The other night, I was privileged to attend a performance of the
Williamsport Symphony, conducted by Robin Fountain.  They played
Mendelssohn's "Italian" symphony, and Dvorak's cello concerto.

It was a great performance, given that ours is such a small orchestra
with resources that approach the infinitesimal.  The weakness was with
the chorus strings, less evident in the latter work since they played
in the lower range much of the time, allowing the woodwind and the brass
to reduce the audience to sighs.  the cellist was very good indeed.

At the end there was the inevitable standing ovation.  I balked, and
remained seated.  I felt like an idiot, since everyone else was standing,
tiredly, clapping with wan smiles, grateful to have *something* to listen
to, like me, probably, but probably also, like me, wondering whether it
was worth a standing ovation.

Someone said about a dancing dog (I parapharase) that the point was not
that it danced well, but that it danced at all.  I hate to compare the
WSO to a dancing dog; 'Tis a poor thing, but at least 'tis mine.  But
would the WSO be flattered if it knew that we stood to applaud it more
like a bunch of indulgent mothers encouraging their first-graders?

As a matter of fact, I did enjoy the performance.  I find that I can
enjoy some pretty lousy live performances if I know the works already.
I was surprised at just how *much* I enjoyed the concert.  I don't know;
I'm just very confused!

The cellist was Sandy Johnson, I believe.

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