The scene is a performance of a primary school Christmas play. The expectation from adoring parents is for the children to sing flat, fluff their lines and maybe trip over the scenery. Everybody expects a few laughs; no one expects brilliance.

It was at just such a show that New Zealanders Jill and Gerald Westenra first witnessed their daughter Hayley's extraordinary talent. "Her school put on a show called The Littlest Star", Jill says. "Hayley was just six and all she'd said to me was 'Mummy, I need my ballet gear'. So we went along and found that in fact she was the star of the show - the littlest star.".

For more information check out the muzic.net.nz Profile for Hayley Westenra

Hayley Westenra first debuted in the Official New Zealand Top 40 Albums on 13 May 2001 with the album Hayley Westenra. There are 13 entries by Hayley Westenra in the charts with five reaching Number One.