Opera house takes music outside with season of garden gigs

Glyndebourne to hold its first festival in the open-air with social distancing

GLYNDEBOURNE is to host its first outdoor opera, as it announces plans to restart concerts this summer.

The opera house in East Sussex will hold a season of open-air performances in July and August.

Audiences are to be seated in household groups, with social distancing measures observed at all times. In the event of bad weather, performances will be cancelled and tickets refunded.

The announcement comes after Sir Simon Rattle, the renowned conductor, and Nicola Benedetti, the violinist, called for concerts to be licensed in car parks and warehouses.

They were among a group of leading figures from the classical music world who took part in a short-notice meeting with Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary.

They warned that thousands of jobs were at risk in Britain’s “world class” music industry, and of the “terrifying hardship and uncertainty” the sector faces.

Glyndebourne said its move to reopen was prompted by audiences who had petitioned for organisers to find a safe way to put on live music this summer.

Stephen Langridge, its artistic director, said: “We have been working closely with our peers, in particular those artists, orchestras and businesses who rely on us for their living, to look after their needs as far as we can.

“Experiencing live music and theatre in an inspiring environment is what Glyndebourne is all about.

“We are fortunate in having plenty of outside space available, and with a little imagination, we saw exciting musical and theatrical opportunities for performance in the gardens. This mini festival will be intimate, unusual and unforgettable. Something to celebrate in these tough times.”

Sarah Hopwood, the managing director, added: “Thanks to prudent financial management and the extraordinary generosity of our members, donors, staff and the public, we are now able to shift our focus from mourning the closure of the festival to opening a newly imagined summer season.”

From mid-july, Glyndebourne will be adding outdoor concerts performed by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

During August, concerts will be performed by the

‘We are able to shift focus to opening a newly imagined summer season’

London Philharmonic Orchestra, and as the season progresses, Glyndebourne will stage an opera in the open air for the first time.

Dress code, as always, is “discretionary”. However, organisers said that the many social media images of people wearing black tie for its virtual festival, Glyndebourne Open House, suggests that “the desire to dress up has not gone away during lockdown”. In its first four weeks, more than 350,000 people watched a Glyndebourne opera online.

Glyndebourne will open from July 1, and the £10 tickets to gain timed access to the gardens will go on sale to the public on Friday.