Hayley to sing at children's conference

Seamus McKinney 17 July 2007

(c) 2007, The Irish News Ltd.

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One of the world's leading classical singers, Hayley Westenra, arrives in Derry tomorrow to join the Dalai Lama in celebrating the Children in Crossfire charity's 10th anniversary.

The New Zealander agreed to visit to sing for Nobel peace laureate the Dalai Lama at a conference at the city's Millennium Forum.

The Dalai Lama is due in the city this morning and will deliver the keynote address at the conference tomorrow.

Adopting the theme 'A promise for the future', the conference will be addressed by children's rights campaigners from around the globe.

Recognised as the outstanding singer of her generation, Hayley Westenra (20) came to prominence at the age of 16 when she released a Maori love song, Pokarekare Ana.

Since then she has performed for world leaders, often singing with opera's leading men including Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras and Bryn Terfel.

Her debut album, Pure, sold faster than any other classical album in history.

Ms Westenra told The Irish News she was looking forward to her first visit to Derry, although she has visited Ireland many times.

"My great-grandmother is Irish - from Co Cork - and I also have relatives on my father's side of the family from Monaghan," she said.

A common name in Co Monaghan, the Westenra family were once part of the county's Anglo-Irish ruling classes.

A popular hotel in the centre of Monaghan town - the Westenra Arms - still bears the family name.

The youngest ever Unicef goodwill ambassador, Ms Westenra said she was approached by photographer Lawrence Doherty of The Studio about the possibility of singing before the Dalai Lama when he came to the Children in Crossfire conference and readily agreed.

She hopes to sing Derry's own anthem, Danny Boy for the Dalai Lama as well as her hit Pokarekare Ana and In Trutina.

Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore said the two-day conference sought to put children's issues at the forefront of people's minds through the words of the Dalai Lama and other speakers.

"This is a great event for this city and Ireland and we hope children all over the world will benefit from it," he said.