HAYLEY WESTENRA TO ALSO HOST ‘QUAKE AID’ CONCERT TO RAISE MONEY FOR HER HOMETOWN OF CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

Following a personal request from New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key, HAYLEY WESTENRA will be joining Prince William to sing the New Zealand national anthem at a memorial service to be held in her hometown of Christchurch this Friday 18th March 2011.

This will be the third time Hayley and Prince William will have met in her home country, this time the Prince will be visiting victims of Christchurch’s recent earthquake and address the congregation at Friday’s memorial service.

Having previously promised to do all she can to help the people in her home town of Christchurch, Hayley has now taken it upon herself to also launch QUAKE AID – a national fundraising concert at Auckland’s Vector Arena in August 2011.

World famous conductor and composer Ennio Morricone has been invited to conduct the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra at the concert. The great maestro has collaborated with Hayley for a new album.

A host of world stars will also be invited to take part to raise vital funds to help the people of Christchurch rebuild their city and their lives. The world’s biggest selling soprano, Hayley is a superstar in her home country but remains part of a closely-knit Christchurch community.

Hayley returned to London from Christchurch just days before the earthquake struck last month and has been deeply affected by the disaster on a personal level, with her family and many friends still residing in the city.

She was to embark on a national tour of New Zealand later this year but she has now decided to postpone her tour and begin her one woman mission of putting on a spectacular show in order to raise funds for earthquake relief and to help rebuild her beloved city.

Hayley says, “As a Christchurch girl I am still in shock about what has happened to my beautiful home town. My heart breaks just thinking about those who have lost their lives and the families and friends that are now suffering. I may be a long way from home, but I still maintain the strongest bond imaginable with my hometown and people. Putting on this
concert is the best way I know to help – it’s my way of giving back to the city that means so much to me.”

“I know a lot of us New Zealanders abroad want to be home with their families, not that we could do much to help. That’s why I will concentrate on these concerts.”

Hayley recently performed the New Zealand National anthem at the Westminster Cathedral memorial service, which took place in London last month for victims of the earthquake.

Auckland’s prestigious Vector Arena, opened in 2007 is known as the entertainment hub of the Pacific and has recently played host to many of the world’s leading stars such as Lady Ga Ga, Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas and Kings of Leon.

Hayley also plans to put on a free concert for her fellow Cantabrians. She is in shock over the devastation the earthquake has caused in her home town and will show her love and support by putting on a free concert as soon as a suitable venue becomes available.

Read the entire Hello interview by clicking on the image below.

Hayley Westenra has promised to do all she can to help the people in her home town of Christchurch.
With her family and many friends still residing in Christchurch, the earthquake has deeply affected Hayley on a personal level. Hayley had returned to London from Christchurch just hours before the earthquake struck and was unable to contact her family for some time. Fortunately her family were not harmed, but her father’s central city office building was destroyed.
Hayley has already expressed her sympathies from London, but the tragic events in Christchurch have weighed heavily on her heart since last Tuesday’s earthquake and she is now in the process of clearing her schedule in order to help those affected.
Hayley was to embark on a national tour of New Zealand later this year but she has now decided to postpone that tour in favour of putting on a fundraising show in Auckland with all proceeds going to earthquake relief.
Hayley also plans to put on a free concert for her fellow Cantabrians. She is in shock over the devastation the earthquake has caused in her home town and will show her love and support by putting on a free concert as soon as a suitable venue becomes available.
Hayley would have been here to make the announcement herself, but she was committed to performing the New Zealand National anthem at the Westminster Cathedral memorial service which took place in London on Wednesday.
Hayley says, “As a Christchurch girl I am still in shock about what has happened to my beautiful home town. My heart breaks just thinking about those who have lost their lives and the families and friends that are now suffering. I may be a long way from home, but I still maintain the strongest bond imaginable with my home town and people. Putting on these concerts is the best way I know to help – it’s my way of giving back to the city that means so much to me.”
Hayley plans to return to New Zealand in the next few weeks to personally oversee the preparations for these events. In the meantime her message is clear; she wants the people of Christchurch to know she is standing beside them during this challenging time and she will do all she can to help.
Hayley’s manager, Brian Lane, arrived in New Zealand yesterday specifically to begin arrangements for both shows, and he is also in talks regarding a worldwide charity single with Universal Music. Final details are yet to be confirmed but one thing is certain, all of Hayley’s proceeds from the single and the shows will go directly to Christchurch’s earthquake relief efforts.
Brian says, “As Hayley’s manager I have an obligation to help her realise her priorities, and right now there is only one priority – that is helping the people of Christchurch. That’s why I’m here.”
Full details of the Auckland fundraising show, the free concert in Christchurch, and the charity single will be made available to media as soon as they are confirmed.

For Press inquiries please contact:

The Outside Organisation

0207 436 3633

Kirstin Mcletchie – Kistin.Mcletchie@outside-org.co.uk

Chris Goodman – Chris.Goodman@outside-org.co.uk

Over the past 10 years, New Zealand born soprano Hayley Westenra has taken the classical world by storm. Dominating album charts throughout the world, touring internationally, becoming UNICEF’s youngest ever Ambassador when she was only 17 years of age, Westenra has become a hugely popular figure around the world with her accessible yet challenging delivery of a huge range of repertoire.

With her debut album, Pure, reaching the Top 10 of the pop charts in 11 countries and selling over 4 million copies to date, Hayley holds the record for the biggest selling classical album of the 21st Century.

With a CV that belies her 23 years, having performed with Jose Carreras through to Andrea Bocelli, and touring North America with Il Divo, Hayley is now realising her dream of working with master Italian composer and conductor, Ennio Morricone, on her forthcoming studio album, released October 2010 on Decca Records, a Universal Music Group label.

Well known for his iconic film scores including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West, Morricone received in 2007 an honorary Academy Award for his contribution to the art of film music.

The new, as of yet untitled album, will be recorded with Ennio’s orchestra in Rome this Summer and will feature new songs written by Morricone for Hayley as well as some of his best known film compositions of the last 50 years.

Says Hayley – “Growing up, I unknowingly listened to a great deal of Ennio Morricone’s magnificent music, such as the haunting melodies of ‘Cinema Paradiso’ and ‘The Mission’. To one day realise that all these pieces were the work of just one man blew my mind. Ennio Morricone is a musical genius and I still can’t quite believe that I’m going to be collaborating with him on a whole album.”

Dickon Stainer, Managing Director, Decca Records, on the forthcoming collaboration- “It’s a match made in heaven – a true legend of film music collaborating with the purest voice in the world”.

For Press enquiries please contact:
Kirstin McLetchie – Kirstin.Mcletchie@outside-org.co.uk
Chris Goodman – Chris.Goodman@outside-org.co.uk
020 7436 3633