2022 is the 125th Anniversary of Marian Anderson’s birth

Marian Anderson was a long time resident of Danbury and was nominated to the Cultural Commission the year it was chartered, 1967.

Conductor Arturo Toscanini said of her that she had “a voice one hears once in a hundred years.” When she sang for composer Jean Sibelius at his home in Finland, he threw his arms around her, said, “My roof is too low for you,” and called for champagne.

https://www.americanheritage.com/voice-one-hears-once-hundred-years

Marian Anderson

Short documentary, mostly priceless footage of Marian Anderson singing.

Beginning at 16:15 see her life in Danbury and a glimpse of her performing at her studio.

From the archive at the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus

Naming the WCSU award winning, state of the art, School of Visual and Performing Arts in honor of Marian Anderson will raise the level of recognition for our programs and provide an appropriate tribute to one of our most revered “hometown” heroes. It is fitting that the Anderson School will be located in Danbury CT—the city that Marian Anderson called home for more than 50 years.

For more information about Danbury, Connecticut resident Marian Anderson check the Western Connecticut State University archive.

What's My Line?
- Marian Anderson

MYSTERY GUEST: Marian Anderson
PANEL: Arlene Francis, Abe Burrows, Anita Gillette, Bennett Cerf

NOTE: This video corrects several out of sequence edits in the original film due to the assembly of the "WML at 25" special. After cutting out some footage from the Marian Anderson segment for use in the special, the producers hastily reassembled the bits of film in the wrong order, making hash out of the mystery guest segment in the copy used for reruns. This video is the first time this episode has been seen with the Marian Anderson segment in proper order since its original airing in 1965, almost 50 years ago!

Here is the New York Time article mentioned at the end of the What’s My Line clip.

This day, April 18, 1965 was the final public performance by Marian Anderson.

" PEOPLE write about her as though she's a saint. She isn't." The man who has known Marian Anderson for many years spoke affectionately and a little regretfully. An image-happy press has indeed done its share to perpetuate the symbol of remote perfection, a regal figure admired to the point of idolatry.

Marian Anderson Documentary - Hollywood Walk of Fame

Start watching at 19:15 where she comes to Bethel to be married and moved to Danbury.

Marian Anderson was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965.

PBS Voice of Freedom Series

Marian Anderson, Constitution Hall and the NAACP | Voice of Freedom

View the Marian Anderson episode (S33 E2) on the right

Learn more about VOICE OF FREEDOM, including where to watch the documentary. #MarianAndersonPBS

Marian Anderson was an international opera superstar, whose name is mentioned in the same breath as Martin Luther King, Jr., because of the way she overcame rampant racism. She lived in Danbury, CT for half-a-century. The famed contralto used her dignified presence to persevere personally and professionally, while attaining the highest honors possible. She’s perhaps best known for her 1939 performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a concert arranged by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt after Anderson had been barred from singing at Constitution Hall because of the color of her skin. This episode includes interviews featuring rarely heard accounts of her many decades as a Connecticut resident from people who knew her and her background.

Listen to all of the Amazing Tales

NOTE: When you click on the player above, you should hear the Marian Anderson podcast. If, for whatever reason, you do not hear that podcast, please click on the button instead ( https://AmazingTalesCT.Podbean.com ) and you’ll be taken to the website Podbean.com and the homepage for the podcast Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut’s Beaten Path. Then, simply look for episode #49: In The Presence of Greatness: Danbury’s Marian Anderson. You will also find many more Amazing Tales with many right here in Danbury.

For Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, Connecticut Public will feature a number of special programs throughout February 2022 on CPTV, CPTV Spirit, and Connecticut Public Radio. See below for the full programming schedule, which includes the CPTV premiere of a new American Masters profile of onetime Connecticut resident Marian Anderson, as well as a new episode about Anderson from Connecticut Public Radio’s Where We Live. Plus, stream special video playlists compiled by PBS Black Culture Connection and PBS Digital Studios.

On CPTV

American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (NEW!)
Tuesday, February 8 at 9 p.m.
Discover the story of Marian Anderson, the international singer and civil rights icon — and resident of Danbury, Connecticut, for 50 years — who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America. Watch rare archival footage and hear audio recordings exploring her life and career, from the Metropolitan Opera to the State Department, in this special two-hour program directed by Emmy and Peabody Award winner Rita Coburn.

On Connecticut Public Radio

Where We Live – Marian Anderson, A Voice That Spoke to Our Common Humanity
Now streaming here>>
Music schools in Philadelphia denied her admission because she was Black, and so did a segregated concert hall, leading to a fight for civil rights. The great opera singer Marian Anderson lived and sang in Danbury for five decades. Join Where We Live to learn about her life, and about the lack of diversity in opera today.

Some of Marian Anderson’s earliest recordings

One of Marian Anderson’s earliest recordings, sung here at a later point in her career.

Marian Anderson sings "Deep River"
Kosti Vehanen, Piano

One of Marian Anderson’s recordings (REMASTERED)

My Way's Cloudy (Remastered) · Marian Anderson · Traditional · Rosario Bourdon · Rosario Bourdon Orchestra

Marian Anderson Sings Spirituals

℗ 1924 Sony Music Entertainment Released on: 2021-08-27

Arranger: Harry Thacker Burleigh

Jeanne Hamm WWVA Radio Interview with Marian Anderson Part 1 of 2, February 18 1959

Jeanne Hamm, Host of WWVA Radio Program, Report to the Women, 1958-62

Jeanne Hamm WWVA Radio Interview with Marian Anderson Part 2 of 2, February 18, 1959.