Coming Soon ! : Hayley Westenra : The New Album - " Treasure " ( 2007 ).

Following up on her earlier album " Odyssey ", Hayley Westenra is back in 2007, with a new not-yet-released forthcoming album, called " Treasure ". Two editions of this album are scheduled to be released : The UK edition " Treasure ", release date February 26th, 2007, and the US Edition " Celtic Treasure ", release date 13th March, 2007. There is no news as yet, as to which edition(s) will eventually be released in Australia, nor 'when' it will be released here in Australia. There is currently No track-listing for either edition of the album for comparison, so as yet, it is not known whether the track-listing will be identical, or if they will be different. We'll just have to wait until more information becomes available. There is currently No pre-release/pre-order listing for this album in Australia, however, Amazon.com has both editions listed, and pre-orders for both editions can be made via Amazon.com.
I have recently briefly browsed some forums about Hayley Westenra's new album, and I'm rather relieved, and somewhat surprised, to disccover that I'm not the only person considering purchasing BOTH editions ( should the two editions differ or vary in thier track-listings...; which usually is the case when Hayley releases alternate versions of her albums... ).
I can't wait ! I'm 'really' looking forward to it !

Hayley Westenra's Official web site is currently being updated and revised. However, the front homepage on her site currently comprises a short text message from Hayley herself ( about the new forthcoming album ), and a short accompanying video clip, in which she talks about her music, her New Zealand Culture and Heritage, and a little about the new forthcoming album. This video clip also contains a bit of short audio samples of some of the tracks from the new album " Treasure ". From watching the video clip, it sounds really interesting already. Doing what she does best, the new album " Treasure " will, as usual, comprise several tracks sung in New Zealand's native traditional 'Maori' - something Hayley really enjoys doing, and is a standard practice when producing a truly traditional Hayley Westenra album. This album is certainly something really exciting to look forward to. " A MUST Collector's Item " for any real Hayley Westenra Fan !

There's No-one with a musically vocal voice quite as wonderfully beautiful and pristinely-of-clarity as Hayley Westenra !

Here are the preview images for the album covers of the new album " Treasure ", respectively a) " Treasure " ( UK Edition ), and b) " Celtic Treasure " ( US Edition ).



Update : Saturday 17th February, 2007 :

I've been keeping a keen eye on Hayley's web site lately, and her new site is now up and running ! The Full Track-Listing for her new album " Treasure / Celtic Treasure " is now available on her site; And here too ! :

Treasure ( UK and International Editions ) _1. Let Me Lie _2. Le Note Del Silenzio _3. Shenandoah _4. Whispering Hope _5. Summer Rain _6. Danny Boy _7. One Fine Day _8. Santa Lucia _9. The Heart Worships 10. E Pari Ra 11. Sonny 12. Summer Fly 13. Melancholy Interlude 14. Bist Du Bei Mir 15. Abide With Me

Celtic Treasure ( US / NZ / Australia Editions ) _1. Let Me Lie _2. Scarborough Fair _3. Shenandoah _4. Summer Fly _5. Whispering Hope _6. Danny Boy _7. Summer Rain _8. The Last Rose Of Summer _9. One Fine Day 10. Sonny 11. The Water Is Wide 12. Melancholy Interlude 13. Abide With Me

Just as Expected, notice the slight variations in the track-listing content; As usual, there are a few songs that are on one version and not on the other, and true vice versa.; If you want 'All' the songs, you have to get 'both' editions.
Please Note that on Celtic Treasure ( US ), the songs " Scarborough Fair " and " The Water is Wide " - those two songs are already/also on the special UK edition of the earlier album ' Odyssey '.
For the first time in her career, this new album " Treasure " contains some songs that are either partly or entirely written by Hayley herself.

Still No Album Release Date(s) for Australia yet !; Though it has definitely been confirmed that the album 'will be' released in Australia, though most likely will be sometime 'after' the releases in the UK and US regions. I'm thinking about purchasing ( both of ) them through Amazon.com.

[ A Little Later ... ] : OK, my temptation got the better of me ! I've placed an order for both editions of Hayley's new album via Amazon.com. The estimated delivery date is sometime between 26th March and 3rd April, 2007.
Wow ! I can't wait, and I'm ' reeeeeally ' looking forward to it.

I've had a brief browse through Hayley's new web site, and there are short digital samples of the tracks from her new album that you can listen to on-line on her web site, using Hayley's Media Player, under the ' Audio ' Selection.
I've listened to the short digital samples already, and the new album's already beginning to sound very interesting. Very enticing...; Anticipation !

