Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987)
is a New Zealand
classical crossover
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United States) when a song appears on two or more of the record charts which track differ ...
singer and songwriter.
Her first internationally released album, ''
Pure
Pure may refer to:
Computing
* A pure function
* A pure virtual function
* PureSystems, a family of computer systems introduced by IBM in 2012
* Pure Software, a company founded in 1991 by Reed Hastings to support the Purify tool
* Pure-FTPd, F ...
'', reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide, making it one of the fastest selling albums in her country's history.
She is one of the youngest
UNICEF Ambassadors to date.
Westenra has sung in English,
Māori,
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, Welsh, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese,
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, Japanese,
Standard Mandarin Chinese,
Catalan, and
Taiwanese Hokkien
Taiwanese Hokkien () (; Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-uân-uē''), also known as Taigi/Taigu (; Pe̍h-ōe-jī/ Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-gí / Tâi-gú''), Taiwanese, Taiwanese Minnan, Hoklo and Holo, is a variety of the Hokkien language spoken natively by about ...
.
Early life
Westenra was born in
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
, New Zealand. Her parents, Gerald and Jill Westenra, have two younger offspring, Sophie and Isaac. Sophie is an academic and teaches law at Oxford. Westenra's grandmother Shirley Ireland was a singer, and her grandfather was a pianist who also played the
piano accordion
A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more that of an organ than a piano, as they are both aerophones, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro ...
.
She has Irish, Dutch and English heritage.
She began performing at age six in the Christmas play
at her school,
Fendalton Open Air School
Fendalton Open Air School is a primary school in Christchurch, New Zealand known for its open-air classrooms. Fendalton Primary School was established in 1875, continuing to provide education for primary school children in Fendalton for over 140 ...
.
After the show, a teacher said she was "pitch perfect"
and encouraged Westenra 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,
and was often given male parts.
Westenra attended
Cobham Intermediate School in 1998 and 1999, where a performing arts building was later named in her honour.
Career
2000–2002: Debut
At the age of 12, Westenra entered a professional recording studio to record ''Walking in the Air'', a demo album originally created for friends and family, with 70 copies made; they soon made 1000 more copies, and attracted attention from a journalist with
Canterbury Television
Canterbury Television was an independent television station broadcasting in Canterbury, New Zealand.
The name is synonymous with regional television in New Zealand as it was the name of the first regional broadcaster to operate in New Zealand ...
, who asked Westenra to appear on air.
Gray Bartlett
Graham Neil Bartlett (born 22 July 1942), generally known as Gray Bartlett, is a New Zealand born guitarist, country music performer, producer, talent mentor, tour promoter and entrepreneur.
Biography
Early life
He was born in Auckland and at ...
, the director of a concert promotion company, saw the show
and shortly after, she was offered a recording deal with
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
New Zealand.
On that label, Westenra, who in the meantime was attending
Burnside High School
Burnside High School ( mi, Te Kura o Waimairi-iri) is a state co-educational secondary school located in the suburb of Burnside in Christchurch, New Zealand. With a roll of students, it is the largest school in New Zealand outside Auckland, and ...
, 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
Malvina Major
Dame Malvina Lorraine Major (born 28 January 1943) is a New Zealand opera soprano.
Early life
Major was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, into a large musical family. As a child she performed at various concerts, singing mainly country and wester ...
.
2003–2004: ''Pure''
Westenra attracted worldwide attention when she signed with
Decca Records and recorded ''
Pure
Pure may refer to:
Computing
* A pure function
* A pure virtual function
* PureSystems, a family of computer systems introduced by IBM in 2012
* Pure Software, a company founded in 1991 by Reed Hastings to support the Purify tool
* Pure-FTPd, F ...
'', a CD of classical, light pop, and traditional
Māori songs.
''Pure'' 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 Album Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
at number 8.
