Dove

– And was the concert a great success?
– It's hard to tell. From where I was standing, it was difficult to hear much.
– I thought you were in the middle of the choir?
– Yes, indeed. You do tend to hear quite a lot of the choir, at least the people standing immediately next to you. But the rest of it – the orchestra, and the children's choir, and the soloists – disappear somewhat. Probably something to do with the acoustics, I suppose.
– But you could gauge the audience's reaction. Presumably you could see the audience?
– They do tend to stare you out, yes. I guess they looked fairly appreciative. Mostly.
– Wild applause?
– They never quite lose their dignity. But they seemed happy enough. And it was nice to see the composer there. You don't usually get that many composers turning up for performances.
– I suppose they tend to be busy people.
– I believe it was the first time this piece had been performed by amateur forces. Not to mention this far north. So not just amateurs, but northern amateurs.
– Altogether a unique experience. I hope he appreciated it.
– I think so. It's a shame it's all over: all that work, months of rehearsal, all over in a single evening.
– Such is art. Ephemeral.