CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

.

Over The Rainbow - The Songbird Collection

Search: Mary- Did You Know - Hayley Westenra
by: Various Artists

Release Date February 21, 2005
The concept is great - a 2 CD compilation of female singers or songwriters with some well known choices of singer but lesser known songs (Dusty Springfield, Joni Mitchell etc.) and the balance being a host of new singers, so you get to hear a lot of new talent in the process.

Sadly most of the items on offer are totally forgettable and did not inspire me to check out any of the lesser known or newer artistes - after a few listens through in full I found myself skipping tracks with the remote control which is never a good sign on a compendium collection - I fear this collection will be heading for the car boot sale stack shortly!

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

.

The Incredible Christmas Album

Search: Mary- Did You Know - Hayley Westenra
by: Various

Release Date October 14, 2003
The concept is great - a 2 CD compilation of female singers or songwriters with some well known choices of singer but lesser known songs (Dusty Springfield, Joni Mitchell etc.) and the balance being a host of new singers, so you get to hear a lot of new talent in the process.

Sadly most of the items on offer are totally forgettable and did not inspire me to check out any of the lesser known or newer artistes - after a few listens through in full I found myself skipping tracks with the remote control which is never a good sign on a compendium collection - I fear this collection will be heading for the car boot sale stack shortly!

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

.

Pure

Search: Mary- Did You Know - Hayley Westenra
by: Hayley Westenra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Ian Dean

Release Date November 15, 2004

The original `Pure' album was released in 2003, and despite there now being a confusing number of variations of it (special edition, import, bonus tracks & bonus discs) there are basically two editions - the original single disc and this 2CD Special Edition which adds a bonus disc to the original one.

The songs are a mixture of classical, popular and traditional, with some highly original and unexpected choices such as `River of Dreams' which is a transcription of Vivaldi's lovely violin solo 'largo' from `The Four Seasons', and a powerful recording of `Benedictus' from the Karl Jenkins' album `The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace'.

The New Zealand traditionals, predictably chosen because of Hayley's origin from that ... Read More: