Orchestra manager Ellie Swithinbank talks about the art of fixing
We have spoken to orchestra manager Ellie Swithinbank about the art of fixing, i.e. assembling a group of players for a performance. You’ll find out what some of the challenges are and why fixing mistakes sometimes make a conductor happy.
What does the term ‘fixing’ mean?
To ‘fix’ aka ‘put together’ a group of players for a concert, gig, show.
How do you go about fixing a concert?
I’ll receive confirmation of the orchestration and players that we need which includes details of rehearsal times and venues, as well as details for the concert day. Then I’ll send that out first to all our members. Once I’ve heard back from them and if I still have spaces to fill I’ll move onto asking extra players – we have a list for every instrument. Depending on the repertoire I’ll often consult eg the other wind principals if I need a wind principal player, so I can try to find the best person for that repertoire that everyone is happy with. We do try to share work around our regular extra players so it doesn’t always go to the same person. It’s a bit like a giant jigsaw puzzle and eventually everything falls into place, though you can never rule out last minute changes or sickness to sort on the day of the rehearsal/concert!
What makes fixing easier or more difficult?
I always find it tricky when I’m booking for repertoire I’m unfamiliar with or when there are unusual instruments I’ve not booked before, such as a recorder or a mandolin, so it can take a bit of research on who and what I’m booking before I can get started. I’ll often ask other fixers if I’m stuck! Also there are times of the year when other orchestras are very busy, eg around Christmas or summer festivals, especially if you are trying to book a big orchestra or across a number of dates that can make it a bit harder!
What is the best-case scenario when a group of players is fixed well?
The best-case scenario is to assemble a group of players that play well together and produce a fantastic performance. It can be as important that the players have good rapport with each other as well as being excellent musicians, because especially in a chamber orchestra, we often perform unconducted. This means the players need to be happy with the communication between each other, know they can rely on each other, and their sounds need to gel. When I fix a good team and it all comes together brilliantly, the sound they produce and the experience for the players and audience is so rewarding to listen to. And when the players come off stage grinning and the audience are buzzing, that makes me proud!
What’s the absolute worst-case scenario?
The absolute worst nightmare is missing players or the wrong players for the piece.
Can you share any fixing mistakes?
Well…most recently, accidentally booking an extra violin for a performance of Tosca at OHP…which actually the conductor was thrilled about!
What are the kinds of situations that keep you on your toes?
The other role of the orchestra manager, once you’ve got everything fixed and everyone has turned up at the right time, playing the right instrument, wearing the right clothes, sitting in the right seat… is to make sure the rehearsal and concert runs smoothly on the day. But you can never rest too easy! Even when everyone is on stage and the concert has started…once (not with CLS) they had just started the performance of Mozart Clarinet Concerto, and a couple of minutes in it ground to a halt! Cue a lot of confusion backstage as we had no idea what happened…turned out the soloists clarinet had stopped working! Unbelievably and incredibly luckily the actual clarinet maker was in the audience and came running backstage to see what he could do and they came up with a temporary fix (I believe with an elastic band!) and the concert continued!