'I'm able to sing beyond the reach of human hearing': The world according to Hayley Westenra
The soprano on reaching notes only animals can hear, hiring Victoria Beckham's minder to deal with stalkers and why she refused to sex up her image
'Singing in front of the Queen, Prince Charles, Tony Blair and George W Bush didn't daunt me, but Andrew Lloyd Webber did,' said Hayley Westenra
An international star since the age of 16, soprano Hayley Westenra travels the world duetting with legends such as José Carreras and Andrea Bocelli, performing for royalty and heads of state. Of Dutch and Irish heritage, she began performing aged six and made her first professional recording at 12. Discovered at 14 while busking in the streets of her native Christchurch, New Zealand, she was signed to a major label.
Her 2003 album Pure became the fastest-selling international debut classical album, eventually shifting more than two million copies.
This month Hayley, 24, who lives in London, can be heard performing the title music to ITV’s Rugby World Cup coverage.
When you’ve got yourself a stalker, it’s time to get the heavies in.
I found myself in that situation back in 2006. I’d noticed this guy at a lot of my concerts and assumed he was just an ordinary fan. My suspicions were aroused when he started telling the road crew that he was my boyfriend. When he queued for my autograph and they challenged him, he became violent and was taken away by the police. That’s when I decided that I needed a minder. I hired this guy with a black belt in taekwondo who had previously worked for Victoria Beckham. I never had any trouble after that. The experience did shake me up quite badly. I’d always taken my safety for granted. It made me more vigilant. Of course you don’t need to be a famous name to be careful. These days, with Twitter and Facebook, people are putting a lot of personal information out there without thinking about it, making themselves potentially vulnerable. We all need to be a bit more on our guard.
I’m able to sing beyond the reach of human hearing.
I can actually reach a note that no human will detect, but certain animals will prick up their ears when they hear it. Dogs seem particularly responsive. I was recording one album in Salisbury and there was a family of llamas next door. There were certain notes that nobody in the studio could hear but the llamas heard loud and clear. I have a pet cockatiel and he goes crazy when I sing. I’m sure I could break a wine glass too, but I’ve never tried. It’s something I’m saving up for when I really need to liven up a dinner party.
'I can actually reach a note that no human will detect, but certain animals will prick up their ears when they hear it'
If not for singing I’d be flipping burgers now.
I never had a plan B in terms of a career. In a way it helped that I had no alternatives. If I ever had doubts it would work out, there was nothing else for me to turn to. It kept me focused. But there was always the worry that, even though I had talent, I might not get recognised. My dedication to music was what got me through.
Singing in front of the Queen, Prince Charles, Tony Blair and George W Bush didn’t daunt me, but Andrew Lloyd Webber did.
I’ve performed for the Queen four times now and I’m no longer overawed. Very little daunts me in terms of performance. I don’t get nervous singing at FA Cup Finals. The only person who has made me anxious was Andrew Lloyd Webber. I used to sing his songs when I was younger and he’s one of my musical idols. In 2006, I was auditioning for a tribute show for the lyricist Don Black. I was working on one piece, the score for which had been written by Lloyd Webber, only I hadn’t been told that. The first I knew of Lloyd Webber’s involvement was when he crept up behind me as I was performing. I heard the floorboards creak, looked up and standing there was one of my all-time heroes. As nervous as I was, I had to keep on singing with him over my shoulder.
With success you find out who your real friends are.
Fame came to me first in New Zealand and it was on a manageable level. It was mostly a positive experience. I’d get upgraded on planes and find little presents when I walked into hotel rooms. The only hard thing to deal with was going back to school. I guess my singing marked me out as different and some kids got jealous and turned on me. I got used to hearing nasty things being said about me and learned to rise above it with the help of true friends.
I might seem like a pussycat but I’m more than capable of standing up and fighting my corner when the need arises.
Earlier in my career there were people at the record company who wanted me to sex up my image. They were thinking that this was one way to sell more albums. If I’d gone along with it, that wouldn’t have been me being true to myself. The public would have seen straight through it and would no longer have been able to take my music seriously. I refused to go down that road. I’ve got enough belief in my music for it to speak for itself. I don’t need to wear short skirts to sell it. That’s not to say I need to wear a bin bag over my head. I accept that image is a part of the classical world just as it’s a part of the pop music world. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be pushed into wearing an outfit I’m not entirely comfortable with.
'People shouldn't try to box me in - I'd love to collaborate with Eminem (left) or Lemmy from Motorhead (right)... I get accused of not being what I never claimed to be in the first place'
I’m officially the world’s sexiest vegetarian.
I guess people will organise a vote about anything under the sun. I could never figure out how I got nominated for that award. Shortly afterwards I started eating meat again. I was on tour in the States and the drummer in my band was devouring this delicious-looking hamburger. I couldn’t resist ordering one for myself and crossed back over to the dark side. After that hamburger there was no turning back. Now I’m dating a Frenchman so I don’t have much choice in the matter.
People shouldn’t try to box me in – I’d love to collaborate with Eminem or Lemmy from Motorhead.
Either of those guys would be awesome to work with. I get accused of not being what I never claimed to be in the first place. Criticism comes from all sides. Even one of my heroes, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, had a pop at me for being part of the ‘popera’ genre, though she has since apologised. I come from a classical background but I never claimed to be part of the opera or classical world. Classical and opera just happened to be part of my repertoire. I like singing a wide variety of styles. It seems completely natural for me to go from an operatic aria to a Dolly Parton number. I’m completely open-minded.
My dad was right at the heart of the huge earthquake that devastated my home town of Christchurch.
Thankfully he was one of the lucky ones and survived. It was a huge reality check as I’d returned from New Zealand to London a couple of days earlier. In my jet-lagged state I turned on the TV and got such a fright. One of the big positives about my position is that I can get involved, simply by lending my voice. Singing Amazing Grace at the memorial service to a cathedral full of Kiwis was incredibly moving, something I’ll never forget. Almost the entire city of Christchurch had fled so my audience was pretty much everyone who was left there. After that, everything else seems frivolous by comparison.
No one is too famous do their own hoovering.
I prefer to do my own cleaning. I’d be embarrassed to hire help to keep my place clean and tidy. I see famous people with their own butlers and I find that bizarre. How can they be comfortable with that situation? However rich or famous you are, you should never be that far up in the clouds. It’s your mess, you clean it. If I start hiring a maid, it’ll be the start of a slippery slope. Within three months I’ll have turned into an insufferable diva.
Hayley Westenra’s new album, ‘Paradiso’, is out now, hayleywestenra.com
