In my first posting, as you may recall, I talked about The Clapper. Well, last Sunday afternoon he was back with a New Year's vengeance. We hadn't seen him in at least a month and I didn't spot him during the first half of the program, Sylvestov Elegie and Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor. He must have been using restraint because he didn't make himself known until the second half.
After the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, (always a hit) the audience burst into applause and rose to its feet. And who was among the first? Yes, The Clapper. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, which threw me off at first. He usually looks like he stopped in for a concert after a workout at the gym. He wears a tight, black short-sleeved tee shirt and track pants. Because the weather had been quite cold, for San Francisco that is, he must have decided to wear a warmer shirt. But his clapping style is unmistakable, and before I knew it, I had spotted him in the center, Orchestra. My stand partner, Mark, commented that it was unusual for The Clapper to be at a matinee since in the past, he was seen mostly at Saturday night concerts. But now we know that he could appear at any concert, so we'll have to be vigilant in our observations. At any rate, it is always a joy to see him and admire his stamina. He is unfailingly the first to his feet and the last to stop applauding.
We couldn't help but wonder a little about The Clapper's life. He clearly loves symphonic music. We have even spotted him at outdoor concerts we play. But as I mentioned in the earlier piece, he has sat in the student rush seats for years and now is in the center of the Orchestra section. Much pricier tickets. Did he come into some money? Get a new job? Or maybe he just decided that his symphony seats would take priority. I kind of like to think it is the latter. It gives me such a great feeling to know that he enjoys the music so much.
Speaking of enjoyment....last Saturday night, as we were walking to our cars after the concert, a young man started chatting with us and said how much he enjoyed the concert. We pleasantly thanked him. And then he said he was newly turned on to orchestral music and absolutely loves it. In fact he attends every week! Wow, I must say that is impressive. I'm thrilled that there are members of the younger generation who love this music as much as I do. Thank you to our loyal audience!
