Singing sensation Hayley Westenra, who will be performing at this year's Henley Festival, made a flying visit to Henley recently at the invitation of Festival Artistic Director Stewart Collins.

Hayley dropped in to the Headway Centre to meet brain injured clients who participate in music therapy sessions provided and supported by the Henley Festival Trust in association with Headway and the Nordoff-Robbins charity.

At the centre she met the group and their music therapist Sharon Warne. The group had prepared a performance of the spiritual Swing Low Sweet Chariot to sing to her, and Hayley herself gave the group a real treat – by singing a traditional New Zealand Maori melody a cappella.

During the second half of her visit Hayley met young Callum Chamberlain, who has been given the opportunity by the Henley Festival to sing with Hayley live on stage during her Floating Stage performance at the Festival on Saturday July 12th. Hayley met 10-year-old Callum for the first time and rehearsed for the big day at the Sacred Heart church, Henley.

Source: The Henley Standard

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Wednesday, July 02, 2008 @ 12:48:10 BST