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.
Some Enchanted Evening
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Lyrics
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You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
And somehow you know, you know even then,
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Once you have found her, never let her go,
Once you have found her, never let her go.
The song "Some Enchanted Evening" is a romantic ballad that speaks of love at first sight. The first verse describes a situation where someone is in a crowded room, and they see a stranger who catches their eye. There is something inexplicable about this person that draws the individual to them with a sense of familiarity. The second verse paints a picture of a woman laughing in the same crowded room, and the memory of her laughter continues to linger in the listener's dreams. The chorus poses a question about the mystery of love, with the response being that no one can explain it, and neither can anyone predict it.
The final verse addresses the listener directly, urging them to seize the opportunity to make their true love their own, or risk a lifetime of loneliness. The advice is clear: once you have found the one you love, hold onto them tightly and never let go. The song is a timeless tribute to the power of love and the overwhelming feeling that comes with meeting someone who has the potential to change your life in an instant.
Line by Line Meaning
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
At a magical moment in time, you may come across a person you don't know yet
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
In a room full of people, you may lock eyes with this unknown person
And somehow you know, you know even then,
You feel it deep down in your soul, that feeling that is undeniable and true
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
That in some way, no matter how small or big- you will cross paths with this person again
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
On another occasion, there's a chance someone may be giggling away in the same room
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
Amongst the crowd, her laughter will pierce through and catch your attention
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
After some time, as odd as it may appear, her laughter will recurrently enter your dreams
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.
Hearing her laughter in your head as you dream will become a regular occurrence
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
No one can truly explain or truly comprehend this inexplicable feeling
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Only a foolish person would try to offer an explanation, because wise men already know there is none.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
Before long, you will discover your one true love at a magical moment
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
In that same crowded room, she will call out to you in a voice only you can recognize
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
Quickly move to her location and make her yours forevermore
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Or you could spend your entire life daydreaming about a love you'll never have
Once you have found her, never let her go,
After you've found your love, hold onto her forever
Once you have found her, never let her go.
It cannot be repeated enough, that when you find true love, it is imperative to never let her slip away.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind