of the capacity crowd of 10,000 people from Faenol Festival in Wales.[87][88]
On 28 July 2004, Westenra joined American tenor James Doing and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra on the latter's annual Concerts on the Square in Madison, capital city of Wisconsin. The concert was broadcast by Wisconsin Public Television.[89] On 18 December 2005, she made an appearance on Kurt Browning's programme Gotta Skate, in which she performed with Andrea Bocelli.[90]
In 2006 as a part of the Canterbury Festival (27 Oct), Westenra performed a concert with tenorAlfie Boe in Canterbury Cathedral.[91] On 6 May 2007, Westenra was invited to the Crystal Cathedral as a guest performing 'Abide with Me' on the Hour of Power, an American Christian television program. She had performed there twice before, the first time singing 'Amazing Grace' and the second time 'I Say Grace'.[92]
Westenra starred as Maria in the 2007 recording of West Side Story, which was released on 30 July.[42] On 28 July, she starred in Woburn LIVE 2007, where she performed a selection of the music of West Side Story with the other recording artists, including Vittorio Grigolo, from the 2007 release.[93] On 7 August, Westenra performed solo and duet with Dame Malvina Major at St James's Church, Piccadilly among ChristChurch Cathedral Choir 2008 UK Tour.[94]
On 17 August, Westenra participated in the tribute concert Lyrics by Don Black, which was held at the London Palladium and featured performances of Black's songs by a selection of guest artists. She sang the duet Amigos Para Siempre, the score of which was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with Jonathan Ansell. The evening, hosted by Michael Parkinson was recorded by BBC Radio 2 Friday Night is Music Night and broadcast on 22 August 2008.[95] On 8 November, Westenra performed at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, singing 'River of Dreams', duet 'Today Won't Come Again', written by Geoff Stevens and Don Black, with English tenor Jonathan Ansell, and accompanied Ansell on Here's to the Heroes, by Black and John Barry, when returning soldiers proceeded into the auditorium. The Annual Festival of Remembrance was broadcast by the BBC.[96]
On 16 July 2009, she performed at the Opening Ceremony of the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan before 45,000 stadium audiences and numerous worldwide TV audiences. She sang several songs including 'Amazing Grace', 'The Prayer' in English & Italian with Russell Watson, 'Pokarekare Ana' in Māori with Russell Watson, 'We Are The Champions' with other stars, Japanese translated song 'Nada Sousou' ('Tears For You') and 'The Moon Represents My Heart (月亮代表我的心)' in Mandarin Chinese with SuJianXin.[97] On 29 August, Westenra led the traditional singing of Abide with Me at the Rugby leagueChallenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
On 7 November 2009, Westenra performed again at the Festival of Remembrance, singing 'We'll Meet Again', made famous by Dame Vera Lynn during WWII, at the Royal Albert Hall. During the performance, an old recording of Lynn performing the song was played behind on the big screen. Lynn was present, as well as Her Majesty the Queen. In December 2009, Westenra performed with Faryl Smith and Camilla Kerslake in a special service for British troops serving in Afghanistan from St Clements Church, London.[98] On 13 November 2010, Westenra performed for a third time at the Festival of Remembrance, singing 'For the Fallen', a poem by Laurence Binyon set to music by Karl Jenkins. It is featured on the special 10th anniversary edition of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. In April 2011, Westenra was invited as a guest performer to Mario Frangoulis TV concert in Greek.[99] On May, Westenra was a guest performer on Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's The Magic of Love Asian concert tour, Westenra and Bocelli collaborated on one of Westenra's albums Odyssey and live performances before.[100][101][102] On 9 July 2011, Westenra was invited as a guest performer to Joseph Calleja's annual concert in Malta.[103]
On 20 September, Westenra sang Laurence Binyon’s For The Fallen on a service of the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion held at Westminster Abbey in the presence of The Princess Royal, Church of England members and family of Royal Marines.[104] On 5 December, Westenra performed solo 'Whispers in a Dream' and duet with Rolando on the Royal Variety Performance show in the presence of the Princess Royal.[105]
On 16 March, Westenra was invited to perform and make the presentation to the winner of a Korean live TV show_Operastar.[106][107] On 28 April, Westenra Performed with Chinese tenor DinYi and NieJianHua on the 2nd Beijing International Film Festival symphony concert at Olympic Green accompanying by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.[108][109][110]
In May 2012, Westenra was featured with Laura Wright and Alfie Boe on a souvenir album 'Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band' for celebrating Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[111][112][113][114][115] On 21 June, Westenra performed at Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis' Boston Symphony Hall concert accompanying by Boston Pops Orchestra.[116][117]
In November 2012, Westenra was a guest performer on the David Foster & Friends' Far East tour.[118][119][120] She was also a special guest in Korea's Opera Star final singing two songs 'Lascia Ch'io Pianga' in her solo and 'You Raise Me Up' with Park Gi Yeong and Son Ho Yeong.
