7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Benaroya Hall, 200
University, Seattle. 206-215-4747. $45-$75. All ages.
This is an exciting time for teenage singer
Hayley Westenra. The New Zealand native is riding a wave of good press for her
latest CD, ``Odyssey,'' and in keeping with that album's title, she has embarked
on a worldwide adventure of her own, performing for appreciative spectators everywhere.
This is a year she'll want to savor, but she's so busy working, she barely has
an opportunity to write down memories in her diary.
``I have been jotting things down,'' she said
by telephone. ``Not as thoroughly as I usually do, but I'm trying to keep track
of everything so all the cities don't blur into one. That's the tendency!''Finding
her sound
In an effort to keep her concerts from blurring
into one, Westenra tweaks song arrangements on a regular basis, making each performance
unique.
``We're still experimenting,'' she explained.
``Hopefully we can keep everything fresh, and I'm sure we will be able to. I
mean, I'm with a great band and they're all very musical, so I'm free to take
musical liberties, and they just follow me. It's really great.
``At the moment, the crowds are all different
and the venues are all different, so I'm not having that problem of going, `Where
were we yesterday?' Remembering my room number, that's the hardest part. I got
lost, trying to find my way back to my room, going, `Oh, gosh!' I managed to
remember after going up and down the corridor, going, `I think it's this one!'''Despite
such moments of on-the-road confusion, she's especially happy to be touring the
United States.
``When I first came to America (in 2004), it
was quite a big culture shock. It's very different from New Zealand, but the
people were very welcoming so I was keen to come back. I find that the more time
I spend here, the more at home I feel. I get to meet more people and have a few
more conversations and form a bond. I'm really enjoying my time here.
``Each city's so different from the next. It's
exciting. This Il Divo tour is an amazing opportunity to perform in front of
some great crowds and discover some new places as well,'' Westenra said.
Warming up Il Divo crowd
As the warmup act for Il Divo, Westenra has
a slightly uphill battle in that she's performing for folks who may not have
come to hear her. She has to work to win them over. This has prompted her to
fine-tune her repertoire. Early reports suggest her methods are working perfectly.
She explained, ``We added a couple of songs
to the set. We're not changing it every night, but once we have a little more
time to rehearse, we might end up changing numbers. I don't think the set will
change drastically, but it'd be fun to try out a few different arrangements of
songs while we've got the band. At the moment, in my set, I've got quite a bit
of variety in terms of styles. Most of the stuff's off my albums `Pure' or `Odyssey.'
I think it makes a really nice set.
``I think you've got to keep it fresh, and you've
got to keep yourself on your toes. You've got to make an effort to do that.''
Further proof of this ambition is the fact that
Westenra dabbles in pop, folk, gospel and classical. She resists easy definition.
``It is very confusing for people because everything
these days is pigeonholed, and it's hard to pigeonhole my music. At the moment,
because I'm still discovering so many different styles, I don't want to limit
myself just to one. There's so much music out there that I need to hear before
I can make up my mind. I am looking at songs for my new album, my next one, but
I tend not to focus on choosing songs from a certain style. What I try and do
is choose songs that I adore and connect to. You can always make a song your
own.''
A Celtic influenceLately, Westenra has begun
exploring her family's Irish roots through music. ``I'm getting drawn to that
Celtic, folky world,'' she said. ``One song that I include in my set is called
`The Mummers' Dance.' It was written by a lady called Loreena McKennitt. My friend
actually gave me four of her albums a few years ago, so she's one of my favorites.
I buy a lot of compilations of Celtic music, and all sorts, really. Anything
I can get my hands on. I think it's important to expose yourself to as much as
you can.
``But, I do have Irish blood in me. My great
grandmother was Irish, so I think that could have something to do with my leaning
toward Celtic music.''Expect her next CD to reflect this interest, as well as
all she has learned by singing in foreign lands.
``From traveling, I've been exposed to many
different types of music,'' she said. ``For example, I went to Japan. In fact,
I went to Japan about seven times last year, and on one occasion, a Japanese
orchestra was playing a traditional Indonesian instrument, and there were some
African musicians. I was opened up to this whole new world of music that I'd
never heard before. If I'd been sitting at home in New Zealand, I doubt I would
have come across that mix.
``I think also my experiences have helped me
on my path, finding my niche in the musical sort of world. It's definitely helped
me.''
