SUMMER 2017 ‘My Festival’ • Carl Ebert ‘s1 Influence • Hamlet’s Music Festival 2017 ‘My Festival’ All of our summer visitors have a different Festival experience, depending on the opera they come to see on stage and who they watch it with, the weather and where they eat. The same goes for our staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes – doing incredibly different jobs.Karen Anderson asked a few to share their Festival experiences. Deborah Chipper Favourite Glyndebourne opera and why? Wig Technician It has to be Saul. It is a visual feast of energy, Q: What does your job design and colour, like nothing I had seen involve? before. Of course the singing is outstanding, Dressing wigs for and the wigs..! So far, the favourite Chorus the operas according wigs I have ever had the privilege of dressing. to the wishes of the directors and designers for each James Newby show. These might be from the 18th century Jerwood Young or 1960s. The six different Festival operas Artist 2017 provide a great deal of variation and creativity. What does your job I also work on ‘running a plot’ for some of the involve? shows. This involves working with singers Performing the role and following them. A quick change of a wig of Messenger and or hairstyle side of stage is very exciting and covering Marchese gets the adrenaline pumping. After each show D’Obigny in La traviata, I will ‘re-dress’ the wigs I look after to keep the Marcellus (above, left) and Player 4 in Hamlet and standard as high as possible. the Notary in Don Pasquale, as well as part of the What makes your job here unique? Glyndebourne Chorus in La traviata, Hamlet, Don What I truly love is that each show is a Pasquale and La clemenza di Tito. different adventure. There is a start and a What makes your job here unique? finish and everything in between is unique. There are only three Jerwood Young Artists this What do you most like about the Festival? year and each is a different voice type so I’m the The magic of Glyndebourne is to produce only ‘baritone’ Jerwood Young Artist (if that’s not outstanding shows – and this requires great clutching at straws slightly!). Otherwise I’m just attention to detail and skill. I feel extremely part of some very unique things; the amazing privileged to be part of the Glyndebourne team. Chorus and the world premiere of Brett Dean’s I pinch myself everyday when I walk down the Hamlet. drive to ‘work’. What do you most like about the Festival? Do you have a picnic tip? The fantastic colleagues throughout the company. Always bring some picnic glass holders that Do you have a picnic tip? you spike into the ground. Nothing worse than Cold Domino’s pizza is a great addition to your favourite Champagne watering the grass! every picnic. 2 Favourite Glyndebourne opera and why? to maximise the space in the pit along with the Hamlet - it has been an unbelievably thrilling comfort of the players. As this changes between experience to be a part of the world premiere of productions, we’re charged with changing the this fantastic piece, working alongside a cast of pit layout between rehearsals and shows. We’re international stars and learning so much. also custodians of the company’s Steinway and Yamaha pianos in rehearsal rooms and the pit as well as the collection of harpsichords, forte Lizzie Chisholm piano, celeste and other keyed instruments. Shop, Gallery and What makes your job here unique? BarBazaar Supervisor The opportunity to not only work with world- What does your job class singers, players and conductors but to involve? do so in such an idyllic setting in the Sussex Socialising with countryside. the wonderful What do you most like about the Festival? Glyndebourne The variety of operas from different periods and audience. styles. There is something for everyone in every What makes your job here unique? Festival. I can dress up for an evening out, wrap myself Do you have a picnic tip? in the atmosphere, listen to world-class opera, Go light. Pick small foods. Nothing worse than brush shoulders with the world’s most talented sitting on a heavy stomach in the second half. people and have fun talking with customers as they purchase from the Shop. Favourite Glyndebourne opera and why? Rusalka, Festival 2009. This was my first season What do you most like about the Festival? at Glyndebourne as a Pit Assistant and Rusalka The excitement, the creativity, the buzz. was the third opera I had ever seen (Falstaff and Do you have a picnic tip? L’elisir d’amore being the other two). The music Get someone else to carry the candelabra! was sublime, the singing was excellent and the production even more so; it really struck a chord! Favourite Glyndebourne opera and why? Giulio Cesare – the dance routine will be forever stamped in my memory. Vikki Lawson Make-up Artist Tom Waghorn What does your job Orchestra Pit involve? Manager My job involves following a ‘look’ What does your job given to me by my involve? head of department Essentially my team and liaising with and I are responsible the singer/singers on their needs. I apply for the musical special effects and prosthetics where needed. resources (aside from I then check my singer before they enter the the score preparation) for both orchestras we stage. I make changes to the look during the see in the Festival and the touring orchestra. performance and this could be in their dressing We’re set the task of liaising with conductors room or side of stage and then help with cleaning as to the best way of setting the orchestra out the make-up off at the end of the performance. 3 What makes your job here unique? Do you have a picnic tip? Working with incredible opera singers in a live I would suggest bringing an extra blanket... performance environment. I get the opportunity English summers being as they are, an extra to do really creative make-up and help in creating blanket can be useful as an extra layer to wrap a character and seeing them come to life on stage around you. with the costume, wigs, make-up and set. Favourite Glyndebourne opera and why? What do you most like about the Festival? Rusalka, a very sad fairy story. Glyndebourne’s Each of the six operas look so different from production a few years ago was so beautiful, so each other. It is a real pleasure to be a part of moving and so sad. Glyndebourne. Do you have a picnic tip? Notice: Membership subscriptions Take time to wander around the gardens, the lake Each year we publish our Annual Report and the art gallery. summarising the events of the previous Favourite Glyndebourne opera and why? year and financial position (you can view it at glyndebourne.com). And each year we have Really difficult to choose but if I have to pick one you, our Members, to thank for the generous it would be Hipermestra – hearing Emőke [Baráth] contributions you make through subscriptions, sing was a real highlight for me. donations, the buying of tickets and Shop merchandise. This provides the foundation to ensure that Glyndebourne can continue Victoria to stage world-class opera, available to the Buckroyd broadest possible audience through the Dresser Festival, Tour, filming and our education activity. Our focus for the coming years will What does your be to make the necessary investment in our job involve? infrastructure and technology to meet our high I have been a artistic ambitions and to continually improve dresser here the audience experience. We continue to strive for 15 years. to abide by John Christie’s ethos of ‘doing not the best we can do but the best that can be This involves done anywhere’. looking after the performers and their costume throughout the performance. Membership subscriptions have remained constant for the last four years, despite What makes your job here unique? increasing costs, but we will be applying Each production is unique and so are all the an inflationary increase for 2018, with the beautifully made costumes which have such intention that increases will match inflation attention to detail – the lacing, hooks and eyes annually thereafter. We will write to all and invisible poppers. Also building up a unique individual Festival Society Members and relationship with the performers and their Associate Members in September 2017 to costumes. request your subscription payment for 2018. The Festival Society Membership subscription What do you most like about the Festival? will be £189 – you can save £10 on your The mix of people you come in contact with while subscription by setting up a Direct Debit. The working here. I also love being surrounded by such Associate Membership subscription will be £84 creative energy – it is so stimulating and inspiring. or £79 by Direct Debit. Glyndebourne has such a happy atmosphere. A The Membership team is here to assist with lot of people have worked here many years and queries about subscription payment options obviously enjoy and take pride in their work. – contact details can be found on the back page. 4 Tour 2017 The soundworld of Hamlet What sound does a ghost make? How can you Shakespeare’s words are familiar, but Dean’s express madness in music? What’s the difference music has shaped them into new theatrical between a soliloquy and an aria? These are just rhetoric. This is Hamlet, but not as you’ve ever some of the questions composer Brett Dean heard it before.