"Westenra
sounds on song for major record deal!"
The head of a major international record label
has met teenage singing sensation Hayley Westenra
and discussed recording an album.
The Sunday Star-Times has been told the head
of Decca Records loved Westenra, 14, and an album
deal could be finalised by the end of the year.
Decca Records is a leading classical music label
based in Britain and the United States. The company
has released albums with stars including Luciano
Pavarotti and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Westenra is
recording her second album for Universal and
spent three days recording half the songs at
the Corelli School of Music's studio.
The album will feature a selection of Christmas,
favourite and original songs such as Silent Night,
Pokarekareana, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and
a Boh Runga song All I Have to Give. It will
be released in November.
"I'm still in shock that I'm doing another
album,"
Westenra said. "But I'm really enjoying
singing and inspiring other children."
She said the new album was a family affair with
her sister Sophie, 11 and also a soprano, joining
her on the song Greensleeves. The Burnside High
School student hopes the album will be as popular
as the first, a disc of modern and show songs,
which went triple platinum with 54,000 sales.
She
also recently had a sold-out nationwide tour
in six centres.
Dame
Malvina Major, who is helping Westenra with her
technique once a week, said she did not know
what the future held for Hayley and that her
voice could change. But she was doing the right
thing by making the most of every moment.
