Marian Anderson was called
The "Voice of the Century" back in her time.
But her rise to fame and approval
Certainly wasn't an easy climb.

She knew when she was six years old
And sang in a choir at church that she
Planned to devote her life to music.
A well-trained singer was what she'd be.

The Philadelphia Musical
Academy was her glorious dream.
But she was told that "colored people"
Weren't allowed--a recurring theme.

And so she found a voice teacher
And tried to perform wherever she could.
Dance halls were a popular venue
Throughout the Harlem neighborhood.

When her New York Town Hall debut
Bombed as critics picked her apart,
In 1927 she sailed
To Europe, where she could polish her art.

Her time in Sweden, Germany,
Paris and London was time well spent.
Having developed her artistry,
Anderson triumphed wherever she went.

Germany in the 1930s…
******'s power grab gave her pause.
Anderson was dismayed to hear him
Praise America's Jim Crow laws.

Back to America she sailed,
Where she would be celebrated.
To packed houses she sang, although
Most of the venues were segregated.

At one moving performance Anderson
Entered the stage and faced the crowd.
Then she turned to the black section
With deep humility and bowed.

In 1939 the plan:
A concert at Constitution Hall.
However, the DAR° refused
To let her perform. Another wall.

She gave a concert instead on the steps
Of the Lincoln Memorial to powerful raves.
A giant crowd attended. Her voice
Was also transmitted on radio waves.

In 1950 Anderson married
Orpheus Fisher. Unusual name.
Way back when she was starting out,
Orpheus had been her old flame.

In 1955 the Met°°
Broke the color bar. That year
Anderson sang in an opera--
For some the capstone of her career.

In '63 once again
Marian Anderson broadened her scope
And sang at the March on Washington.
She refused to give up hope.

She died at the age of ninety-six.
For many years the world was blessed
With having this diva, who knew first-hand
What it was like to be oppressed.

Her rich, expressive, contralto voice
Had a vibrant, velvety sound.
She sang with beauty and poise and grace.
No wonder she was so renowned!

Listen to her sing "Deep River."
Note her phrasing, her voice control.
How can you hear her and not feel her voice
Penetrate your very soul?

-by Bob B (2-22-21)

°Daughters of the American Revolution
°°The New York Metropolitan Opera