Nestled in the South Downs near Lewes, opera has been staged at Glyndebourne since 1934. It all started when John Christie fell in love with an opera singer, Audrey Mildmay. They married and between them they established a small opera house next to their home at Glyndebourne manor. So began an annual summer opera festival which continues to this day (although with a much bigger opera house), now run by Christie’s grandson, Gus.
Glyndebourne’s template of top-quality productions and an interval long enough for audiences to enjoy a picnic in beautiful surroundings has been much copied elsewhere. However, nothing quite matches its international reputation for showcasing exciting up-and-coming singers. Thankfully, opera at Glyndebourne continues into the autumn. In October it will premiere Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new opera, The Railway Children.
Founded by the banker and amateur violinist Leonard Ingrams in 1989, Garsington Opera enjoyed its first few years in the grounds of his 17th-century manor in Oxfordshire. The festival’s success led to more ambitious productions that required extra space, and so in 2010, Garsington upped sticks for the Wormsley Estate, home to the Getty family, in Buckinghamshire.
Ever since, Garsington has established itself as a firm fixture in the opera calendar with its impressive mix of well-known operas, new works and occasional rarities. They all take place in a striking semi-permanent opera pavilion that sits on top of a hill with superb views overlooking the Chilterns.
If the drive down the track to The Grange at Northington doesn’t put you in mind of a Jane Austen novel, nothing will. Set in a stunning landscaped park with a lake, the opera theatre is located in the former orangery of the Grade 1-listed Neoclassical building. Once the home of the Baring family of banking fame, the house itself is in various states of repair but makes way for a restaurant and art gallery during the opera season. Each year The Grange Festival presents several new opera productions of a very high quality and also hosts dance, jazz and concert events.
Not to be confused with its Hampshire neighbour (it’s a long story…), the Grange Park Opera established itself in the delightfully sprawling grounds of West Horsley Place in Surrey in 2017. This was at the invitation of its then-owner, the broadcaster, Bamber Gascoigne. Within a year, a new five-tiered opera house was built on-site. It’s modelled in the same horseshoe shape as the famed La Scala in Milan (although not quite as big), and has attracted an impressive array of opera stars over the years – including Bryn Terfel and Joseph Calleja.
Arriving at Nevill Holt, audiences are greeted by stunning panoramic views of lush Leicestershire countryside. It’s one of the reasons why Nevill Holt has become a draw for opera lovers and beyond. Throughout the summer, opera and an eclectic mix of comedy, jazz and conversations with celebrities can be enjoyed in Nevill Holt’s handsome 400-seat theatre, which occupies a space in a Grade II-listed stable block. There’s plenty to see outdoors as well with a 10-acre garden dotted with amazing sculptures by some of the UK’s best-known artists.
When it started in 1991, Longborough audiences watched opera on bales of hay in Martin and Lizzie Graham’s garden. Nowadays, statues of Verdi, Wagner and Mozart stand tall atop Longborough’s purpose-built theatre. It’s a measure of how successful Longborough has been in attracting opera lovers to this corner of the Cotswolds. Now run by the Grahams’ daughter Polly, Longborough places a particular emphasis on Wagner’s operas – quite a challenge in a relatively small theatre, yet they manage it with real aplomb. This year operas by Rossini, Purcell and Debussy will take centre stage.
Mathew Tucker is a freelance TV producer and journalist
