As my taxi from Lewes station speeds towards Glyndebourne, the country seat of the Christie family, and home to its eponymous opera festival, I notice a small hill with a wind turbine slowly spinning on top. The driver sees me looking and tells me that it covers all the electricity used in the house and theatre, adding that it was opened by David Attenborough in 2012. Although not the landmark I was expecting for an opera house as renowned for its romantic backdrop as it is for the quality of its productions, it soon becomes clear that it's surprisingly apt.
Glyndebourne has always been ahead of its time. 'No Ordinary Opera' its website declares, and from its inaugural production in 1934 the festival, which celebrates its 90th season this year, has taken pride in doing things a little differently. By now, the taxi is turning into Glyndebourne's trade entrance and the view of the turbine has been replaced by a modern theatre and various service buildings. With the start of the season still a few months away and orchestral rehearsals yet to begin, it's all very quiet. But my visit is not to listen to opera; I'm here to meet the people behind the scenes: the creatives who are as much a part of the company's rich artistic eco-system as the maestros and musicians who draw the crowds year after year.
I am met by the archivist, Philip Boot, who suggests we begin our conversation in the organ room, as it's integral to the early story of how John Christie transformed his Sussex home into an opera centre of international renown.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2024 من Homes & Antiques.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2024 من Homes & Antiques.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME - Tess Newall
The decorative artist and homeware designer shares her love of patina and a treasured childhood flower press
A Victorian Vision
There's a magical, story-book feel to this 19th-century manor in the Lincolnshire Wolds, where much-loved antique and vintage collections and a sensitive restoration have brought it back to life
Farm FRESH
Filled with painstakingly sourced primitive antiques and Welsh decorative pieces, Dorian Bowen's atmospheric farmstead is an authentic homage to bygone times
THE WOMEN OF MODERNISM
In the Modernist era, when clean lines, geometric forms, and functional design reshaped the world, a group of often-overlooked visionary women defied convention, pioneering innovations that laid the foundations of modern design, says
Global Treasures
Amber Clery has created a cosy, bohemian home filled with unusual finds gathered from her travels across the world
A blazing SUCCESS
This Georgian home in Northern Ireland, once ravaged by fire and time, has been reimagined for the modern age with vibrant colour, joyful patterns and a perfect balance of old and new
HEIRLOOMS OF THE FUTURE SHANNON CLEGG
The botanical sculptor talks to Dominique Corlett about finding her niche and how her creative practice connects with the landscape of her childhood
48 hours in FROME
A cloth town of great importance from the 15th to the late-18th century, Frome in Somerset is now on the map for its vintage fashion and sustainable clothing, as well as its buzzing antiques scene, discovers Rosanna Morris
Island HOPPING
The traditional fitted kitchen island now faces competition from more flexible, modern alternatives
ON THE COFFEE TABLE Art through the ages
Explore 700 years of art history through the paintings of The National Gallery, with people at the heart of every page