Update : Sunday 3rd March, 2007 :

The first early clues of an Australian release of " Treasure " has come about. I have found some relevant information on the JB-Hi-Fi web site. Contrary to the edition release information provided on Hayley's official web site, it seems now that it is to be the UK Import Edition that it is to be released here in Australia. There also seems to be a slight track-order amendment for the album ( ALL the earlier listed songs are exactly the same and are still on the album, except they appear in a slightly different order ). I've checked the album track-listings on both the local JB-Hi-Fi web site and on Amazon.com, and they both correlate accordingly, so I assume it is correct. That amended track-listing shortly, but first, a brief note on a possible release date for the album. The local JB-Hi-Fi web site is now taking pre-orders for the album and there is an ' on-line-order-Only ' release date of March 16th, 2007, which means that if you place an order for the album on-line, JB-Hi-Fi will ship-out this item on March 16th. JB-Hi-Fi on-line states that there is currently No in-store release date as yet, though it should follow sometime not too long after the on-line pre-order stock. Don't take it to heart yet, it's still early days.; Whether the ' other ' edition will become available for purchase in-store in Australia is currently unknown, and uncertain. At least it is obtainable via Amazon.com; Now for that revised album track-listing for " Treasure " UK Import Edition :

_1. Let Me Lie
_2. Le Note Del Silenzio
_3. Santa Lucia
_4. Shenandoah
_5. Whispering Hope
_6. Summer Rain
_7. Danny Boy
_8. One Fine Day
_9. Heart Worship
10. E Pari Ra
11. Sonny
12. Summer Fly
13. Melancholy Interlude
14. Bist Du Bei Mir
15. Abide With Me

Amazon.com has recently notified that they are currently un-able to get thier local stock of " Treasure " UK Edition, and are required to Import it in direct from the UK should any customers place an order for this item, and therefore have to increase the price of the item to include import costs. The price of this item on Amazon.com has virtually doubled since the import requirement. And seeing as the UK edition will be the one revisionally slated for release in Australia, I have ( for the time being ) cancelled my Amazon order for this edition only, and am thinking I may as well just purchase it here when it eventually becomes availabe in-stores ( JB-Hi-Fi has it listed for approximately AUD $ 24.00 ; I am hoping they will have it available in-store soon enough... ). I am still getting the US edition through Amazon though.

Update : Wednesday 7th March, 2007 :

Hayley's Official Web Site has issued an Australian release date for " Treasure ", suposedly on March 17th. This release date has not yet been solidly confirmed by any Australian sources. In Australia, JB-Hi-Fi On-line has suggestively informed that they maybe getting the US edition " Celtic Treasure ", but at a high import cost of approximately AUD $ 54.00; However, the title " Celtic Treasure " has just appeared on Sanity's Pre-Order list, with a slated release date of March 17th, as per scheduled, but at the lower, regular cost of approximately AUD $ 27.00; Could this " Celtic Treasure " be the original scheduled US edition, as per on Hayley's official web site ? or Could Sanity have mis-printed the title or incorrectly slated the alternative edition ? ( They haven't yet provided the track-listing, so it's a bit difficult to tell which edition is actually intended for release. ) As far as forseeable at this point in time, it seems JB Hi-Fi will be releasing the UK Edition, and Sanity ( and other sub-sidiary stores ) will be releasing the US Edition. Don't take this to heart just yet, I'm going to keep checking it out, and see whether this really is the case. I will post a confirmation as soon as I have found out where it's all at. Since my Amazon order has not been shipped out yet, I have completely Cancelled my Amazon order for now. If Sanity really is releasing the US Edition, then I'll purchase the US Edition from Sanity, and the UK Edition from JB-Hi-Fi.

Update : Saturday 10th March, 2007 :

Latest Information at Sanity-online ( Australia ) seemingly has slated US Edition " Celtic Treasure " as the edition they will release in-stores on March 17th ( one week from today ! ). Sanity-online Track-listing for this release is now on thier product description for this item. The price however, has been amended from AUD $ 27.00 to now only approximately AUD $ 23.00. There are no anomalies in the slated Track-listing, and so far reflects the original track-listing for this edition.
JB Hi-Fi online has not yet provided any extra details since the previous update. Though I should point out that JB Hi-Fi has NOT yet provided an official in-store release date for thier item, though I do believe it shouldn't be too far behind Sanity.

It appears we'll have easy local access to Both editions of the album, and both at our local 'Standard' price ( even at the very minor expense of it being different shops ! ). Good thing we don't have to fork out any import fees !! :)
More information as it comes....

Update : Friday 16th March, 2007 :

1 Day to Go ! and Currently, everything appears to be proceeding as scheduled. At Sanity Australia, the US Edition seems to be going forward as planned. At JB-Hi-Fi Online Australia, there is a minor hiccup. The current online-status of the UK Edition is " Currently NOT in Stock ", though online orders will still be taken at this stage. Thier online item description still states that online stock status apparently does not reflect the in-store stock status. Let's keep our fingers crossed that that is true. I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll purchase whichever of the edition(s) that I can get hold of. If the UK edition becomes too difficult to find, I may have to consider re-instating my order through Amazon.com for it, though I hope I will not have to. I hope I will be lucky enough to find it locally in-store here. Again, we'll have to wait 'til tomorrow to know.

With each passing day, we draw nearer to the official release of this new album. Oh, it's so exciting ! I can't wait !!

Update : Saturday 17th March, 2007 :

Today is the Day ! " Celtic Treasure " ( US Edition ) Out Now ! UK Edition - Currently Not Found. Full Article Coming Next Post.

Check out Hayley's Introductory Video on her official web site.

* Hayley Westenra's Official Web Site.