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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Glyndebourne
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House in Sussex which has provided, since 1934, one of the most brilliant oddities of the English summer. In that year the owner, John Christie (1882–1952), presented two Mozart operas in a theatre which he had built in the garden, with his wife, the soprano Audrey Mildmay (1900–53), playing Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. From the start the standard was extremely high, and as run by the next generation (George Christie, b. 1934) Glyndebourne has continued to be at the forefront of British opera. The repertoire extends from Monteverdi to newly commissioned works, but keeps Mozart as its central concern.
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Evening dress is worn by the audience (causing strange early-afternoon scenes at Victoria Station), and many bring elaborate picnics to eat in the gardens during the interval – the resulting chaos in stormy weather is also traditional. A larger theatre, designed by Michael and Patty Hopkins, opened in 1994 – sixty years to the day after the first performance, and again with The Marriage of Figaro. Each autumn, after the season at Glyndebourne, the company's productions go on tour with a different cast.
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