And So I Sing traces a lineage that most histories of classical music left in the margins. It begins with Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, born into slavery around 1820 and celebrated across two continents as "the Black Swan," and follows the thread through Sissieretta Jones, Marian Anderson, Dorothy Maynor, Leontyne Price, Shirley Verrett, Grace Bumbry, Jessye Norman, and many others. Along the way, Story examines the institutions that shaped these artists, from the Black church and the Harlem Renaissance to the opera houses that barred Black performers for generations.

The Black Classic Press Edition

Black Classic Press is proud to bring And So I Sing back into print in a new edition that both preserves Rosalyn M. Story's groundbreaking original work and extends its historical reach.

For this BCP edition, Story has written an extensive new introduction that carries the history forward from the period covered in the original book to the present day, capturing important individuals, achievements, and developments in Black opera during the decades since And So I Sing first appeared.

Story has also created a new historical timeline documenting the long journey of Black people in opera, from early pioneers through the achievements and milestones of the present day. Together with new photographs, the timeline and introduction allow readers to see both the pioneering generations chronicled in Story's original work and the continuing history they helped make possible.

This is more than a reissue of an important book. The Black Classic Press edition gives readers an expanded And So I Sing—one that places the original work within a broader historical arc and brings its story into the present.

A History Recovered, Not Merely Retold

What distinguishes this book is its insistence on connection. Individual biographies of Anderson or Price exist, but Story was among the first to show how each generation of Black women singers opened doors for the next—and what it cost them to do so. She writes with warmth about triumphs, including Anderson's 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert and Price's reign at the Metropolitan Opera, while refusing to look away from the exclusion, condescension, and lost careers that shadowed even the greatest of these artists.

Readers will find in these pages:

• Portraits of celebrated divas alongside gifted singers history nearly forgot
• The role of Black churches and community institutions in training world-class voices
• The struggle over which roles—and which stages—were open to Black women
• An extensive new introduction by Rosalyn M. Story bringing the history forward to the present
• A new historical timeline, also created by Story, tracing the journey and achievements of Black people in opera
• New photographs expanding the visual record of Black achievement in opera
• A living argument that American classical music is inseparable from Black artistry

For students of music, vocalists tracing their operatic roots, scholars of African American history and culture, and general readers, And So I Sing remains an essential and singular resource. The Black Classic Press edition restores this important work to print while extending its history for a new generation of readers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Rosalyn M. Story?

Rosalyn M. Story is a professional violinist, journalist, and novelist whose writing explores the central place of Black musicians in American musical life.

What does And So I Sing cover?

The book chronicles Black women in opera and concert music, beginning with nineteenth-century pioneers and following generations of singers who challenged racial barriers and transformed the concert and operatic stage.

What is new in the Black Classic Press edition?

The Black Classic Press edition features an extensive new introduction by Rosalyn M. Story that brings the history of Black achievement in opera forward from the original publication to the present. Story has also created a new historical timeline tracing the journey of Black people in opera, and the edition includes new photographs that further expand the historical record.