Margaret Anderson (piano)
RTO graduate 2009

Margaret was cajoled by her GP partner, Elizabeth McCall Smith, at the tail end of the last century, to come and play the piano which, said Elizabeth, was looking sad and solitary in St George’s music centre (Edinburgh home of the RTO). The RTO owes a debt of gratitude to Elizabeth for where would the orchestra be without Margaret and her piano? Out of time and out of tune, uncoordinated and unhinged, that’s where. So thanks, Margaret, thanks a lot.
Margaret says she worries that when her old-age pension arrives (years from now surely) her P45 will be included. But that would never happen, Margaret is too precious to lose. Besides, the RTO is a bit like the Hotel California: musicians can check out any time but they can never leave.

Ralph Ross-Russell (violin 1)
RTO graduate 2009

An internationally recognised neurologist, former president of the Association of British Neurologists, and breakthrough researcher, Ralph sought refuge in the RTO on his retirement. His violin case is on its last legs but thankfully the same cannot be said about Ralph, a cheerful stalwart of the ‘firsts’. Where once he discussed carotid arteries and polythaemia with cerebral blood flow teams, he now talks missed beats and repeats with Val and Christine from ‘seconds’. But Ralph – who, contrary to reports, has had a violin lesson since the (second world) war - embraces new challenges and memorably delivered a rap performance (on request, one hastens to add) during a recent RTO concert.