The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British orchestra based in Lond… Read Full Bio ↴The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra". The RPO was founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham and played its first concert in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961. He was followed by then assistant conductor Rudolf Kempe, who was given the title of Conductor for Life in 1970. Subsequent musical directors and principal conductors have been Antal Doráti, Walter Weller, André Previn, Vladimir Ashkenazy. Yuri Temirkanov was appointed principal conductor in 1992. Daniele Gatti became the RPO's music director in 1996. He will step down from this post in 2009 and become Conductor Laureate. In 2009, Charles Dutoit will become the Orchestra's artistic director and principal conductor.[1]

The orchestra toured the United States in 1950, thus becoming the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.

A Review of the orchestral scene of 1950 said of the RPO:
Leader David McCallum … Royal Philharmonic Society concerts (Beecham 4, Celibidache, Sargent). Number of concerts: 32 (approx)…. The Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic share a very serious disability: that neither is a permanently constituted orchestra. Both assemble and disperse more or less at random…there is no style which is distinctively RPO or Philharmonia.[2]

Later the orchestra began to develop its own character, particularly in the woodwind section, led by Jack Brymer (clarinet), Gwydion Brooke (bassoon), Terence McDonagh (oboe), and Gerald Jackson (flute), sometimes referred to as ‘The Royal Family’.[3]

After Beecham's death, the orchestra reorganised itself as a self-governing limited company. and soon encountered difficulties.[4] The Royal Philharmonic Society decided not to engage the RPO for its concerts in 1963, Glyndebourne engaged the London Philharmonic instead of the RPO from 1964 onwards and the management of the Royal Festival Hall also severed its connections with the orchestra. Some senior players left, and Kempe resigned as chief conductor, though he returned shortly afterwards. Helped by strong support from Sir Malcolm Sargent the orchestra successfully mounted its own concerts at a cinema in the London inner suburb, Swiss Cottage. [5]

A further threat to the orchestra's existence came in 1984, when a review carried out on behalf of the Arts Council by the journalist William Rees-Mogg opined that England lacked 'a great eastern symphony orchestra': the suggestion was that the RPO should move to Nottingham. However, another Arts Council report of the same period recommended that the RPO should supplement the London Symphony Orchestra as resident orchestra at the Barbican Centre; neither proposal came to fruition.[6]

In 1992 the orchestra appointed Peter Maxwell Davies as associate conductor and composer. The same year, UEFA commissioned the orchestra to sing the UEFA Champions League Hymn[citation needed].

On April 7, 1994, the Royal Philharmonic under the direction of Sir Gilbert Levine performed at the Vatican in the historic "Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust", with cellist Lynn Harrell and Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss as narrator.

In July 2008 it was announced that the RPO would continue its residency in Lowestoft for a fifth year, bringing four concerts a year to England's most easterly town.

Against All Odds
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Lyrics

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How can I just let you walk away,
Just let you leave without a trace?
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave?
'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain

And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Take a look at me now

Well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against the odds
And that's what I've got to face, oh

I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face

Take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
But to wait for you is all I can do
And that's what I've got to face

Take a good look at me now
'Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against the odds

And it's what I've got to face
Take a look at me now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's song "Against All Odds" depicts a sense of heartbreak, sorrow, and longing. The singer is lamenting the loss of a lover, who has left without a trace. He reflects on the moments they shared, including moments of laughter, pain, and tears. He is left with an empty space, and only has the memory of his lover's face. The singer wishes that his lover would return, so he could tell her how he truly feels and how much he needs her. However, he realizes that it is against all odds that she will return, and he must face the reality of that.

The lyrics are powerful and emotional, and convey the complexity of heartbreak and love. It speaks to the pain of losing someone you love and the longing for them to return. The repetition of "take a look at me now" emphasizes the singer's vulnerability and how he wants his lover to see him in his current state, even though it is painful.

Line by Line Meaning

How can I just let you walk away,
I can't bear to see you go, and I don't know how to stop it.

Just let you leave without a trace?
I don't want you to disappear from my life without a goodbye.

When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
Being with you is the only thing that makes me feel alive.

You're the only one who really knew me at all
You were the only person who truly understood me and my soul.

How can you just walk away from me
I can't believe you're leaving me behind like this.

When all I can do is watch you leave?
I am powerless to stop you from breaking my heart.

'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain
We've been through everything together, the good and the bad.

And even shared the tears
We cried together and supported each other through our struggles.

So take a look at me now
See how broken I am without you?

Well there's just an empty space
My life is empty and meaningless without you.

And there's nothing left here to remind me
You're gone, and there's nothing of yours left behind to comfort me.

Just the memory of your face
All I have left is the memory of your face and your love.

And you coming back to me is against the odds
The chances of you returning to me are low, but I'm still hopeful.

And that's what I've got to face, oh
I have to come to terms with the possibility of never seeing you again.

I wish I could just make you turn around
I want to make you notice me and my pain.

Turn around and see me cry
I want you to know how deeply I'm hurting.

There's so much I need to say to you
There are things left unsaid that I need to express before you go.

So many reasons why
There are reasons for why I can't let you go.

But to wait for you is all I can do
I'll wait for you because I love you and can't let go.

And that's what I've got to face
I have to come to terms with the fact that waiting may be my only option.

'Cause I'll still be standing here
No matter what happens, I'll still be waiting for you.

And it's what I've got to face
This is the reality I have to face, and it's not easy.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: PHIL COLLINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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