Jessye Norman

One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.

— Jessye Norman

I am grateful that my horizons were not narrowed at the outset.

— Jessye Norman

I have a particular affliction. I am unable to say a word I can't spell.

— Jessye Norman

The high notes always hard to hit. I mean, one has to understand how high notes even happen. The vocal cords have…

— Jessye Norman

I want to sing more in Spanish. I want to sing the songs of Granados; the songs of Montsalvatge. To do things…

— Jessye Norman

I love singing jazz. I don't like the idea that classical music should be over here and jazz should be someplace else.…

— Jessye Norman

I wasn't born Austrian; I wasn't born German. My roots are from Africa, and I do not have any reason for not…

— Jessye Norman

'Swan,' by Mary Oliver. Poems and prose. Reading from this book is as if visiting a very wise friend. There is wisdom…

— Jessye Norman

If you send up a weather vane or put your thumb up in the air every time you want to do something…

— Jessye Norman

There's no anger ever in a spiritual. There's always the dream of a hope of a better day coming. That God understands…

— Jessye Norman

I enjoy reading about the lives of musicians, and find many similarities in their ideas of preparation and their utter devotion to…

— Jessye Norman

As for my voice, it cannot be categorized-and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in…

— Jessye Norman

The very best thing that could happen to a voice, if it shows any promise at all, is when it is very…

— Jessye Norman

There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare -…

— Jessye Norman

We singers have a different level of responsibility from other musicians. We have words that we must convey; we have meanings that…

— Jessye Norman

I feel comfortable singing in the great cathedrals of the world because I spent so much time as a child singing in…

— Jessye Norman

It takes a caring community to raise a child that will be a whole person and a contributing citizen.

— Jessye Norman

Pigeon-holes are only comfortable for pigeons.

— Jessye Norman

My parents said to us, practically on a daily basis, that we were as good as anyone else on this earth, and…

— Jessye Norman

I am the proud and humble recipient of more than 30 honorary doctorate degrees.

— Jessye Norman

Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself.

— Jessye Norman

I try to frighten my very young colleagues into studying and understanding their voices before they attempt things that are beyond them.…

— Jessye Norman

I was given the opportunity to write the kind of book that I wanted to write, rather than one that catalogues where…

— Jessye Norman

There is a lot of propaganda about opera singers not being able to act. That's not necessarily true and hasn't been true…

— Jessye Norman

I knew that I was loved. And that's such an important thing. And, of course, at such an early age, you take…

— Jessye Norman