This is an intriguing documentary about black singers of classical music, set against the background of black emancipation in politics and society in the US. It was inspired by Rosalyn Story’s book And so I sing – African-American Divas of Opera and Concert, and her narration not only acts as a bridge between the various artists’ contributions but offers insight beyond what might be immediately obvious from the conversations and performances. Some of the footage is fascinating – early film of Marian Anderson, for example, singing Schubert’s Ave Maria with Stokowski; and some of the points made are almost shocking – it was as recently as 1978 that Simon Estes became the first male African-American to sing at Bayreuth. There is archive film of performances by Reri Grist, Leontyne Price, Shirley Verrett and many others, and the documentary broaches sensitive subjects, often with wildly varying responses from the contributors. It was fascinating to learn how closely Leontyne Price’s career in opera reflected progress in the civil rights movement. But what ultimately gave me most food for thought were the conclusions drawn in the last minutes of the film about the prospects for black classical singers today. This documentary was filmed in 1999, but the realities of the conclusions it draws are as stark today as they were then. I was irritated by the short between-scenes interludes, but otherwise found this a highly recommendable film.
Reviewed by Anne McAlister