Behind the Scenes of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Rehearsal at Hull City Hal

As some of you may know from getting to know me during the development of Campus Tote, I am a third-year student majoring in Music Production. Over the years, this has opened up incredible opportunities I hadn't anticipated, such as recording the rehearsals of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO).

I've been fortunate to handle live sound for the RPO in collaboration with the University of Hull's music department. However, this time was slightly different. Today, I had the chance to sit in on the rehearsal while recording and observe the progression of practices leading up to the show.

From the moment we started loading in to when we finally sat down, the entire experience has been incredibly fascinating.

Regarding the recording aspect, I worked on it with my classmates. We had two distinct setups: one involved a full rig capturing every element of the performance using condenser pencil microphones. Two microphones were placed towards the middle back of City Hall, three condenser microphones were positioned on stage facing the wind instruments, two were on tall stands capturing the strings, and we also had microphones for solo instruments. Additionally, three mics were placed above the conductor's head to capture sound from their perspective.

We also set up a separate arrangement using a field mic, which consists of four microphones within a single unit. This was connected to a Scarlett interface, recording onto four channels to capture the surround sound of the rehearsal.

For the orchestra, this was an official rehearsal prior to the performance. They utilized this time to refine and enhance any sections that required attention, as well as to run through the entire pieces to ensure they were at their best. The conductor provided guidance to the musicians, motivating them to perform at their peak while also shaping the dynamics of the show.

After the rehearsal concluded, we took the opportunity to safely pack away our recording equipment, ensuring the area was secure for both the orchestra and the audience upon their arrival. We completed this task well in advance, so we were entirely out of the way by the time the audience was expected.

I genuinely enjoy activities like this, and I'm very thankful to be involved since it's somewhat different from working in the studio. You gain new insights on the job, which helps you adjust to your environment.

Overall, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is truly worth seeing. You'll be captivated by the beautiful melodies as you immerse yourself in the experience. The orchestra is quite familiar with Hull and the City Hall, visiting regularly. If you have the opportunity to see them live, I strongly encourage you to do so. You can find all the details on the Hull City Hall's website or at the box office.

I want to conclude this since today's post is quite different, but I couldn't resist providing a brief overview of how the day unfolded.