Film, television and video game appearances[edit]
Decca has also promoted Westenra on television. She took her first acting role on the US programme American Dreams ('Charade'), where she played guitar and sang 'Who Painted the Moon Black?'.[121] While she was being promoted in Los Angeles, Marc Johnston, senior VP/GM for the Universal Classics Group, said, 'When she was out there, people were giving her scripts to read, and she had a few rather impromptu auditions. So some film and TV roles are currently in the works.'[23]
The song 'Prayer', composed by Secret Garden and performed by Westenra, is featured in the NintendoWii video game Endless Ocean as well as its advertising. Westenra also contributed several other songs, including her rendition of the Māori folk song 'Pokarekare Ana'.[122]
On 27 July, Westenra was announced as the voice of UK broadcaster ITV's coverage of that year's Rugby World Cup, with her special version of World in Union.[5][7][123][124]
On 15 April 2017, Westenra was a guest of the 5th season of the Chinese reality singing TV show Singer (named I Am a Singer in its 4 previous seasons). Westenra performed 'The Prayer' with the Taiwanese singer Terry Lin.
Philanthropy and charity[edit]
Westenra is active in contributing to charities around the world. On 26 November 2003, Westenra performed 'Pokarekare Ana' and 'Amazing Grace' on the 75th Anniversary of the Royal Variety Performance show in the presence of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on behalf of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund.[125][126][127]
Westenra is the second youngest UNICEF Ambassador to date, behind Selena Gomez. In 2005, Westenra visited Ghana to publicise her project, 'Bikes for Ghana', and actively helped with fundraising to purchase bicycles for young girls, allowing them to get to their schools from outlying surrounding areas.[128][129] When she was later interviewed about this charity work, she had this to say:
'I met girls who had been given bikes and I could see how much it meant to them. We wanted to borrow one just for a photo and they wouldn't let them go; they were really reluctant'.[130]
In 2006, A new Hybrid Tea Rose was named in honour of Hayley Westenra to raise charity funds for UNICEF.[131] The Hayley Westenra Rose won the 2010 Rose of the Year Award and also the best Hybrid Tea Rose Award.[132] In June 2006, she appeared at a fundraiser for UK charityAct Against Bullying.[133] On 24 February 2007, Westenra took part in the HemiHelp 'Children helping Children' concert at the Cadogan Hall, Sloan Square London in front of 900 people, including HRHPrincess Alexandra the charity's patron.[134] On 8 June 2007, Westenra performed in a fundraising concert for Bikes for Ghana at the Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent.[135]
In 2008, Westenra was selected by the New Zealand Society to receive the Global Kiwis Young Achiever Award for remarkable achievement in her field of endeavour on a global scale.[136] She has also received numerous awards for her contributions to music, both in New Zealand and elsewhere.
On 25 June 2008, Westenra is the ambassador for Classic FM's charity Music Makers. Hayley says of the partnership:
'I am thrilled to be the first official charity Ambassador for Classic FM Music Makers. I have seen first hand the power which music can have in changing people's lives, and I can't wait to help all I can.'
