Artist Feature: Sissieretta Jones
"It’s 1893. You’re sitting in Music Hall. If you’re white, you’re sitting on the orchestra level, maybe in a box seat; if you’re Black, you’re in the gallery. Music Hall won’t be integrated for another 70+ years. A majestic Black woman enters the stage, bows, and begins to sing. Her voice is high, sweet, and gorgeous as she sings arias from Bellini’s Norma, Meyebeer’s L’Africaine, and “Comin’ thro’ the Rye.” When she’s done, you and everyone else erupts into rousing applause. You’ve just heard Sissieretta Jones!"
