Sir Richard Neville-Towle (Musical Director)

In Sir Richard the RTO has found the perfect musical director. He brings musicianship, patience, wit and, on occasions, a score. Despite these many talents he is self-effacing and unassuming, his only teensy conceit being his insistence that we all look at him ALL the time.
As the only music professional in the orchestra he could be forgiven for patronising the more technically challenged members, goading them into humiliating solos, exposing their ignorance by posing trick questions (‘Ninian: what page are we on?’), and generally having fun at the players’ expense. But Sir Richard does none of the above – much. And when he takes the Pizzicato Polka at twice the recommended speed (or ‘tempo’ as he calls it) this is not to make the orchestra a laughing stock but to put the audience out of its misery.
There are two mysteries surrounding Sir Richard. One concerns his knighthood and how he came by it. Suggestions that it is for services to music have been strenuously denied (but not by Sir Richard). The second mystery is more puzzling: why should a conductor of his stature (about 5ft 11 including the podium) give up his time for so hopeless a cause as the RTO. It can’t possibly be for money because he is priceless.
Sir Richard is also musical director at Canongate Kirk, where HM the Queen worships when she is in Edinburgh. And he is responsible for Ludus Baroque, a proper orchestra which has absolutely no connection, apart from Sir Richard, with the RTO. Ludus Baroque is sponsored by the Dunard Fund. The RTO isn’t.