Undaunted, and feeling pretty ambitious, I'd say. At her
three-night gig with the NACO she'll be performing some of opera's most-loved
standards, including Il Trutina from Carmina Burana, O mio babbino caro from
Gianni Schicci, and Pie Jesu from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem, as well as folk
songs she's fond of, including the traditional Maori song Pokarekare Ana and
her hit single Amazing Grace.
It's the same ground she covers on the new Enya-esque
album Odyssey, a melange of soothing folk tunes and pseudo-religious spirituals
that seem to float on air, including She Moves Through The Fair, her hit May
It Be from the Lord of the Rings and a cover of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now.
"They're uplifting songs in that they don't have the
big beat behind them," the Christchurch native explains. "I feel
myself pulled in many different directions. I'm still discovering new styles.
It can be very confusing sometimes. Ideally it would make my life a lot easier
if I just stuck to one style, but as long as I take care of my voice, I want
to keep all my options open, including opera."
She's performed with such artists as Andrea Bocelli
and Jose Carreras, before such notables as the Queen and President Bush, but
seems unphased by all the attention.
"It has a lot to do with my upbringing
which was very wholesome. Christchurch is a lot like Ottawa. It's a beautiful
place. I get the same vibe here as I get at home."
She remembers the last time she was here in 2004 to perform
May It Be at the NAC, when someone pointed out that the canal was the longest
skating rink in the world. "I wanted to bring my skates this time but, being
a klutz, I'd fall and hurt myself and would have to cancel the rest of the tour," she
laughs.
Westenra is at the NAC tonight through Saturday.
Tickets are $34.50 to $92 at the box-office, Ticketmaster outlets, by calling
755-1111 or online at www.nac-cna.ca.
