Not too Posh, just too busy - Westenra
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09 April 2002

Posh Spice Victoria Beckham won't be getting at least one of her birthday wishes this year.

The popstar, wife of England and Manchester United soccer star David Beckham, wanted Christchurch singing sensation Hayley Westenra to perform at her birthday bash, but the date clashes with the New Zealand Music Awards on May 10.

Westenra first caught the ear of Beckham when her mother attended one of two sold-out shows at London's Wembley Arena at the weekend.

So impressed was Posh's mother that she phoned her daughter by cellphone from the concert and said "listen to this", according to Anna Lovejoy of Universal Music in Auckland today.

Despite Westenra's repertoire being radically different from that of the Spice Girls, Beckham liked what she heard and wanted the singer to help blow out her candles at a party next month.

It was not to be, though Westenra has got plenty of good news to allay any disappointment.

The 15-year-old is currently on a sold-out tour of Britain with tenor Russell Watson, and has been signed to Decca, which is the largest classical record label in the world.

At home, her second album, My Gift To You, has sold more than 27,000 copies, after her self-titled debut album sold an astonishing 57,000 copies, pushing it close to quadruple platinum (15,000 sales) status.