Jessye Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but refused to be limited to that voice type. She was a commanding presence on operatic, concert and recital stages, associated with roles including Beethoven’s Leonore, Wagner’s Sieglinde and Kundry, Cassandre and Didon by Berlioz and Bartók’s Judith. The New York Times music critic Edward Rothstein described her voice as a “grand mansion of sound”, and wrote that “it has enormous dimensions, reaching backward and upward. It opens onto unexpected vistas. It contains sunlit rooms, narrow passageways, cavernous halls.”
But… and I must tell you this is another tear jerker… when she sang a tribute to Sidney Portier at the 1995 Kennedy Center Honors she had Sidney Portier and Bill Clinton in tears. Who does that? I want to also share a little bit of her opera with you.
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I remember when I was in Tallahassee and went to the opera alone. Afterward, I stopped in a restaurant and ate at the bar alone. The bartender was shocked that I would do that. I’ve told the story before I am sure about reading in Cosmo when I was just old enough to drive that you should be comfortable going to the movies alone. And a woman can go anywhere without a “date.” This was something that served me well in my life. I didn’t feel like a loser going to the movies alone I felt, empowered. Now I travel alone and live alone and I feel stronger for it. If you don’t have anyone in your life, you are still entitled to go to movies, travel, go learn about opera. You can do anything everyone else can.
Jesse sang at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. Sadly she died in 2019.
My parents said to us, practically on a daily basis, that we were as good as anyone else on this earth, and that we would simply have to work harder in order to show that. ~ Jessye Norman
I know about her because she was from Augusta, Georgia. And we were all very proud of her and the world is a bit less without her
My first summer after college I loved doing everything alone! I had three jobs because I was so bored after a year away at college partying then I moved back home and there was nothing going on. I worked in summer school as a reading tutor during the week and then was a waitress at a buffet place at nights and weekends. And I lucked out and got to “house sit” for two months for a couple my dad worked with while they vacationed. When I had time, I would go to the nearest mall and shop and eat at restaurants by myself. I totally decompressed and loved it.
Also, thank you for these posts. I love learning about people in history that I have never heard about. The more you know, the more you can grow.
Thank you so much for posting this.
Angelic ! Stunning voice too. Thank you for doing these highlights . It’s beautiful
I so appreciate you choosing her for black history month. She was my all time favorite singer. So lovely to hear this clip again. Great orchestra with her perfect voice. God given talent reverberates through your body.
For someone supporting BHM, you allowed all sorts of ignorance’s against the Semite race.
Very, very disappointing and disturbing.
Please educate yourself.
And honestly, Sara, this is the wrong place for your comments. This is being discussed in the Whoopi Goldberg thread. Please don’t bring disrution to the BHM posts. The whole “what about me?” seems really disrespectful.
And I found the “supporting BHM” comment odd. As if you don’t support it? I didn’t realize until now, because I read comments in emails. But it did give me pause. I can’t fathom why anyone would not support Black History month unless… well…
Apparently you need to “Ceck Yourself!” as in BD. 🙄 Thank You so much for these posts, I/we greatly appreciate it!
I recently did a DNA test and discovered that I am Jewish. My father is half white and half black. As a Black woman I obviously celebrated Black History Month as it is the ONE MONTH out of the year where we are celebrated. However now that I have found my Jewish Ashkenazi ancestry I am beginning to research and celebrate it. I would ask for you to do the same Sara. February is a short month so you have an additional twenty plus days to get caught up.
It’s important to do stuff on your own – why miss out on a great opera/movie/play??? I recall watching the anti-apartheid concert on TV for the 70th bday of the still-jailed Nelson Mandela, at the end Jesse Norman came out and sang Amazing Grace, acapella. I cried, it was so beautiful.
Check out another opera singer: Measha Brueggergosman – what a voice and what a personality!
Saw this DIVA at Constitution Hall in DC almost 60 years ago. Blew my mind. A true Georgia treasure
Wow!
I truly enjoy these informative and uplifting BHM posts. What a lovely person she seems. I am now going to go and check out the Sidney Portier tribute ( whom as a child I adored) His movies where so beautiful and deep with lessons.
Thank you for doing this.
So, I went back to your video you shared and OMW. First, and always that beautiful song just fills ones soul to the brim from the get go. Her voice was truly that of an angel. No theatrics just from the heart to the heavens. if that wasn’t enough the raw emotion from Sidney was gut wrenching. It was like he was transfixed in that moment and all of his life was bare before him. Beautiful
She was amazing, and one of the very many black opera singers nurtured at the Met Opera.