Have a Jessye Norman Christmas

Have a Jessye Norman Christmas

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norman lebrecht

December 24, 2019

In memoriam, here she is singing out in 1988 with Robert De Cormier and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Ely Cathedral.

Sheer magnificence.

We will not see her like again.

Comments

  • Rob says:
    December 24, 2019 at 5:32 pm

    She was one of the greats with a distinctive heft to the voice.its a shame she didn’t perform in a Mahler 8.

    Reply
  • Robin Blonstein says:
    December 24, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    Thanks Norman for this. This was the year I graduated from college at Brandeis. Jessye was there receiving an honorary degree. She sang. It was glorious. A great personal memory.

    Reply
    • Petros Linardos says:
      December 25, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      She also received an honorary D Music at the 1988 Harvard commencement, but she didn’t sing (bummer). Funny, though well deserved!

      Reply
  • Ken says:
    December 24, 2019 at 11:26 pm

    Obviously, I didn’t write BOO. VPO.

    Reply
  • Una says:
    December 25, 2019 at 11:29 am

    I was in this as a soprano in the professional British ad hoc choir – a while host of who became very well-known solo singers in that choir if you look hard! It was done in Ely Cathedral in June or July – the middle of the summer of 1987 that went out on 23 December at 11pm on ITV. It went all round the world so lots of royalties in those days. Now available on a DVD for which we don’t get royalties!! Ha, ha, we now live in different financial times to those of 1987. A very happy Jessye Christmas!

    Reply
  • Évelyne G G says:
    December 26, 2019 at 8:16 am

    DIVINE! INSPIRATIONAL!

    Reply
  • Stephen Gibson says:
    December 27, 2019 at 6:26 am

    When Ms Norman sang she had the gift to shrink the room into such an intimate setting each person would experience the event as though she was singing just for them for a private concert. What a woman!!! What a gift.

    Reply

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