How Best to Enjoy the Opera at English Country Houses
If you smile at the thought of arriving at a quintessentially British country estate to spend an afternoon and evening ambling through pretty gardens, sipping champagne, enjoying fine dining before taking your seats to immerse yourself in your favourite opera, then this is for you.
How to enjoy a cultural trip to Brighton and Glyndebourne Opera
Glyndebourne House is the world-renowned country home of opera here in the UK, founded by John Christie and wife Audrey Mildmay in 1934, and has remained in the Christie family since. 150,000 visitors a year enjoy over 120 live operatic performances in the Glyndebourne 1,200 capacity auditorium from May to August for ‘The Festival’ and October to December for ‘The Tour’ event.
Performances include the greats from Mozart, to Beethoven and those more contemporary, like Francis Poulenc and Igor Stravinsky. So, there is plenty of choice when booking.
Formal attire is required of attendees, and a warm layer is advised as evenings can feel a little cool, especially if you decide on a picnic in the gardens over the restaurant.
Situated in Lewes, Glyndebourne is not far from Brighton, so there are plenty of luxury hotels, day spas and regular travel links to London.
One option would be to stay in trendy Brighton and book yourself into one of its luxury modern art boutique hotels, something like the Artist Residence, with its award winning restaurant The Set. This would give you a great base to explore contemporary art spaces and maybe buy a piece or two.
If you find yourselves hand in hand in The Lanes (which you simply must!), Brighton’s famous historic quarter, then you might just be tempted to catch up on some retail therapy too! Brighton is known for its vintage shopping, from clothing to fine jewellery.
How to enjoy a cultural trip to Oxford and Garsington Opera
For a different kind of summer operatic experience, we recommend booking one of the performances at Garsington Opera. The Wormsley Estate, near Oxford is set in the rolling hills of the Chilterns and isn’t too far from London. The summer festival is held over seven weeks, from the end of May.
The performances are set in a specially constructed pavilion and play to an audience of no more than 600 people, making this opera a much more intimate affair. The performances themselves are a good mix of world-renowned operas, with a residency appearance from the Philharmonic Orchestra for at least two to three festival dates.
Formal dress is required here too, and warm layers would be a good idea if you choose a picnic, instead of the Wormsley restaurant… but with a Michelin starred chef at the helm, the restaurant here feels like the perfect choice.
With a much more intimate feel this break demands a more luxurious and softly paced stay, and with that we recommend a stay at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quart’Saisons, by Raymond Blanc. This beautiful manor house is serenity personified and with a cookery and gardening school, Bella is sure to find something soothing to please her.
If tranquillity gets too much, there’s always a trip into Oxford, where you could both enjoy a walking tour of this historic city, with its famous college, or take a chauffeur-driven punt along the Thames while you both enjoy a picnic.
Concierge Tip
If this is to be your first trip to the opera, then there a few simple things you really should do in order to make the perfect evening.
Firstly, do some research to find out which performance might be good for a beginner wishing to dip their toe in the water. You want to find something that is both captivating and easy to follow.
The next thing to do is to learn a few basic operatic terms, things like; a ‘cadenza’, which is performed at the end of a passage by one artist, in order to personalise their character and show off their virtuosity.
Once you have booked your first opera, do a little background work to understand the story of the piece you are going to see. This will help you follow a dramatic performance in a different language.
And finally, think of the details of your visit. It isn’t just about a magical performance, it’s about a magical night, so please just ask for help and advice and we will happily help you to create a truly memorable evening.