Your gift will nurture new generations of musicians

Charitable gifts make a very real difference in enabling us to support talented musicians. Much of our income comes from the generosity of people like you; but it is a little-known fact that some of our most important income actually comes from people leaving gifts in Wills.

Indeed, legacies are vital to the very survival of UK charities. 74% of us regularly give to charity in our lifetimes and when asked, 35% of people are happy to give a small percentage of their will as a gift to a charity after they have looked after their family and friends. With only 7% actually leaving a charitable gift, there is huge potential to increase income from legacies.

It is a common myth that you have to be wealthy to leave a gift in your Will to help a charity, but nothing could be further from the truth. After taking care of family and friends, you will be amazed at what one final gift, no matter how big or small, can do, especially for a small charity such as the Rehearsal Orchestra.

For example, a recent legacy gift enabled us to launch the Gillian Halse Bursary Fund which offers student bursaries for our annual Edinburgh rehearsal week.

Whatever the amount we are extremely grateful for any gift that has been left to us, as it will help us to continue our important work in nurturing talented musicians and to develop it to meet the challenges of the future. If you are passionate about orchestral music, and want to make a lasting contribution to musical life in Britain and beyond, when the time is right please take a moment to do something amazing by including a gift to the Rehearsal Orchestra in your Will.

For more information, please contact Outi Jokiharju, Development Officer.

 

The Rehearsal Orchestra does invaluable work on the quiet and with the minimum of fuss. An extraordinary number of British musicians have worked in it, and I myself was a timpanist with the orchestra for a time. It gives musicians an invaluable opportunity to work and learn music at the speed they will have to reproduce in their professional lives.

Sir Simon Rattle, RO Patron

Priceless moments with the RO, such as passed down traditions in orchestral violin playing techniques, continue to help me for example when I'm involved in the coaching of youth orchestras like The National Children's Orchestras, and I expect such youngsters to eventually play in the RO & pro bands too – full circle, job done, top organisation!

Adrian Charlesworth, Freelance Violinist & RO Alumnus and Trustee

I played trumpet in Beethoven 9 with the Rehearsal Orchestra during my first term at music college, and the high standard was an eye-opener. I met people who gave me good advice and and I heard some inspiring players. During the next few years, the RO built up my orchestral knowledge and experience in a way no music college could. When I came to play the pieces in a performance context I was so thankful to have played them with the RO first. I recommend the RO to anyone looking to learn orchestral parts in a professional-style environment. It's so well run it feels like sitting in a professional orchestra but the conductors always smile! The students and young professional players of the future should be able to enjoy the same opportunities I have had with the RO.

Jo Harris, Freelance trumpeter and Concert Manager & RO Alumna