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. In 2004 Westenra recorded the end-title song for the Disney movie ''
Mulan II
''Mulan II'' is a 2004 American direct-to-video animated musical adventure film produced by the Japanese office of Disneytoon Studios. It is directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerland. It is a sequel to the 1998 theatrically-released Di ...
''. 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
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
''.
Westenra was the 2004 Vodafone
New Zealand Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...
winner of "Highest Selling New Zealand Album" and "International Achievement Award".
On 20 February 2004, Prime Minister
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
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.
She has won two Japanese Grammies for her work (Song of the Year, "
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
" and Album of the Year, ''Pure''). Her version of ''
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
'' was used as the theme song for the popular Japanese drama, ''
Shiroi Kyotō
is a 1965 novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. It has been adapted into a film in 1966 and then five times as a television series in 1967, 1978, 1990, 2003, and 2019. The 1966 film was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a ...
'' (The White Tower). Westenra 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, the UK and the US, performing in a concert in November for Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
, Prime Minister
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
,
Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...
,
Colin Powell,
Condoleezza Rice and President
George W. Bush.
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.
After her world tour, Westenra recorded a live DVD, ''
Hayley Westenra: Live from New Zealand'', featuring duets with baritone
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Teddy Tahu Rhodes (born 30 August 1966) is a New Zealand operatic baritone.
Early life
Rhodes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 30 August 1966, to a British mother, Joyce, and a New Zealand father, Terrence Tahu Gravenor Rhodes. The Mao ...
and soprano Sophie Westenra in
St. James Theatre. David Horn, the producer of her live TV special, which aired on the
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
program ''
Great Performances
''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...
'', said, "Her singing is so gorgeous, it's reminiscent of the great boy-soprano sound of
Anglican church choirs."
She joined the Boston Pops Orchestra as guest soloist for their Christmas tour at the end of 2004.
2005–2007: ''Odyssey''; touring with Il Divo; ''Treasure''; and Celtic Woman
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.
["Hayley Westenra 'outstanding young person of the world'", The New Zealand Herald, 5 September 2006. Lexis Nexis. Susquehanna University. 4 January 2008.] On 13 November 2006, she participated in the dedication of the
New Zealand War Memorial in London, performing "
God Save the Queen
"God Save the King" is the national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in plainchant, bu ...
" and "
God Defend New Zealand
"God Defend New Zealand" (, meaning 'New Zealand') is one of two national anthems of New Zealand, the other being "God Save the King". Legally the two have equal status, but "God Defend New Zealand" is more commonly used. Originally written as a ...
", the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
s of the UK and New Zealand.
Three of Westenra's great-uncles served in World War II; one was killed.
In August 2006, Westenra joined
Celtic Woman 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 number four.
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.
During this time, Westenra alternated with
Méav Ní Mhaolchatha
Méav Ní Mhaolchatha ( , ), mononymously known as Méav, is an Irish singer, songwriter and recording artist specialising in the traditional music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary ...
, who had recently returned from maternity leave, to maintain a five-member line-up.
Westenra's third international album, ''
Treasure
Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions le ...
'', 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." She said, "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."
["Hayley Westenra in charge of her career", The New Zealand Herald, 28 April 2007. Lexis Nexis. Susquehanna University. 25 May 2007.]
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
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located. The square stands at the theoretical crossing o ...
, 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
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
.
["UCJ to target Aussies and Kiwis for latest Hayley Westenra album." Music Week (17 March 2007): 20. InfoTrac OneFile. Thomson Gale. Susquehanna University. 23 May 2007.] She had plans to present the president with a petition to place a mandatory carbon cap on the United States.
The goal of the petition was compliance with the commitment made by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
in previous years to follow the
Kyoto Protocol.
Also in 2007, Westenra's vocals were featured in the soundtracks of the movie ''Flood'' and the television series, ''
Jekyll'', composed by
Debbie Wiseman
Debbie Wiseman, OBE (born 10 May 1963) is a British composer for film and television, known also as a conductor and a radio and television presenter.
