‘How do you get to Bayreuth? Practise.’ It’s the creakiest of old one-liners, but attending this iconic opera festival, either as a musician or an audience member, is something that many people consider a sort of holy grail. For Thomas Eisner, usually found among the first violins of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the dream came true earlier this year when he was booked to spend the summer as a member of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. He gives his unique insider’s perspective of rehearsing and playing in the pit of the Festspiele on page 40.