| Fan Reviews |
| By Dan McGrath, Brookfield Conneticut, USA ______________________________________________________________ "Is it a dream?" That's the question you'll likely ask yourself when first treated to the magical qualities of Hayley Westenra's voice. At 14, she delivers a clarity -- a pureness in tone -- of which very few singers are capable. As an introduction to Hayley, this self-titled album is terrific. It's an excellently produced ensemble of 14 classical and traditional songs and show tunes that showcase her soprano voice wonderfully. I've been listening to Hayley's CD quite a lot since receiving it by airmail from New Zealand shortly after its introduction there. My delight in the album grows with each listening, though I expect you'll find it as difficult as I do to listen to the album from start to finish. So many of Hayley's songs make you reach for the "repeat" button again and again as you find yourself sputtering, "Unbelievable!" Ethereal describes Hayley's style for me, particularly in "Walking in the Air" and "Bright Eyes." There are phrases here where Hayley's voice rings as pure as light. "Bright Eyes" in particular is an incredible offering -- beautifully sung, wonderfully melodic. That's ironic too, since the song is a meditation on the mysteries of death -- here sung by this bright-eyed 14 year-old who should be, tradition would have it, singing about much happier things. But that irony is built into the song itself, so that Hayley serves it well.. You might hear it a dozen times before the lyrics sneak up and begin to haunt you. Hayley's approach to Bach's "Ave Maria" provides quite an education when closely compared to other recordings of this song. Hayley has outstanding control over her dynamic range, and the subtlety with which she applies it makes a big, positive and expressive difference. That expressive power works as well in the show tunes on Hayley's album, especially "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables"; but watch how you use that "repeat" button, you'll likely wear it out. Sopranos -- and of course their fans -- thrive on those glorious high notes, and Hayley delivers here as well. Her powerful finish on "Love Changes Everything" is a classic on that score. I expect when she sings this in concert, her audience may be left so stunned they'll forget to applause -- for a bit. Then they'll bring down the house. Still, you'll be delighted by Hayley's strength and vibrato in her lower range as well, particularly in the opening stanzas of "Amazing Grace" the song which closes the album. For this song, recorded live, you may be startled to hear Hayley's voice joined by the pipes and drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. This song connected with me in a personal way. Back in the mid-'60s, there was a curiously popular album that featured an Irish military pipe and drum band playing "Amazing Grace" and other traditional songs while they marched about with the ceremony unique to that genre. The band went on tour in the US and was a sensation. "Amazing Grace Notes," read the headline in Time magazine about the band's success and reception. My father, an Irish immigrant, went to their concert when they visited Columbus, Ohio and listened through tears. He spoke of that concert many times. Of course, he bought the album whose sounds were woven into the tapestry of my childhood -- a tapestry that remains closely furled. In some unplanned way, a cycle of musical migration had completed a turn and a half across the Atlantic, whirling like the echoes of the pipes themselves in some distant glen. And now, from another even more distant immigrant shore, where Scotch-Irish footprints left their mark, we hear "Amazing Grace" again -- the pipes fairly joined with Hayley'semarkable, youthful voice. I suppose Hayley and the Dragoon Guards were thinking only of creating good music. But, unknowingly, they were completing one more cycle of musical migration, now across the Pacific. My ears tell me they succeeded nicely in both their conscious and unconscious roles. My watering eyes tell me something of what so moved my father, and look inward as the tapestry unfurls just a bit. You'll find your own magical moments listening to "Hayley Westenra." New Zealand has a treasure here, but Hayley surely deserves to be shared with the world. I expect we'll be seeing that. Or is it a dream? |