Hayley Westenra [Import]

Hayley Westenra (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Hayley Westenra
• Audio CD (June 29, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Universal Import
• ASIN: B0000TAOKW
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,513 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Walking In The Air

2. Ave Maria (Bach)

3. Memory

4. All I Ask Of You

5. Somewhere

6. The Mists Of Islay

7. Ave Maria (Schubert)

8. Bright Eyes

9. Pie Jesu

10. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

11. I Dreamed A Dream

12. Love Changes Everything

13. God Defend New Zealand (Bonus Track)

14. Amazing Grace (Live) (Bonus Track)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Instrument, June 25, 2004

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hayley Westenra (Audio CD)

This is one of two Hayley Westenra albums that are still not commonly available in the US (The other is My Gift to You, equally good, and is primarily holiday music). Unlike Pure, which is heavily produced, this album represents a more pristine sound, one which lets the naturally beauty of her voice come through clearly. For those of you have not heard her before, Hayley has a very clear and flowing high range, with sensitivity and control well beyond the norm for her age.

For the most part this album contains classical (two 'Ave Marias' and Webber's 'Piu Jesu') and show music (Cats, Phantom, and Les Miserables). It is the latter which really demonstrate that her skill is far more than a technical one. Songs like 'Memory' or 'All I Ask of You' take a certain maturity of vision to present and sound like more than memorized music. Whether this is innate in Westenra or she is being well coached is moot, the result can be compelling. I cannot begin to imagine what Hayley's voice will be like if she continues to develop it at this pace.

It's hard for me to pick out a song that isn't a favorite. Westenra's taste in this album reflects my own romantic roots - 'Memory', 'Somewhere', 'Love Changes Everything', and so on. Perhaps her Pie Jesu, beautiful as it is, takes second place to Sarah Brightman's - purely due to vocal coloring rather than ability.

In fact that leads to my only quibble - just because a singer can sing the incredibly high notes doesn't mean that they should make a habit if it. When Westenra forces a note she hits it, but it becomes slightly edgy. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't. Compare the aforementioned 'Pie Jesu' with 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,' which is only slightly lower in range, and you will see what I mean. Both are excellent, but the latter is more flowing and natural.

That aside, Hayley Westenra has what may very well be one of the voices of this century, full, an astounding range, and an ear for what makes beautiful music. She seems at home with a remarkable range of music - to the point were one can only look forward to here further efforts with a sense of stunned delight.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hayley's voice was pure even before Pure, May 23, 2004

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hayley Westenra (Audio CD)

Looking at the song selection on this album, which compelled me to get this following the stunning Pure, I can see how Christchurch, New Zealand's classical crossover prodigy, Hayley Westenra has gone the Sarah Brightman/Charlotte Church route, even being touted as being the new Church. Her soft lilting voice may not be as robust as Charlotte Church, but there's a smooth crystalline quality about it that's equally home doing church hymns, pop, and songs set to classical melodies. As for the arrangements, piano and a maximum of four violins feature greatly, with some emphasis on synths as opposed to an orchestra.

From the get-go, her sweet and soaring vocals and the violins make "Walking In The Air" and the Celtic-like "The Mists of Islay" dreamy experiences.

She is notable for doing two "Ave Maria"s. The first is the one adapted by Bach's First Prelude, which Church does on Voice Of An Angel. The other is the more familiar one by Schubert, which is a staple during Christmastime and which benefits from a nice violin arrangement and Hayley's angelic voice.

Five of the songs here are Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes that Sarah Brightman has covered on her ALW Collection CD. She hits a splendid higher register in the first pre-chorus verses and final chorus "Memory" from Cats. Her best rendition of an ALW song? With help from Shaun Dixon, she then does the song that pushed Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman to the top of the UK charts in the 80's, "All I Ask Of You" from Phantom Of The Opera, and her high notes are superlative here without being strained. Dixon works well as a junior sort of Josh Groban. Also from Phantom is "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," set to some light drums that make it a trice quicker than Brightman's version. With her cover of "Pie Jesu," from ALW's Requiem, the number that pushed Charlotte Church to fame and which has been done by Brightman makes another voice singing for the orphans of the civil war in Belfast. And finally, from Aspects Of Love, is "Love Changes Everything," with a rat-tat-tating snare drum in the background.

The song that prompted me to get this was her cover of Mike Batt's "Bright Eyes," the song in the movie Watership Down that Art Garfunkel covered. The synth arrangements don't make it as tearful as the strings in Garfunkel's version, but her high vocals still do great justice to this song.

From Les Miserables, comes the forlorn "I Dreamed A Dream," the heart-rending number of despair when a life of troubles has killed those dreams. One of the standouts here. And she does a splendid "Somewhere" from West Side Story.

Two bonus tracks include her rendition of the patriotic hymn ballad "God Defend New Zealand," featuring piano and guitar, and some organ-like synths towards the end. She sings in both English and Maori here. The album ends with a live cover of "Amazing Grace," the studio version of which can be heard on Pure.

With Charlotte Church's conspicuous absence, I say a la Yoda, "No, there is another," meaning someone who could succeed Sarah Brightman in the realm of classical crossover. 4.5, rounded to 5, as her followup, Pure, tops this one, but her voice is pure all the same.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The amazing Hayley Westenra!, January 10, 2004

By 

A. Sybo (Ann Arbor, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hayley Westenra (Audio CD)

Hayley has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. And combined with beautiful music, this album is a winner. It's hard to believe that this is a debut album at points because Hayley's technique is wonderful. Most of the songs on here are taken from musical theater, and there are a few traditional songs, too. There is one live track, 'Amazing Grace'. I also like how Hayley sings a tribute to her home country, New Zealand, in 'God Defend New Zealand'. This is a great album for fans of musical theater and classical crossover. Hopefully this spring, with the release of her worldwide debut album, Pure, in the USA, Hayley will get the superstardom she deserves.