Page 70 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

21, 1985. In their careers, they have also seen not only the site change but the
city around them

Rob said: "The Phil hall was quite different with no extension at the back. The

layout was a big room in the basement with a pool table and one big changing
room.

"This later became Rubato restaurant, now it’s the library and none of the
current violas apart from Richard Wallace were here. The city was not

developed much until the famous Garden Festival and the Albert Dock which

kicked off a bit of cultural renaissance.

"We have really caught up to Manchester now and it's a fantastic place to live

and work. The Anglican Cathedral was surrounded by a wastel and now it's all

beautiful." Alex told the ECHO: "It was still rather a great place in its way, it
was very individual.

"I don't think many other places were like it. It's gained a lot, but it's lost
things as you do." For the Orchestra, how much they tour and the structure of

their day-to-day job has changed a lot over the decades, but when they arrive

in another city, "everyone knows who Liverpool is."

Jonathan said: "The amount that goes on in this, what I call a "musical palace"

for the city is incredible. We have travelled and played all over Europe, we

have an interest in what goes on in other countries and you see what goes on
in other places and I think the way this organisation came through some tight

spots when it might have folded like many other philharmonic societies

around the country did - this one stayed and survived and thrived and has

morphed into what we have now with our Orchestra.

"I'm not going to be modest about it - it is one of the best in Europe. We can

stand next to the very famous names, and we do, we can play anywhere and
stand proud for the city - a city of half a million people that achieve so much

and punches so far above its weight in so many different ways."