Biography
Wiseman was born in London. She studied at Trinity College of Music Junior Depart ...
, in the UK. In November 2007, Westenra successfully staged a Japan "Treasure" concert tour in
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...
,
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous cit ...
, Tokyo,
Sendai,
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
,
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
,
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
,
Hiroshima.
2008–2010: ''Hayley Sings Japanese Songs''; ''Different Voices''; ''Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2''; and ''Paradiso''
In early 2008, Westenra provided guest vocals for the
Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
album ''
Music of the Spheres
The ''musica universalis'' (literally universal music), also called music of the spheres or harmony of the spheres, is a philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies – the Sun, Moon, and planets – as a fo ...
'', performing the vocal on the track "On My Heart" and its reprise. Westenra and Oldfield performed "On My Heart" live on the British
ITV daytime TV program ''
The Alan Titchmarsh Show
''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 until 14 November 2014 and aired on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" the ...
'' on 18 March 2008.
On 1 October 2008, Westenra recorded solo vocals on the CD ''Different Voice'', composed and conducted by
Debbie Wiseman
Debbie Wiseman, OBE (born 10 May 1963) is a British composer for film and television, known also as a conductor and a radio and television presenter.
Biography
Wiseman was born in London. She studied at Trinity College of Music Junior Depart ...
and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with narration by
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
and lyrics written by
Don Black. On 30 November 2008, Westenra was presented by
Elaine Paige
Elaine Jill Paige (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professiona ...
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.
In the spring and summer of 2010, Westenra began working with film composer
Ennio Morricone for a collaboration on her album ''
Paradiso''. The album featured new songs written by Morricone, as well as some of his best known film compositions of the last 50 years. Westenra recorded the album with Morricone's orchestra in Rome during the summer 2010.
On 30 October 2010, Westenra staged a recital at the
Shanghai Grand Theatre
The Shanghai Grand Theater () is a complex located at the intersection of Central Boulevard and Huangpi Road South in the northern part of the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. The building houses the Shanghai Opera House ...
with international backing musicians in an East Asian concert tour.
2011–present: Various concerts and the Taiwan Tour
On Memorial Day, 29 May 2011, Westenra was invited to perform for the annual PBS special, the ''
National Memorial Day Concert
''The National Memorial Day Concert'' is a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in commemoration of Memorial Day from 1989-2019 and in 2022. In 2020 and 2021, the concert was ...
'' live in Washington, D.C. 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
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
, but got to know him many years later through a soldier who had fought alongside him. On 22 July, Westenra was among artists performing with the
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...
in an American West-themed show on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. On 31 October 2011, Westenra was featured on
from 17 September 2011 to 8 March 2012. On 12 March 2012, Westenra attended a reception for celebrating the achievements of inspirational women today the event held by the
. On 22 April 2012, Westenra staged a debut concert at the
and performed with Chinese tenor DinYi in Beijing. On 30 November and 1 December 2013, Westenra staged a concert with
.
.
in Wales.
On 28 July 2004, Westenra joined American tenor James Doing and the
. The concert was broadcast by
. On 18 December 2005, she made an appearance on
.
.
, an American Christian television program. She had performed there twice before, the first time singing "
" and the second time "I Say Grace".
On 28 July 2007, she starred in Woburn LIVE 2007, where she performed a selection of the music of ''West Side Story'' with the other recording artists, including
, from the 2007 release.
among ChristChurch Cathedral Choir 2008 UK Tour.
On 17 August 2008, Westenra participated in the tribute concert ''Lyrics by
and featured performances of Black's songs by a selection of guest artists. She sang the duet ''
. The evening, hosted by
'' and broadcast on 22 August 2008.
, singing "River of Dreams", duet "Today Won't Come Again", written by Geoff Stevens and Don Black, with English tenor
, when returning soldiers proceeded into the auditorium.
...