Over the next few months Hayley would be visiting some of the music therapy and education projects across the UK, which Music Makers funds..[137] In September 2008, she visited Ghana again on behalf of UNICEF. She was working on raising funds for one of her favourite projects in Ghana, to install playgrounds for children, with rides that harness 'kid power' to drive pumps used for providing clean drinking water from wells in that country. Hundreds of thousands of children have been poisoned by contaminated drinking water in Ghana, and this project is a focus of Hayley's.[138]
On 4 September 2008, Hayley Westenra became a patron of Royal New Zealand Air Force. Also in September, Westenra sang for the British Armed Forces in Basra, Iraq, where she helped to launch the Poppy Appeal[139] In October, Westenra and tenorJonathan Ansell took to the streets to sell poppies at Waterloo Station to support the Royal British Legion.[140] She has also been the ambassador for Save the Children in Hong Kong. More recently, she took part in a breast cancer awareness campaign in New Zealand.[30] One of the other charities that she helps is the Women's Environmental Network.[141] Another major charity she supports is the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, which provides help for children who are disabled.[142]
On 7 September 2009, she joined the Dame Vera Lynn Trust as a Vice-President for this Children with Cerebral Palsy charity (since 2015 known as Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity).[143] On 22 October, the original Second World War Forces Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn was joined by Westenra in launching the Poppy Appeal for 2009 with a fundraising goal of £31 million.[144] On 7 March 2010, Westenra lent her support with some other most successful female role models in FMWF's 'The Breaking the Mould' conference to inspire a generation of young women to aim high in their careers.[145] On 20 Jun, Hayley Westenra took her role as Forces Sweetheart to the Cotswold Air Show, visiting Kemble to support the work of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.[45] On 6 October, Westenra, whose uncle served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, united with British legends for charity CD 'We Will Remember Them'.[146]
On 3 March 2011, Westenra led one of the national anthems 'God Defend New Zealand' in a London Westminster Cathedralvigil service together with about 5,000 Kiwis fundraising charity for her hometown Christchurch, after being devastated by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on 22 February 2011.[147][148] On 18 March, Westenra performed 'Amazing Grace' in the national Christchurch memorial service at Hagley Park of Christchurch in the presence of Prince William, Prime Minister John Key, Bob Parker, Dame Malvina Major, Christchurch Cathedral Choir, dignitaries, international rescue teams and tens of thousands of New Zealanders.[149][150] On 27 March, Westenra was invited to read out a testimony in the Christchurch memorial service at Westminster Abbey in the presence of The Prince of Wales, The High Commissioner from New Zealand to the United Kingdom and thousands of churchgoers.[151][152][153]
On 30 March, Westenra attended The News Of The World Children's Champion Awards in London for supporting those people (voted by the public) who have done a brilliant, unsung job for children.[154] On 2 April, Westenra as a Vice-President of the Dame Vera Lynn Trust (from 2015 on known as Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity), performed for this Children with Cerebral Palsy charity at the Lancaster London Hotel.[143] On 10 June, Westenra was invited by Prime Minister David Cameron attending the Downing Street Poppy Party along with injured Service personnel, bereaved Armed Forces families and veterans of Afghanistan and previous conflicts to celebrate the Legion's 90th anniversary and help raise funds for The Royal British Legion Battle Back Centre.[155][156] During her Paradiso Homecoming Tour from 17 September 2011 to 8 March 2012, Westenra raised charity attention to her UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador appeal and the Christchurch Earthquake Relief fund for supporting Christchurch to revive.[157][158][159]
On 24 August 2012, Westenra staged a concert in the Gŵyl Gobaith Music Festival in Wales to support for charities Cancer Research UK, Wales Air Ambulance, CLIC Sargent and HeadtoHeart.[160][161][162][163] In Christmastime 2012, Westenra was featured on the debut album 'Starship Christmas Album' along with Justin Bieber, Queen, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Ronan Keating, Michael Jackson, Maroon 5, Adeaze, The Jackson Five, Tiki Taane, OneRepublic and Lucy Lawless for supporting Starship Children's Health.[164][165][166] On 30 November, Westenra lent her support to Kate Winslet’s Golden Hat Foundation together with Tim Janis, Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt, Andrea Corr, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, Dawn Kenney, Jana Mashonee, Amy Petty and a choir performing on 'The American Christmas Carol' concert in Carnegie Hall.[167][168][169]
On 20 November 2013, Westenra recorded a Children in Need Christmas single 2013 album 'Christmas Dream' with Sir Terry Wogan and Aled Jones featured Bond and the Portsmouth Citadel Salvation Army Band.[170][171][172]
Personal life[edit]
After releasing Pure, Westenra moved to London. She continues to reside in a central London flat.[173]
Westenra has been known as a vegetarian/pescetarian. In 2007, she was nominated for PETA's 'Sexiest Vegetarian'.[174][175][176][177]
Westenra married her French boyfriend of three years, Arnaud Sabard (born 1981), on 29 December 2013 in Hawarden, North Canterbury, New Zealand.[178][179][180] She has spoken little about her marriage publicly since then, in keeping with earlier practice of largely remaining quiet about her personal relationships.
