Denyce Graves - Definition and Overview

Denyce Graves (born 1963 in Washington, DC) is an American opera singer. She is a mezzo soprano. She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1995 and has appeared at many opera houses. On January 20, 2005, she sang the patriotic song "American Anthem" during the 55th Presidential Inauguration, between the swearing in of Vice President Dick Cheney and the swearing in of President George W. Bush for their second terms in office.

Many people will most remember Graves singing "America the Beautiful" and "Lord's Prayer" at the Washington National Cathedral during the memorial service honoring the victims of 9/11 on September 14, 2001, which Bush, the living former presidents, members of Congress, and other past and present leaders attended. Her web site [1] (http://www.denycegraves.com) says that the event was televised worldwide. It was not because the similar simultaneous service in Ottawa, on Parliament Hill, which Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci presided over and over 100,000 attended, was televised across Canada.