'Swan,' by Mary Oliver. Poems and prose. Reading from this book is as if visiting a very wise friend. There is wisdom and welcoming kindness on every page. — Jessye Norman Copy Share Image
I read everything. I'll read a John Grisham novel, I'll sit and read a whole book of poems by Maya Angelou, or I'll just read some Mary Oliver - this is a book that was given to me for Christmas.… — Jessye Norman Copy Share Image
One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation. — Jessye Norman Copy Share
The high notes always hard to hit. I mean, one has to understand how high notes even happen. The vocal cords have to vibrate… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
I want to sing more in Spanish. I want to sing the songs of Granados; the songs of Montsalvatge. To do things that truly… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
I love singing jazz. I don't like the idea that classical music should be over here and jazz should be someplace else. It's all… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
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… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
'Swan,' by Mary Oliver. Poems and prose. Reading from this book is as if visiting a very wise friend. There is wisdom and welcoming… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
If you send up a weather vane or put your thumb up in the air every time you want to do something different, to… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
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… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
I enjoy reading about the lives of musicians, and find many similarities in their ideas of preparation and their utter devotion to this great,… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
As for my voice, it cannot be categorized-and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic,… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
The very best thing that could happen to a voice, if it shows any promise at all, is when it is very young to… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare - that one… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
We singers have a different level of responsibility from other musicians. We have words that we must convey; we have meanings that we must… — Jessye Norman Copy Share
