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]
Pinball Wizard
London Symphony Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball!
He stands like a statue,
Becomes part of the machine.
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean.
He plays by intuition,
The digit counters fall.
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball!
He's a pin ball wizard
There has got to be a twist.
A pin ball wizard,
S'got such a supple wrist.
How do you think he does it? I don't know!
What makes him so good?'
He ain't got no distractions
Can't hear those buzzers and bells,
Don't see lights a flashin'
Plays by sense of smell.
Always has a replay,
'N' never tilts at all
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball.
I thought I was
The Bally table king.
But I just handed
My pin ball crown to him.
Even on my favorite table
He can beat my best.
His disciples lead him in
And he just does the rest.
He's got crazy flipper fingers
Never seen him fall
That deaf dumb and blind kind
Sure plays a mean pin ball!!!
The song Pinball Wizard by London Symphony Orchestra features a young boy who is an exceptional pinball player despite being deaf, dumb, and blind. The singer admits to having played the silver ball all over town, but he has never seen anyone quite like the boy at any amusement game place. He is a pinball wizard who knows how to play by intuition, and the digit counters always seem to fall in his favor. He can even beat the singer's best score on his favorite table, and he has a group of devoted followers who help him navigate the game. The boy's abilities are so remarkable that the singer hands over his pinball crown to him, despite his initial belief that he was the best.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since I was a young boy,
From my youth up until now,
I've played the silver ball.
I have been playing pinball.
From Soho down to Brighton
From the north to the south of England,
I must have played them all.
I have played many pinball machines.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
I haven't seen anyone as skilled as him.
In any amusement hall
In any place with pinball machines,
That deaf dumb and blind kid
The boy who is unable to hear, speak, or see,
Sure plays a mean pin ball!
Plays pinball exceedingly well!
He stands like a statue,
He stands motionless,
Becomes part of the machine.
He becomes one with the pinball machine.
Feeling all the bumpers
Sensing every bumper,
Always playing clean.
Never causing the machine to tilt or cheat.
He plays by intuition,
He plays by instinct and feeling,
The digit counters fall.
The digital counters quickly register his points.
He's a pin ball wizard
He is a master of pinball.
There has got to be a twist.
He must have a secret or something unexplainable.
A pin ball wizard,
He is a pinball genius,
S'got such a supple wrist.
He has a flexible and agile wrist.
How do you think he does it? I don't know!
His technique or strategy is unknown to me.
What makes him so good?'
What is the reason behind his excellence?
He ain't got no distractions
He has no distractions,
Can't hear those buzzers and bells,
He is incapable of hearing the machine noises.
Don't see lights a flashin'
He doesn't see the flashing lights,
Plays by sense of smell.
His sense of smell aids in pinball play.
Always has a replay,
He consistently earns extra plays,
'N' never tilts at all
He never causes the machine to tilt or cheat in any way.
I thought I was
I believed that I was,
The Bally table king.
The king of Bally pinball machines.
But I just handed
But I was proven wrong,
My pin ball crown to him.
He took my title as pinball champion.
Even on my favorite table
Even on my preferred pinball machine,
He can beat my best.
He can surpass my best score.
His disciples lead him in
His followers guide him to the machine,
And he just does the rest.
And he takes care of the rest.
He's got crazy flipper fingers
He has incredibly fast and skilled fingers on the flippers,
Never seen him fall
He has never lost or failed while playing pinball.
That deaf dumb and blind kind
That boy who cannot hear, speak, or see,
Sure plays a mean pin ball!!!
Plays pinball incredibly well!!!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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