THE mere thought of exploring family history would widen the mouths of most young adults into a distinctive yawn shape.

New Zealand-born soprano Hayley Westenra admits she was one of those youngsters until she made a shock discovery that would come to influence her career.

The 23-year-old was performing at the 90th anniversary of World War One’s Battle of Passchendaele, in Belgium, in 2007, when she learned a relative had been killed on the frontline.

“Before that I had not paid any attention to my family history,” says the singer.

“One of the organisers had done some research on my behalf and discovered my great, great uncle had fought in the Battle of Passchendaele.

“They took me to the place where he had lost his life. It was really quite emotional.”

Fast forward three years to the present day and Hayley has earned the title Forces Songbird for her part in many commemorative concerts for the Armed Forces.

This month, she performs in the memorial tour, Their Finest Hour, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The show, which features the Central Band, Regiment Band and College Band of the RAF, stops at the Cliffs Pavilion, in Westcliff, tonight.

So, how did the young Kiwi come to be considered the heir to our very own Dame Vera Lynn?

After the initial discovery, Hayley also found out her great uncle Jerry Westenra was an RAF squadron leader, who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for aerial battles in World War Two.

“Through having a bit of family involvement in the Armed Forces I have become more and more involved,” says the musician, who has lived in London for five years.

“It’s important young people support the Armed Forces. A lot of the people fighting conflicts are my age and younger. It would be nice if the Armed Forces had a bit more support from people back home.”

As part of her backing of the troops, Hayley helped to launch the 2008 Poppy Appeal, performing live from Basra, in Iraq.

Entering the combat zone was something she describes as a surreal experience.

“Before we went we were given body armour,” she says. “I was getting ready to take my heels, make-up and dresses. It was all just a bit bizarre because it’s not what I do. It didn’t really occur to me what I had done until I got back home.

“But there are all these other men and women out there doing their best, despite the conditions.”

During last year’s Poppy Appeal launch, Hayley sang an impromptu performance of We’ll Meet Again with Dame Vera Lynn. She went on to perform the track for Dame Vera and the Queen at the Festival of Remembrance, at the Royal Albert Hall.

The 93-year-old even asked Hayley to become vice-president of the Dame Vera Lynn Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

“She is such an icon and really has dedicated her whole life to supporting the Armed Forces,” says Hayley.

“I feel like she has taken me under her wing. I’m keen to try to continue her work as much as I can, but I think I have a long way to go before I can be like her. I would still love to have albums in the charts in my nineties, as long as they were good.”

Hayley’s debut international album Pure, which she released in 2003 at just 16, went straight in at Number Eight in the UK charts and Number One in the classical charts, making her the fastest-selling debut classical artist ever.

In New Zealand, the record went 12 times platinum, becoming the best-selling album of all time. Hayley took her teenage success in her stride.

“I guess because I started out in New Zealand as opposed to the UK it wasn’t all too overwhelming,” she suggests.

The singer has gone on to release two more proper albums, Odyssey and Treasure, and a number of other records such as a Christmas album.

Her next work will be a collaboration with Italian composer Ennio Morricone. Yet, despite, the various sales records she holds, and titles she’s been given – which include biggest selling classical artist of the 21st century – they are not too important to her.

“I don’t dwell on them too much,” she adds. “For a while I stored my platinum discs under my spare bed, but I get them out every now and then.You’re only as good as your last record or performance.”