The latest gimmick from the RSNO is getting the audience to vote on a programme. Anyone can vote online here.
It also raises the issue of just what would we would want played if we could programme a concert? Would we stick to a conventional balanced programme or would we just put in whatever we wanted.

I'd probably put in a bit of a mixture having a more modern piece first maybe a bit like the idea behind Fanfare for the Common Man, but with a Scottish theme, hopefully avoiding Scotland the Brave though. I'd definitely put in Mozart's first flute concerto, but not too sure about the symphony, maybe Scheherazade.
Anyone else got some ideas on what they would choose?

I play in an amateur symphony orchestra and am regularly involved in planning programmes. It can be quite difficult, and we have to consider extra factors that don't affect the pros.

We need popular mainstream pieces to attract the audience as well as our players, but at the same time we like to include modern or less well-known works. A lot of 20th-century music is very expensive to hire, however, and we also need to consider what extra instruments we need: it is annoying to have to hire a contrabassoon for just one short overture, for example.

We do try to balance the programmes so that there is enough variety without scaring folk off. Then we need to make sure the brass have enough to play to keep them happy but not so much that they collapse before the end of the evening. Some pieces are regarded as just too difficult - I would love to play Heldenleben or the Alpine Symphony but our conductors draw the line there!

We often end up with the derided "sandwich" of overture, concerto and symphony, but it is really very practical for us.

The RSNO list is very popular, isn't it! Over the years I have played 68 of the pieces, and some of the rest are planned for the future. I've played a lot of other stuff as well, though. I agree with David that the Proms programmes were disappointing.