The Glyndebourne Festival

Glyndebourne is synonymous with all that represents excellence in the musical traditions of Great Britain. Year after year, this remarkable festival presents five or six operas during the summer months. Its reputation undoubted, it continues both to enthral and to challenge in equal measure.

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to enjoy this unique Festival as we have secured tickets for three operas from the second half of the 2024 season – Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Bizet’s Carmen & Handel’s Giulio Cesare, to include each evening a seated interval dinner with wine. Our seats will be within the Stalls, Foyer Circle and Circle areas, offering excellent sight of the stage.

Richard Wagner’s masterpiece, Tristan und Isolde conducted by Robin Ticciati will see the return of Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s highly regarded production, surely a highlight of the coming season? Tristan will be sung by Stuart Skelton and Isolde by Miina-Liisa Varela.  

In complete contrast Georges Bizet’s Carmen will be staged in a new production by the celebrated Broadway director, Diane Paulus. An opera which needs little or no introduction, the sizzling and explosive drama, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier  will have a wonderful, youthful cast with Carmen sung by Aigul Akhmetshina, Don Jose by Evan Leroy Johnson and Escamillo by Lukasz Golinski.

Finally, Handel’s Giulio Cesare has long been one of the great favourites of this festival, none more so than in David McVicar’s retelling of the love affair between Giulio Cesare and Cleopatra. This is one of Handel’s finest creations, fizzing with energy and with wonderful arias capturing the ebb and flow of passion between the principals. Giulio Cesare will be sung by Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and Cleopatra by Louise Adler and Laurence Cummings will conduct The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Supporting the opera programme, Professor Peter Hill will join us once again when he gives a series of morning lecture/seminars on each of the opera days, supported by piano accompaniment when the opera of the evening will be analysed and discussed. He has led opera tours for us to Dresden, Leipzig, Parma and in recent years at Glyndebourne, and his contribution will enhance everyone’s enjoyment.

For this gently paced visit, we have decided to change hotel in 2024 and we shall be based in the picturesque village of Alfriston, staying at the locally rated 4* Deans Place Hotel. 

Day 1: Monday 5 August

Participants can arrive at our hotel, the 4* Deans Place Hotel in Alfriston, close to both Lewes and Eastbourne, from 3.00 pm onwards. We meet for drinks and our first group dinner in the hotel - wine, water & coffee are included with all group lunches and dinners.

Day 2: Tuesday 6 August

After breakfast we meet in the hotel’s Garden Suite when Professor Peter Hill will give the first of his three morning Seminar/Lectures, using the piano to support his analysis.  Peter is a distinguished lecturer and keyboard recitalist, known for his acclaimed recordings of Bach for Delphian, including the Well-Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations and French Suites.  This morning Peter will introduce tonight’s opera, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. We have a light buffet lunch and mid-afternoon we travel to Glyndebourne where we have a group dinner during the interval. Tristan will see the return of Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s highly regarded production, surely a highlight of the coming season? Tristan will be sung by Stuart Skelton and Isolde by Miina-Liisa Varela and it will be conducted by Robin Ticciati.

Day 3: Wednesday 7 August

This morning Peter will introduce Bizet’s Carmen. We have a light buffet lunch and mid-afternoon travel by coach to Glyndebourne to see this new production by the celebrated Broadway director, Diane Paulus. An opera which needs little or no introduction, the sizzling and explosive drama, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier will have a wonderful, youthful cast with Carmen sung by Aigul Akhmetshina, Don Jose by Evan Leroy Johnson and Escamillo by Lukasz Golinski. There will be a group dinner during the interval.

Day 4: Thursday 8 August

We meet after breakfast when Peter Hill will introduce Handel’s Giulio Cesare. We have a light buffet lunch and mid-afternoon travel by coach to Glyndebourne to see this wonderful opera, long one of the great favourites of this festival, none more so than in David McVicar’s retelling of the love affair between Giulio Cesare and Cleopatra. One of Handel’s finest creations, fizzing with energy, it has wonderful arias capturing the ebb and flow of passion between the principals. Giulio Cesare will be sung by Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and Cleopatra by Louise Adler and Laurence Cummings will conduct The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. There will be a group dinner during the interval.

Day 5: Friday 9 August

After a leisurely breakfast the group disperses.

The Operas:

Please note - We are required to purchase all the opera tickets in advance and in the event of you having to cancel this would be non-refundable, unless we were able to re-sell the relevant ticket.