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]

Let It Be
London Symphony Orchestra Lyrics

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When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree

There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Overall Meaning

The song “Let it Be” by the London Symphony Orchestra is a beautiful and soulful melody that speaks to the heart of those who listen to it. The lyrics are about finding hope in difficult times and how sometimes it’s best to just let things be. The opening verse, “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, Speaking words of wisdom, let it be,” speaks about the importance of turning to one’s faith and the wisdom that can be found there.

The second verse, “And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, There will be an answer, let it be,” speaks about the idea that when people come together, they can find joy, healing, and strength. Even if they may be separated by circumstances, there is always a chance that they will reunite and find the answer to their problems.

The chorus of “let it be” reinforces the idea that sometimes it is best to just let things unfold and trust that there will be an answer. And, when the night is cloudy, the light that shines on us will guide us through difficult times. The song provides hope and encouragement, and reassures us that everything will work out in the end, one way or another.

Line by Line Meaning

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Whenever I am going through hard times, my motherly figure comforts and consoles me.

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
She offers me wise advice to help me through my struggles.

And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Even in the darkest moments of my life, she is there to support me and guide me through.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Accept the situation as it is and let things happen naturally.

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Mutter wise words to yourself and let things unfold on their own.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
When people who are hurt and in pain come together in harmony.

There will be an answer, let it be
There will be a solution or a way out if we just let things happen.

For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
It is possible that even when people are apart, they can still come together in agreement.

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Even when there is darkness around and things seem gloomy, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Shine until tomorrow, let it be
Stay strong and hold on until a better day comes.

I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
I start my day with positivity that my motherly figure brings into my life.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
It's important to let things happen on their own without resisting.

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Keep reminding yourself of the wise advice that you have received and move forward calmly.

There will be an answer, let it be
There is a way out of every difficult situation if we just allow things to fall into place.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Relax and let things happen naturally and avoid the urge to control everything.

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Keep reminding yourself of the advice that you have received and take comfort in it.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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