I try to frighten my very young colleagues into studying and understanding their voices before they attempt things that are beyond them. It’s wise to take gymnastics and swimming to strengthen the body, because people don’t realise what an athletic undertaking singing actually is. Jessye Norman Read Quote
I was given the opportunity to write the kind of book that I wanted to write, rather than one that catalogues where I sang and what I sang and what I wore. I wanted to write a book about an American family, the family that has produced me. The longer I live, the more I realise the incredible support and love we were given as children. Jessye Norman Read Quote
I knew that I was loved. And that’s such an important thing. And, of course, at such an early age, you take it for granted. Of course your parents love you. Of course Mrs. Hubert across the street loves you and your godmother loves you and your grandparents love you. Jessye Norman Read Quote
I feel comfortable singing in the great cathedrals of the world because I spent so much time as a child singing in church. And it isn’t very different. Of course, nothing looks quite like Notre Dame de Paris. Jessye Norman Read Quote
I would like to see more African-American singers as part of our opera companies. If you take music and the arts out of the public schools, then you’re going to lose a lot of people that you might have discovered were talented, very early. Jessye Norman Read Quote
There’s no anger ever in a spiritual. There’s always the dream of a hope of a better day coming. That God understands the troubles that I’m experiencing. Jessye Norman Read Quote
As for my voice, it cannot be categorised – and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic, mezzo or spinto range. Jessye Norman Read Quote
I wasn’t born Austrian; I wasn’t born German. My roots are from Africa, and I do not have any reason for not wanting to celebrate that. Every time that I can, I like to kind of mention it, you know, just to keep people sort of knowing exactly what’s going on. My French is pretty good, but I’m still African, thank you very much. Jessye Norman Read Quote
