The Wessex Glyndebourne Association was founded in 1985 by a group of opera enthusiasts. It is a company limited by guarantee and is a corporate member of the Glyndebourne Festival Society. Its main objects, as stated in the Company’s memorandum of association, are to support Glyndebourne on Tour, to help young opera singers by providing bursaries and other forms of support, and to educate members of the WGA and of the general public in music and operatic arts.
Support for Glyndebourne on Tour became impossible when the Arts Council England removed its annual grant for the Tour in November 2022. Since that date, WGA has focused particularly on support for young singers and on its more general role as a music information provider.
WGA receives an annual allocation of 24 seats for the Glyndebourne Festival and members can apply by ballot for these tickets.
In addition, there are four in-house events every year. These take the form of talks, usually accompanied by video clips of performances, given by distinguished people from the world of opera, including performers, composers, designers, technical experts and administrators. They normally take place on Saturday lunchtimes at Itchen Abbas, near Winchester, and we enjoy a light lunch together. Tickets cost £33 and guests are also welcomed at a cost of £38. Tickets can be obtained from www.ticketsource.co.uk/wessex-glyndebourne-association.
Our patron is the well-known mezzo-soprano, Diana Montague.