John Christie Society Ambassadors

Sir Thomas Allen

Widely known as one of the greatest British lyric baritones of our time, Sir Thomas joined the Glyndebourne Chorus fresh out of the Royal College of Music in the summer of 1969, making his solo debut four years later as Papageno in Die Zauberflōte. His numerous roles with Glyndebourne included his first performances in the title role in Don Giovanni in Sir Peter Hall’s renowned 1977 production – a role he went on to sing over 300 times.

As he approached his 80th birthday, Sir Thomas took the role of Baron Zeta in Glyndebourne’s new production of The Merry Widow in 2024, marking the 55th anniversary of his debut at the festival and he announced his retirement on stage that year. 

‘My continued connection through the John Christie Society is a pleasure for me,. I visited the Festival first in 1968 to see the dress rehearsals of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, little thinking I’d be a member of the Chorus the following year. That was the beginning of a long association and the accumulation of so many special memories – of rehearsals, performances and the very special people who came and went in that time. Hopefully those memories and that knowledge will be useful to me in my role as ambassador.’

Dame Felicity Lott

Dame Felicity is one of Britain’s best-loved sopranos. Her portrayals of the Strauss and Mozart roles in particular have led to critical and popular acclaim worldwide. 

Felicity began her long relationship with Glyndebourne in 1976, with the role of the Countess in Capriccio on the Tour, and in 1977 she appeared at the Festival for the first time, as Anne Trulove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.

‘Glyndebourne is a very special place to me; I feel that I learned everything here. I first came  in 1976 to sing the role of the Countess in Strauss’ opera, Capriccio, for the Touring Company where I worked with the Director, John Cox, and an excellent team of music and language coaches. 

After singing – and learning – with the Touring Company I went on to sing in the Festival for many years. One gets taken in by Glyndebourne and enveloped in its wonderfully warm atmosphere. You are welcomed into a family, literally in the case of Glyndebourne.

I am very grateful to the places that nurtured me as an inexperienced young artist and I want to give something back. I know Glyndebourne inspires similar feelings of gratitude in its audience members who have enjoyed memorable performances here. It is a unique place.

By leaving a gift in your Will, you can help ensure that Glyndebourne continues to offer opportunities to young performers and great performances to future audiences. That is why I am leaving a legacy to Glyndebourne – I hope they won’t receive it for a year or two!’