Page 195 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

It was the second half that really captured my attention, though, and I was proud
to admit I actually recognised some of the Symphony No.7, what a triumph!
However, throughout the experience, I did have some questions.

Questions I had

I've often wondered what a conductor actually does? I'd only ever seen
conductors flick and swish around on the telly, so to see it in real life was a
pretty intriguing experience.

But seeing conductor Andrew Manze, I was struck but how central he was to the
whole performance. But why did he walk on and off the stage so many times?
Perhaps it was a little bit like the theatre, where they come on and off the stage

for an applause, but I'm not even kidding you, it happened about three or four
times.

Another burning question I had, was why didn't the audience clap at certain
parts? I felt almost guilty after each section of music as no one clapped, and it
was deathly silent in the room.

I can totally admit that these questions highlight my naivety. But overall I really did
enjoy my first experience at the orchestra, and although I felt a little clueless in some
parts, life is all about learning after all.