Discography[edit]
International studio albums[edit]
| Regional studio albums[edit]
| Compilations[edit]
|
Notable tours and concerts[edit]
Year | Tour Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
2004 | Pure | New Zealand tour. |
2004 | The Lord of the Rings Symphony | Featured Soprano |
2005 | Odyssey | |
2005 | UNICEF Benefit Concert | Sang the official UNICEF song 'Children First' at the H. C. Andersen jubilee in Copenhagen.[31] The song is a duet and was sung with Morten Harket, vocalist of the Norwegian band, a-ha.[182] |
2006 | Il Divo World Tour | Supporting act for some of the concerts. |
2006 | Celtic Woman: A New Journey Concert | During the live concert at Slane Castle in Ireland, Westenra made her début as a member of Celtic Woman.[183] |
2007 | Celtic Woman – A New Journey – US Tour | Toured with Celtic Woman between March and April, with additional appearances in May.[184] During this time she alternated with Méav Ní Mhaolchatha to maintain a five-member line-up. |
2008 | The Central Band of the Royal British Legion | Made one appearance as a special guest on 29 March at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon |
2008 | BBC Songs of Praise | Recorded with the Mevagissey Male Choir at Truro Cathedral |
2008 | Shadows From The Sky | Northern Ireland Concert Tour |
2008 | Classical Brit Award Ceremony | Selected as a finalist and performed Un Giorno Per Noi with Jonathan Ansell during the ceremony in Great Britain. |
2008 | Japan Tour | Performed in live venues and on television across Japan in May and June 2008. |
2008 | USA – A Capitol Fourth | Performed 'Shenandoah' at the US Capitol before a live audience of 300,000 and a television broadcast audience (on PBS) of millions, and additionally on NPR. The concert was carried live on the American Forces Network (AFN) to US military personnel in 175 countries and aboard 140 US Navy ships at sea. |
2008 | United Kingdom Tour | Performed in numerous live venues across Great Britain in July and August 2008. |
2008 | Iraq Tour | In October 2008 entertained British and Allied NATO troops in Basra, Iraq to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I.[185] |
2008 | River of Dreams Tour | Performed in numerous live venues across Great Britain in October, November and December 2008 to promote the River of Dreams album. Dates in Scotland and England were scheduled, until the latter stops were cancelled due to Westenra suffering bronchial problems. The postponed concerts were rescheduled for May to July 2009. |
2009 | The Valentines Tour | Performed live in venues across Great Britain during February 2009 with Jonathan Ansell.[186] |
2009 | Japan Tour | Performed live in 15 concerts across Japan, March/April 2009.[187] |
2009 | World Games 2009, Taiwan | Performed live at the Opening Ceremony of the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on 16 July 2009. |
2009 | Taiwan Tour (TSO & Hayley) | Performed live at the National Theatre in Taipei, Taiwan on 3 October 2009 with Taipei Symphony Orchestra.[188] |
2009 | Japan Tour | Performed live in 5 concerts across Japan in conjunction with the release of a new regional album – from 11 to 18 October.[189] |
2009 | Winter Magic Christmas Tour | Performed live from 23 Nov 2009 to 21 Dec 2009 in cathedrals across the UK and the Barbican, London |
2010 | Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary UK Tour | Performed live from 6 July to 2 August with RAF Bands across the UK |
2010 | Taiwan/China Tour | Performed live from 27 Oct to 1 Nov in Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Taipei |
2010 | Christmas Wishes Tour (UK) | Performed live from 14 to 22 Dec in Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and the Barbican, London |
2011–2012 | Paradiso Homecoming Tour | To promote and spread love messages from Paradiso, Westenra embarked on the Paradiso Homecoming Tour, a tour of UK, New Zealand, the east of Asia from 17 September 2011 to 8 March 2012. |
2013 | Taiwan Tour | Performed live from 9 to 14 April in Taipei, Tainan, and Kaohsiung |
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Further reading[edit]
- Little, Paul (2005). Hayley Westenra: The World at Her Feet. New Zealand: Penguin Books. ISBN0-14-301926-0.
- Westenra, Hayley (2007). Hayley Westenra: In Her Own Voice. London: Virgin Books Ltd. ISBN978-1-905264-20-9.
