Page 46 - 2020 Classical Singer Magazine January Summer Program Issue

Amazing Grace:
A Hometown Tribute to Jessye Norman
BY CHRISTI AMONSON
Say goodbye to one of classical singing’s most loved divas. Her big voice and even bigger heart have not only left a mark on those closest to her but have cemented her impression as an icon in the
musical world.
The magni cent American soprano Jessye Norman died September 30, 2019, in New York City. Norman was one of the most accomplished and admired singers of her day, and it is my honor to share some of her incredible life story by writing about her hometown memorial service. Norman grew up
as one of ve children in Augusta, Georgia. She spent most of her career in France, Germany, and New York— all the while advocating for civil rights and never forgetting her roots.
Norman founded the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, located in downtown Augusta on what has been o cially named Jessye Norman Boulevard. The school has grown
into a landmark center o ering free music, dance, art, and creative writing courses for Augusta’s underserved youth. Norman was planning to come home for the annual school fundraiser in October. After recently relocating to the area to direct opera at Augusta University, I found it heartbreaking to sit in the congregation of her memorial service the very same weekend I had hoped to meet her
in person. Rather, I joined my community in paying our respects as she came home for her nal encore.
The service was an extraordinary showing of musical o erings and sublimely worded tributes. Norman
46 Classical Singer / Jan/Feb 2020
shared her God-given voice with
the world and served as a dedicated philanthropist in many avenues of culture, making this world a better place. Most near and dear to our Augusta hearts, Norman’s generosity has gifted thousands of local children with arts education through her school.
Entering the Bell Auditorium in downtown Augusta, the congregation was carried up in true Southern Baptist style. Choirs sang and the organ never stopped as the crowd gathered and the family entered together.
Norman lived a life both humble and majestic, using her talents to increase international presence
for African American music. Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb referred to her as “one
of the greatest artists to ever sing
on our stage.” Her legacy includes such incredible honors as singing for the second inaugurations of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton and winning ve Grammy awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
She received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1997 and the National Medal of Arts in 2009. In 1989, Norman was invited to sing “La Marseillaise” in Paris for the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. In 1990, she was named honorary
ambassador to the United Nations. She had also been awarded honorary doctorates from many distinguished universities.
The lineup of artistic royalty
from Norman’s inner circle that paid tribute at her memorial included
the incomparable Audra McDonald, who sang “God’s Gonna Build Up Zion’s Walls,” and Harolyn Blackwell divinely delivered one of her signature Bernstein classics, “Somewhere” from W est Side S tory. Lawrence Brownlee shared the song he has dedicated
to his son, “All Night All Day,” with lyrics assuring Norman’s family that “angels [are] watching over me.”
Mark Markham, Norman’s longtime collaborative pianist, played his
own arrangement of “Deep River,” Wycli e Gordon played “Down by the Riverside” on trombone, and
the precious young voice students
of the Jessye Norman School of the Arts sang “Bridge over Troubled Water.” These distinctly American musical o erings lled the hall with
a sonorous nod to the majestic voice, legacy, heart, and spirit of Norman.
Like many friends and colleagues who felt loved and supported by Norman in their artistic pursuits, Augusta natives Laurence Fishburne and Wycli e Gordon both recounted Norman attending their performances in her voluminous silk robes and