Paul Campion - Writer & Lecturer

Glyndebourne Opera House, Sussex

Glyndebourne Festival Opera was founded by John and Audrey Christie in the grounds of their elegant country house in Sussex in 1934

For over sixty years Glyndebourne has brought the best of opera to this most charming setting in the south of England. Audrey Christie was herself an operatic soprano and it was largely to give her a splendid opportunity to display her vocal talents that her husband undertook to build the first theatre there. In 1994 John and Audrey’s son Sir George Christie oversaw the opening of the new, larger theatre at Glyndebourne, which has proved such a success with the Festival’s audiences.

My talk Glyndebourne Recorded, based on the award-winning book of the same name, tells the extraordinary story of the people and the music that have made the Festival so special. Recorded musical illustrations, performed by world-famous singers, illustrate this fascinating talk and include opera excerpts by Rossini, Mozart and Franz Lehar - among a host of others.

Glyndebourne Recorded: The series
A more detailed group of lectures comprises several specialised talks, each addressing one particular aspect of repertoire, and is highly recommended. Ideal for college and study weekends, this series will delight all opera lovers. It includes audio and video examples of the fine productions for which the Festival has always been admired.

Glyndebourne Facts

	The first opera to be performed at Glyndebourne in 1934 was Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.
	Several notable world premieres have been given at the Festival including two operas by Benjamin Britten.
	The young Luciano Pavarotti sang at Glyndebourne in 1964, years before The Three Tenors concerts!
	John Christie, the Festival’s founder, was a science master at Eton before building his opera house.
	Sir George Christie (son of John Christie and his wife Audrey Mildmay, the founders of Glyndebourne), was created a Companion of Honour in the 2002 New Year’s Honours list for his services to music.
	In Glyndebourne’s grounds are a lake, a croquet lawn and a ha-ha to keep sheep out of the garden!