STILL only 19, Hayley Westenra has achieved in a few short years what many would dream of attaining in a lifetime. Her two chart-topping major label albums have showcased a sublime vocal talent that is instantly capable of stopping you dead in your tracks.

Performances for the Queen, George Bush and Tony Blair, duetting with Andrea Bocelli and starring alongside some of the world’s greatest orchestras are just a few of her CV highlights.

As if that weren’t enough for the strikingly beautiful New Zealander, she has just been voted as being in the most 10 outstanding young people in the world by global youth organisation Junior Chamber International.

You could be forgiven for thinking that she would naturally have the diva temperament to match.

But not a bit of it, and appears to be taking it all very much in her stride. As she admitted, she’s not leading "a Britney lifestyle" with the paparazzi tracking her every move, so she just gets on with events in a sensible manner.

"I’ve found it pretty easy to keep myself grounded, my family help with that and would stop me if I were getting too big for my boots.

"I’m renting a place in London and am looking for a place to buy which is exciting. I do pretty regular things like buy all my groceries, do my washing and try to cook for myself.

"The people I chose to surround myself with are all very down to earth. If they were all telling me how fantastic I was all the time, then I might develop a minor problem," explained the young star brightly, reflecting on the stardom which has been bestowed upon her.

Much like any other teenager she enjoys her nights out, though these have been in short supply due to ever-demanding touring schedules.

Could there be any downsides to being in such a privileged position? "Well, the travelling is tiring, but I can’t really complain," she offers.

It was her teacher who first recognised her ability in a school Christmas play aged six and was informed that her voice had perfect pitch.

Much of her musical interest was sparked by Hayely’s grandparents, her grandmother was a singer and grandfather played the piano-accordion. When she was handed an album by singer Kathleen Battle and told she could one day sing like her, inspiration soon flowed.

Some of her first public performances included busking with her with younger brother Issac and sister Sophie which was a particularly rewarding and fun experience.Signing her first deal at the age of 13, the young soprano rapidly became a household name with debut album mixing opera and pop, Pure, was the biggest ever selling album in New Zealand.

"Getting a deal at that age seems incredibly young now, but at the time it seemed perfectly normal. No-one expected that album to do as well as it did and was recorded on quite a tight budget."

Several years later and she has found herself the centre of musical attention though is committed to giving something back in return. One cause particularly dear to her is having become an ambassador for Unicef.

"I went out to Ghana which was an incredible experience helping a project to provide children with bikes in order to go to school. I felt really guilty as you are meeting young people who just have nothing. It was terrible and wanted to make an immediate change for them."

Such activities as this and her work for Save The Children led to her nomination for being among the top young people around the world.

"I was home in New Zealand when I learned of the young person’s award. I don’t get back there often so it was just great being part of the family again, going back to my old room which is just the way I left it and seeing old schoolfriends.

"My dad told me I was in the top 10 in the world and said there’s nowhere for you to go now. It was pretty surreal, there are so many other young people who are deserving of this, but it was lovely all the same!"

There’s no danger of her turning into a rock chick any time soon like Charlotte Church and concedes that she’ll stick to what she is best at.

Back to her recently adopted base in England she’s now preparing for a round of performances in Kent, including a date at Canterbury Cathedral.

"I am really looking forward to performing there as it will be a first for me. When I saw the tour itinery I wondered if I was actually playing at home as my family are based in an area of Christchurch called Canterbury!"

Though there may be no place quite like home, there’s a whole world of possibility for this most talented of teenagers.

Hayley Westenra appears at Canterbury Cathedral as part of the Canterbury Festival on Friday, October 27. Tickets £11/8. Box office 01227 378188.