A short note from Jessye Norman

Today in the the Augusta Chronicle, a story ran concerning the new digs donated to the Jessye Norman School of the Arts.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/091008/met_472680.shtml

Late last evening, we received a quote from Ms. Norman concerning the school and new building. Unfortunately, the quote came too late for inclusion in the story. Still, I felt it was important for the community to hear what the opera legend had to say and was particularly taken with her thoughts. Here's what she had to say:

"When I saw the building, I thought, what joy it would have given my parents to witness this moment!  I said, 'wow'!My mother's favorite students were her 'juniors', as middle school students used to be called, and my father was president of the PTA at C. T. Walker Elementary School even when the youngest of my siblings, George, was in college. Their dedication to education was paramount in their civic lives.

I was struck by the solid construction of the building and hoping very quietly that it might one day house our dream, JNSA"