Hayley Westerna hasn’t been to Tasmania yet even though she has a good friend who lives here. The New Zealand songstress, now based in the UK, has been singing most of her life. Her family, including her grandmother and grandfather were musical, and music and singing at home was a regular thing permeating her life. It was however, her teachers that discovered Hayley as being pitch perfect.
It was a surprise to her parents, when attending a school performance, to see Hayley was the lead in the production of ‘The Littlest Star’ and that title may be the signature for this petite young lady now.
Hayley’s first record deal came when she was 13 years old and she has gone on to record best-selling albums and to perform for dignitaries the world over in a dream career she calls a one in a million chance.
Hayley’s latest project was a combination of a suggestion from her record label and her own desire to do a project that offered something that could be appreciated by all.
Hayley’s lullabye album titled ‘Hushabye’ is stripped back ‘raw and without orchestra’
On the album Hayley includes more than just children’s lullabys, there is a song by The Mamas and the Pappas. Also, the classic‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ which she was hesitant to record at first but changed her mind when she discovered the depth of the song in its other verses.
Brendan Graham, the writer of the powerful ‘You Raise Me Up’ also contributes his talents, as does the chosen composer of Kate and Will’s wedding music, Paul Mealor, this time though it’s a lullabye for the coming royal baby called ‘Sleep on’ which Hayley brings her exquisite voice to.
Like her friend Chloe Agnew from Celtic Woman, the group that Hayley also performed with, (Hayley has an Irish background with her family migrating from Ireland’s county Monaghan), there was a catapulting of schoolgirl into songstress but like Chloe, Hayley wants to keep things real, as she tells me she might be doing a concert in London and signing autographs for thousands but she relishes the opportunity to return to her home and do her own washing and baking.
Hayley also relished her time with Celtic Woman and would love to work with them again. She enjoys working in a group as well as performing in a solo career.
Hayley has been in demand to work with others, among them Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja in Malta, and Irish singer Ronan Keating whom Hayley describes as ‘cool’.
Hayley is also very much interested in working for charity and her UNICEF ‘Bikes for Ghana’, where the children recipients of the bikes loved them so much they didn’t want to let go of them!
Hayley’s album ‘Hushabye’ is out now.
Paula Xiberras
