Ella¡¦s Book

About the Book

A five-year-old Meckling, South Dakota, farm girl climbs up on the chair next to her mother. The church organ is playing a hymn and she begins to sing at the top of her lungs. Heads started turning and smiles broke out all around. This young girl grew up listening to great music and wonderful singing. She also loved to watch and listen to the birds sing their special songs. A dream was born to her to sing beautiful music also. This dream revealed her on-stage, singing the lead role in an opera with full orchestral accompaniment and costumes. This spectacle was surely unusual for one, who had never seen an opera performed. Young Ella June embarked on a blessed quest to reach her dream of singing opera in New York City. Ella’s Book: The Blessed Quest describes her journey under God’s faithful blessing to be with us through it all.

About the Author

Ella June Whittaker dreamed of becoming an opera singer from age fi ve. Hers is a quintessential American story, but is unique since she practiced arias while driving her tractor through corn and wheat fi elds in South Dakota. At age thirteen, she studied voice at the University of South Dakota. Ella continued her voice training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she began singing professionally at the age of nineteen. In California, she performed the role of Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel at College of the Pacifi c, Stockton. While at Eastman School of Music, she was chosen by Luigi Silva to sing the New York première of Hector Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras, No. V.” In New York City, Ella studied with Madam Elda Ercole, who had sung at La Scala in Milan, Italy. Her vocal coach was Charles Wadsworth, Director of Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City. Ella sang in an Off-Broadway show at the Cherry Lane Theater, New York City. Currently, even at eightysix, this remarkable soprano vocalist continues to teach voice and perform solos!