Ruth Allen’s background was in advertising and radio, working in South Africa, Mozambique, and London. She has been involved with theatre for years, as well, and is an art connoisseur. After moving from Johannesburg to the Cape to open a business, she subsequently opened two more – in horticulture and in construction, where she runs the landscaping arm. One of the original sponsors of the orchestra as one of the “Muses”, she became a member of the Development Committee which evolved into the CTSO Club and now the Friends of Orchestral Music, where she was chair twice.