The LSO was founded in 1904 as an independent, self governing organization,… Read Full Bio ↴The LSO was founded in 1904 as an independent, self governing organization, the first such orchestra in the UK. It played its first concert on 9 June of that year, with Hans Richter conducting. He remained principal conductor until 1911, when Edward Elgar took over for a year, leading six concerts as principal conductor.

More recently, its principal conductors have included Pierre Monteux (1961–64), Istvan Kertesz (1965–68), André Previn (1968–79) and Claudio Abbado (1979–88). From 1988-1995, the American Michael Tilson-Thomas took over, and in 1995, became principal guest conductor. Sir Colin Davis served as the LSO's Principal Conductor from 1995-2006, and in 2007 took the post of President of the orchestra. On 1 January 2007, Valery Gergiev became the LSO's Principal Conductor. Previn holds the title of Conductor Laureate. In 2006, Daniel Harding became the co-principal guest conductor alongside Tilson Thomas. Richard Hickox is the Associate Guest Conductor of the LSO.
The LSO became the first British orchestra to play overseas when it went to Paris in 1906. The LSO was due to sail on the RMS Titanic for a concert in New York in April 1912 but fortunately had to change the booking at the last minute. It was also the first to play in the United States, in 1912, and in 1973 it was the first to be invited to take part in the Salzburg Festival. It continues to make tours around the world.

In 1966 the London Symphony Chorus (LSC) was formed to complement the work of the LSO. with more that two hundred amateur singers, the LSC maintains a close association with the LSO; however it has developed an independent life, which allows it to partner other leading orchestras.

The LSO has long been considered the most extraverted of the London orchestras. For most of its life it refused to allow women to become members, ostensibly on the grounds that women would affect the sound of the orchestra (there has been a similar controversy at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra). There is an air of youthful high spirits to much of its music-making that is shown off in performances of such composers as Berlioz and Prokofiev. The LSO has often had internationally-known players as wind soloists, including such artists as James Galway (flute), Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), Roger Lord (oboe), Osian Ellis (harp), John Georgiadis (violin) and Barry Tuckwell (horn). Like most ensembles, the orchestra has a great ability to vary its sound, producing very different tone colours under such diverse conductors as Stokowski (with whom it made a series of memorable recordings), Adrian Boult, Jascha Horenstein, Georg Solti, André Previn, George Szell, Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, John Barbirolli, and Karl Böhm, who developed a close relationship with the orchestra late in his life. Böhm and Bernstein each held the title of LSO President in their later years.

Clive Gillinson, a former cellist with the orchestra, served as the LSO's Managing Director from 1984 to 2005, and is widely credited with bringing great stability to the LSO's organization after severe fiscal troubles.[1] Since 2005, Kathryn McDowell is the Managing Director of the LSO.[2]

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
London Symphony Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Savior
Was born upon on Christmas Day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy!

In Bethlehem in Jewry
This blessed babe was born,
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn:
The which his mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!

To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of London Symphony Orchestra's song, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, speak of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day, and the salvation that he brings to humanity. The first stanza encourages the listeners to not be dismayed but to be merry, as the savior has come to save them from Satan's power. The following stanzas tell the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem through the eyes of Mary and the shepherds.

The lyrics of the song convey a feeling of hope, comfort, and joy that the coming of Christ brings. The line "God rest you merry" is an old English phrase that means "God keep you in happiness," indicating that the song is a message of hope and good tidings. The repetition of "comfort and joy" in the chorus further emphasizes this sentiment.

The song is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the salvation that he brings to humanity. It is a reminder to remain steadfast in faith and to find comfort and joy in the knowledge that Christ has come to save us from our sins.

Line by Line Meaning

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
May God grant you happiness and peace, gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,
Don't be discouraged by anything,

For Jesus Christ our Savior
Because the savior of humanity, Jesus Christ,

Was born upon on Christmas Day,
Was born on the day we celebrate as Christmas,

To save us all from Satan's power
Born with the purpose of rescuing us from the clutches of Satan,

When we were gone astray.
When we had lost our way and had gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
What wonderful news that brings comfort and joy!

In Bethlehem in Jewry
In the town of Bethlehem in the land of Judea,

This blessed babe was born,
The blessed baby, Jesus was born,

And laid within a manger
And was placed in a feeding trough,

Upon this blessed morn:
On this holy morning,