Robert Mitchell Associate Principal Double Bass

I joined the Scottish National Orchestra as Associate Principal Double Bass in January 1977 after nearly four years with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.  Apart from the enhanced position and salary increase, I had decided on my trial week in June of the previous year that I rather liked Scotland's national dish and national drink. Though I could no doubt find plenty of whisky south of the border, haggis was more of a problem, so when offered the position I decided to accept.

Highlights of my thirty years here have undoubtedly been the Järvi and Weller years, particularly the tours.  In 1986 a great European tour of Spain, Germany and Austria. Japan in 1987 with a performance in Tokyo of Peter and the Wolf in Japanese.  Weller tours to Germany, Spain, Switzerland  and especially Austria with on one occasion three consecutive nights in the Musikverein.

When I joined the orchestra it was playing for the larger operas performed by Scottish Opera and I recall many of them with great pleasure: Falstaff, Rosenkavalier, Onegin, Pelleas, Wozzek, Meistersinger.

When I was young I never intended to be a professional musician.  On leaving school I worked in a steelworks before training as a teacher.  I taught for a couple of years, but a lack of bass players in the Oxford area meant I was spending more time playing than preparing lessons!  Recently I came across an Oxford University Orchestra programme from those days when Jeremy Fletcher [now RSNO Associate Principal Cello] was leading the cello section and I was in the basses.

---

Share this page...