On hearing the news of Jessye Norman’s death I experienced a soft waft of regret similar to other such news of the passing of great women and men whom I admired.
But there was something a little more for this passing.
I love music, all kinds of music and among my fondest memories is my grandmother and the 78 recording of Marian Anderson singing Ave Maria. Her voice came from a gramophone record player with the name His Master’s Voice written on the case. Here was my introduction to classical operatic singing.
Since my grandmother was a highly religious woman and a church organist to boot I thought His Master’s Voice was coming straight from the Master himself, God; that if I could somehow get my voice onto the black disk turning on the gramophone I would begin to sound just like that.
I first met Jessie Norman through a televised BBC performance. Just one look was all it took for me to fall in love. The majesty, the presence, the grandeur, and then THAT VOICE!
Fast forward many years later and Bert and I had the privilege of attending a Jessie Norman concert with friends in Philadelphia. There was thunderous applause at the dramatic entrance. At the end there was a moment of complete silence before the audience stood giving repeated ovations. We had been transported and needed that moment to regroup.
Later still I was to work with a colleague who was actually a friend of Jessye Norman. He was a gentle soul who gave me the ultimate compliment. He told me I resembled Jessye Norman whenever I wore my hair up. The ‘librarian’s bun’ became my ‘Jessye Norman do’.
As soon as I walked in he would exclaim: “Here comes Jessye Norman.” I would laugh but I was immensely flattered too.
Then the ultimate Jessie Norman life experience occurred far from home. My Bert and I were visiting his brother and a favourite niece and her family in Sweden.
Alcohol is very expensive in Sweden but cheap in Denmark. It is normal to see many Swedes crossing from Helsingborg, Sweden to Helsingor (Elsinore), Denmark a 20 minute ferry ride to pick up a supply of alcohol.
We decided to do the alcohol run accompanied by our niece and her husband. It was a simple plan. We would leave early, take the ferry over to Helsingor/Elsinore, have lunch there, go buy booze and get a ferry back.
Of course, I had to make the trip just a little bit more complicated.
Although we had been to Sweden and taken this ferry ride many times we had never visited Kronborg Castle, a major tourist attraction in Helsingor. This literature student was going to correct that. Kronborg Castle in Helsingor is Elsinore Castle. Elsinore is the anglicized version of Helsingor and the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Here was my chance to walk in Hamlet’s footsteps. Who knows, perhaps I would find a secluded rampart to quietly recite Hamlet’s soliloquy: “To be or not to be…” NOT!
Everyone agreed we would add a visit to Kronborg Castle.
We were standing on the ramparts looking over the moat on three sides of the castle when we noticed a Danish family in close but animated conversation looking over to our small group. There was a mother and father, two children and two more adults all talking with an air of excitement, all looking over at us.
Finally, they approached and the man said: “Excuse me. We are wondering if you are Jessye Norman.” I was flabbergasted. For a moment I had no words. I am sure I stuttered as I explained I was not but was immensely flattered and considered it a special compliment. I think I babbled.
The girl said she thought I was Ms. Norman as I resembled her. Then she told me they had gone to her concert that weekend in Copenhagen.
I told them I was a fan and we had a brief conversation before parting. I walked on air the rest of the day.
That incident came immediately to mind when I heard of Jessye Norman’s passing.
I have been listening to her and have been grateful to an email buddy who sent me a playlist of her recordings and the BBC’s Hard Talk interview.
I have been overdosing on all things Jessie Norman and decided to share my Bert’s favourite song Ave Maria with him. So with the help of You Tube we listened together. He leaned forward to make the image clearer.
As Jessie Norman breathed the last notes, my Bert looked up, smiled at me and said: “She looks like you.”
Well, case closed.
Here was another moment of joy. My heart soared.
The meander: I have just played the CD Spirituals in Concert with Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle. I looked at the cover photo and with a bit of ego I thought well, maybe a little. Then, as I listened to the singing, my soul was lifted. I breathed. Music will do that to you.
RIP Jessie Norman. Your voice was indeed a heavenly gift.