RTObama! Purpose over discord!

As the world watched President Barack Obama’s historic inauguration and listened, hushed, as he ushered in a new era of responsibility, a tingle went down many spines, not least here in Edinburgh, home of the RTO. Though it might seem strange that the best ever President would have anything to say to the worst ever orchestra, there were moments when he spoke directly to the musically disadvantaged of Scotland’s capital, no doubt about it. Who else could President Obama have been referring to when he declared: ‘The challenges are real. They are serious and many. But know this America – they will be met.’
These exact words – or something uncannily similar – have been drummed into the musicians of the RTO week after week, as they embark on their first US tour. The Chairman may lack the basso profundo of the 44th President, he may not pull quite the same crowds, but in full flow he, too, can reduce grown men and women to tears.
The challenges facing the RTO are indeed real, serious and many but they will be met. The feeling here is that America already knows this, as evidenced in advance ticket sales for the New York debut concert on April 1st. At the last count, a staggering 600 seats had been sold which, with 70 days still to go, is a sure sign that Americans have chosen purpose over discord (‘harsh confused mingling of sounds’), and hope over fear (or should that be reason?)
Further proof that hope springs eternal lies in the formation of the Really Terrible Orchestra of Westchester, the third Stateside band to spring up in the RTO’s wake and be welcomed into the League of Terrible Orchestras (LOTOs). To mark the post-inauguration rekindling of the special relationship between ordinary Britons and Americans, the RTO Chairman wishes it to be known that the RTO is willing to share best practice (for those that do) with the LOTOs.
In particular, he is keen to highlight the self-promotion scheme, so far peculiar to the RTO, which has done much to improve mobility, especially from the second violins to the firsts (see player biogs), and promote access.
There is also a tandem self-selection scheme whereby people can ‘select’ themselves for different sections of the orchestra, which helps explain the presence of clarinettists among the violins, cellists with chin rests, and so on. There is a little used de-selection scheme, too, which only Sir Richard, the musical director, can invoke: players exhibiting undue skill on one instrument can be asked to transfer to another, preferably from a different family - viola to tuba, for instance, though de-selection has certainly never been required in RTO violas!

For all the latest RTO news in the countdown to April 1 watch this space!