External links[edit]
Media related to Hayley Westenra at Wikimedia Commons
Hayley Westenra Husband
- Hayley Westenra – official site
- Hayley Westenra profile at CelticWoman.com
- Hayley Westenra discography at Discogs
- Hayley Westenra on IMDb
- Hayley Westenra soprano at Classical-Crossover.co.uk
- Hayley Westenra at ClassicalX
Multimedia and interviews
- BBC Radio – John Rockley Show interview (22 February 2007)
How an unflattering picture sent Hayley Westenra on a mission to self-destruct
On the surface at least, Hayley Westenra is every bit the ethereal-voiced cherub the classical-music industry has cast her as.
At her age, fellow soprano Katherine Jenkins had just kicked her cocaine habit and Charlotte Church was back on the alcopops after her break-up.
Meanwhile at 24, Hayley is battling a high heels habit, is addicted to Coronation Street and confesses that the previous evening she had a wild night out with Il Divo.
Wild night? ‘Yes, I had a glass of champagne and didn’t get to bed until midnight,’ she admits guiltily.
Back on song: Classical star Hayley Westenra, looking fit and healthy last week, has told how she dropped to a size zero after seeing an unflattering picture of herself
Even the album that propelled her to success in 2004 – the one that sold 2.8 million copies and became the fastest-selling classical debut of all time, ahead of Church, Pavarotti and her own idol, Andrea Bocelli – is aptly titled Pure.
It was The Mail on Sunday that helped her soar to these heights after picking her out as a little-known schoolgirl and featuring her track Pokarekare Ana on our Classical Legends CD in 2003, alongside Bryn Terfel and The Three Tenors.
Simmering beneath her dewily wholesome image, however, lurks a dark secret. It is a secret Hayley has long struggled to conceal for it is at odds with the carefully constructed sweetie-pie persona upon which her success rests.
Glamorous: Hayley attends the Classical Brit Awards 2006 at The Royal Albert Hall
The seemingly carefree Hayley has suffered what she now calls a breakdown, a downward spiral which culminated in a two-month mission to, as she puts it, ‘self destruct’.
During the first part of this crisis she barely ate, and was obsessed over every calorie. Her weight dropped so dangerously low that even tiny size four clothes (the infamous American size zero) were too baggy for her.
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As the breakdown worsened and her mood became more depressed, she abandoned her British tour and fled to her parents’ home in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she binged on ice cream for breakfast, barely slept and decided dramatically to abandon her career.
‘I went on a mission to self destruct. It got to the point where I was ready to give up the industry, showbusiness and everything I’d ever wanted. I didn’t want to even go out, let alone perform,’ she admits.
‘I felt very depressed. I also became so obsessed with food that controlling my diet took over whole days. The more weight I lost, the more weight I wanted to lose. I still have a dress I fitted into at that time. When I look at it now, I realise how scarily tiny I really was.’
While Hayley never sought medical help, nor was ever formally diagnosed with depression or an eating disorder, her symptoms were dangerously grave and at her worst, she confesses, she felt ‘scared’ of food.
She is reluctant to put a direct label on her breakdown, but does concede: ‘I was in my own little world, which was a frighteningly dark space. Nothing could drag me out of it.’
When tentative hints about this breakdown were first revealed last week, one worried fan wrote: ‘It sounds like she was anorexic for a while, followed by overweight for a while.’
I put this to Hayley. ‘It could be on the mark,’ she agrees. ‘Fortunately I never got to the point where I was in dire need of help.’
At the slippery start of this breakdown, Hayley spent every spare moment fixated on her diet. She lived on boiled vegetables, raw peppers, almonds, herbal teas and ‘green juices’ – and shrank to a miniscule 7st 5lb.
At 5ft 6in tall, that put her well within the underweight category of the body mass index scale. In fact, according to a professor of nutrition, that weight is exactly the threshold below which body functions begin to cease.
Hayley’s problems came at the peak of a glittering career that had begun at the age of ten when she started busking on the streets of Christchurch.
Hayley with her boyfriend Amaud in New Zealand and (right) pictured in 2007 when her problems began
She cobbled together £250 – enough to record a little homemade record – and distributed 70 copies to friends and family.
One of these friends stumped up £2,700 to produce 1,000 more copies and hand them around record labels including Universal, who offered her a £3 million, five-album deal – having never even met her. By 2007, Pure was the bestselling classical album of the century in the UK.
Westenra was invited to duet with Bocelli, José Carreras and Bryn Terfel; she had already sung for the Queen, Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George Bush, and was asked to perform at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 60th birthday concert the following year, after her world tours.
