Royal Philharmonic Society announces relaunch
Historic music organisation aims to emulate success enjoyed by the National Trust
The Royal Philharmonic Society, the London-based organisation that brought us world-famous works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and more, has announced a major revamp to increase its membership and raise the prominence of classical music in the UK. The RPS’S changes include a new membership scheme that, with fees beginning at £5 a month, is aimed at encouraging thousands of enthusiasts to explore the world of classical music – in return, members will enjoy benefits such as talks and events involving leading musicians, viewable both live and online.
In the long run, the RPS hopes to give itself the sort of prominence enjoyed by the Royal Horticultural Society which today has over 400,000 members and has become a central hub for lovers of all things garden-related. ‘Imagine if Britain had an equivalent to the RHS for music,’ says James Murphy, chief executive of the RPS. ‘We’re hoping our fresh steps will lead the RPS one day to attain a place in the public’s hearts and minds equivalent to the RHS and the National Trust. They each do such good on a national scale for their own causes, and it feels to us that Britain’s vibrant musical ecology deserves its own version of that too.’
To some extent, the RPS’S changes mark a return to its glorious past. When the society was formed by a group of music-lovers in 1813, fee-paying members would enjoy regular performances by leading musicians of the day. Over the
19th century, the works commissioned and performed by the society (see above) included Beethoven’s Ninth and Mendelssohn’s Italian symphonies.
In time, the foundation of permanent professional orchestras reduced the RPS’S role as a major curator of concerts, though its other main function – to financially support and provide opportunities for talented musicians – continued.
While the RPS has continued to present its prestigious Gold Medal – first awarded in 1871 – and stages well-respected annual awards for live performance, it has in recent years supported itself financially by, in e ect, a system of regular charitable donations. The new system of graded membership with benefits looks set to change that, says John Gilhooly, the RPS chair: ‘The nation is alive with music, and we are keen to do more – in the spirit of our founders – to foster greater curiosity and pride in Britain’s classical heritage.’ See Richard Morrison, p25