It was during these tours with her all-male band and a single tour manager that Hayley’s food obsession developed. She saw an unflattering photograph of herself at a magazine photoshoot.
That single photograph triggered her obsession with what she calls her ‘puppy fat’.
‘I looked at myself and thought I was chubby,’ she says nervously. ‘It was just a little snapshot but I was so embarrassed people would see it.’
Hayley made a secret – and ultimately dangerous – pact with herself. She would lose weight and shrink down her already-slim size ten figure.
Play dead space 3 coop hamachi sushi. ‘First, you lose a little weight. Then a little more. After a while you start thinking, “Ooh. I like this.” Then it starts becoming an unhealthy obsession,’ says Hayley.
She convinced her parents that she no longer needed to be chaperoned on tour and they returned to Christ¬church to look after Hayley’s younger siblings Sophie, now 21, and Isaac, 18.
With nothing to occupy her attention, she spent lonely days roaming foreign cities alone. ‘I’d have the whole day to myself with nothing to focus on apart from the show that evening,’ she explains. ‘I made it my sole mission each day to find something to eat.
‘I was already health-conscious but I started eating boiled vegetables, a piece of fruit here, a raw pepper there, maybe some almonds.
‘My diet was very weird. I’d walk around health-food shops studying the nutritional values of health-food bars but never ate them. I was already vegetarian but I decided to cut out dairy and sugar altogether too.’
Warning bells rang when she flew home to Christchurch in 2007.
‘My father reached out to hug me at the airport and said, “Oh gosh, Hayley. There’s nothing of you.” It still didn’t hit me, even then.’
She admits that even the smallest clothes in High Street shops were too big for her. She began wearing size four clothes, a recently invented measurement made for women with a roughly 23 inch waist. To put this in perspective, the average eight-year-old’s waist measures 22 inches.
‘I felt proud that I fitted into these tiny sizes,’ she says.
Then it transpired that record label Universal was urging Hayley to swap her preferred ball gowns for a look more akin to what one onlooker described as ‘a Pussycat Doll’.
‘I am not a tarty person and I don’t wear those clothes when I’m out, so I don’t wear them to perform,’ Hayley later said of the feud.
Universal later retaliated publicly. Their spokesperson told a newspaper in 2009: ‘Now she’s turned 21 we’ve encouraged Hayley to think freely about how she presents herself and to be on-message with singers and artists of her own generation.’
Talent: Hayley went from busking on the streets of Christchurch to performing in front of the Queen
Hayley says: ‘The pressure to look the right way has always been there.’ However, she now reflects that her fixation with food spiralled beyond her – or indeed her record label’s – mission to change her appearance.
‘Everything in life was beyond my control, including my ridiculously busy schedule. My diet was the only thing I could control,’ she tells me.
‘I don’t want to call it an eating disorder because many girls go through this. What was unhealthy was that I thought losing weight was the way forward in my career when I should have been working on my music.’
For a short time things changed for the better when Hayley joined Irish all-girl ensemble Celtic Woman on a two-month tour. Her weight gradually crept up and her diet naturally changed.
‘Until that tour, I hadn’t spent time with girls my own age. I started sharing meals with the Celtic Woman girls. After a show, we’d scoff chocolates and gossip on the tour bus.’
But it wasn’t the end of Hayley’s breakdown. After the Celtic Woman tour, her schedule was crammed with concerts across Asia and Europe, a visit to Ghana for Unicef (she is its youngest-ever ambas¬sador), and a gruelling trip to Iraq to launch the Poppy Appeal, all of which left her immune system in tatters.
Towards the end of 2008, she returned to Britain for another tour, but suffered bouts of bronchitis and fled to her dressing room in tears after each performance.
Arnaud Sabard, one of her sound engineers (and now her boyfriend) provided a friendly shoulder to cry on but the people she needed most – her parents – were 11,000 miles away in New Zealand.
‘No one was sure what to do with me,’ she admits. ‘They were a bit like “Oh gosh, she’s in tears.” They all backed off.’
After a disastrous sound check for a show in Manchester, and after learning that two of her close friends had been killed in road accidents in New Zealand, Hayley fled to the family home before Christmas where her two-month ‘self-destruction’ rampage began.
‘I stopped caring about recording and I told my parents that it was all over,’ she says.
‘I’d lie in bed all night but couldn’t sleep. I had to go to the doctor for sleeping tablets. I stopped washing my hair and wearing make-up and lived in an oversized hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. I sat around watching Coronation Street and chat shows.
‘I felt very depressed. And I never wanted to get on stage again.’
Her rigid diet evaporated. Instead, she gorged ice cream for breakfast then spent all day bingeing on chocolate biscuits and McDonald’s. She recalls Christmas Day 2008 bleakly: ‘It was just another day on the calendar. I was still in my own little world. A dark, pretty miserable world.
‘I dragged myself out of the house on New Year’s Eve to a friend’s low-key party but didn’t stay long. I couldn’t connect with anyone.’
Covergirl: Hayley pictured for her 'River of Dreams' album
During this time, an ultimatum lingered in her mind.
Hayley was scheduled to begin another tour with Jonathan Ansell, formerly the tenor with pop opera boy band, G4.
Hayley Westenra Paradiso Lyrics
‘My manager kept calling and asking whether I had decided to pull the tour,’ she says. ‘If I’d turned it down, that would have been the end of my career.
'I don’t know where I found the strength but there was this little glimmer of something that made me go. Deep down, I didn’t want to quit.
‘I was lucky that tour went well, otherwise I probably would have fallen back to where I was.’
Two years on, Hayley is adamant that she has now put her breakdown firmly behind her.
She has settled in a flat in Chiswick, West London; has been in a stable relationship with Frenchman Arnaud since 2009; and is excited about the release of her fifth studio album called Paradiso on August 29. She says she now weighs 8st 7lb.
She is also back in her big sister role, worrying about Sophie who has abandoned her law degree to become an actress, and toying with the idea of collaborating with a rock band for her sixth album – ‘Like Mumford and Sons. Ooh, or the Foo Fighters,’ she says.
Is she not worried that her depression will return?
‘I felt depressed,’ she says carefully. ‘But I don’t think I was born with a tendency for depression – it was more pressures of my schedule and loneliness that pushed me in that direction.
‘Things are very different now. Arnaud makes sure I don’t take on too much. I have a personal life outside work. And I’ve re-educated myself about nutrition.’
With that, someone sets down a plate of scrambled egg and wholemeal toast. It’s 11am. She hasn’t eaten all day.
She nibbles the corner, pushes a bit of egg around the plate, then bounds out of her seat to try on a ballgown for a photoshoot. Everyone agrees it fits her perfectly.
Half an hour later, I say my goodbyes. ‘I’m running on adrenaline but I’m healthy now,’ she reassures me again. ‘I’ve taken up hardcore pilates classes. I even eat bad things. Like sourdough . . . with butter.
‘I feel fit and healthy and strong.’
She beams goodbye, then picks up her plate again. Her scrambled eggs are cold and untouched.
When she turns, I spot that an enormous crocodile clip is holding her tiny frame into the gaping Ted Baker-designed prom dress.
Small steps, perhaps. But for now, at least the cherub of the classical world has her smile back.
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- From Switzerland
HAYLEY WESTENRA - TREASURE [SPECIAL EDITION] NEW CD
- EUR 15.49
- Free Postage
- From United States
Hayley Westenra - Hayley Westenra [Australian Import] - Hayley Westenra CD KWVG
- EUR 15.34
- Free Postage
- From United Kingdom
Gloria / Te Deum, Hayley Westenra, National Youth CD 5099964643021
- EUR 15.05
- Postage not specified
Free returns- From United Kingdom
HAYLEY WESTENRA - CELTIC TREASURES NEW CD
- EUR 14.82
- Free Postage
- From United States
Hayley Westenra: Pure CD + Bonus VCD-Linfair Records Chinese Press RARE
- EUR 14.82
- + EUR 2.85 postage
- From United Kingdom
Hayley Westenra - River Of Dreams [New CD] Asia - Import
- EUR 14.58List price Previous priceEUR 44.48
- Free Postage
- From United States
- EUR 14.58
Hayley Westenra - Hayley Sings Japanese Songs (New & Sealed - 2008)
- EUR 14.55
- Free Postage
- From United Kingdom
Hayley Westenra - River Of Dreams [New CD] Asia - Import
- EUR 14.53
- Postage not specified
- From United States
WESTENRA, HAYLEY - WINTER MAGIC - CD - NEW
- EUR 14.37
- Free Postage
- From Canada