Silence is not always golden

07 January 2004 by
Silence is not always golden

In the first half of a concert of Venetian Christmas music performed at the end of last year in London by the internationally renowned Monteverdi Choir, the audience refrained from applauding. The conductor, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, looked baffled. The singers and musicians were perplexed.

It was tough going, but the assembled performers and their leader gritted their teeth and did their best for the apparently unappreciative spectators.

In fact, the audience was merely obeying a notice in the programme requesting listeners not to applaud until the end of the concert, as it was felt that clapping between pieces would interrupt the flow of music.

At the beginning of the second half, Gardiner stepped out to announce that the whole thing had been a dreadful mistake. Of course the audience was allowed to clap between pieces. Result? Instant transformation of the atmosphere. The performers redoubled their efforts. The concert, though perfectly acceptable hitherto, took off and became thrilling.

The obvious moral of the story is that a little applause and recognition can go a long way when it comes to improving performance… which takes me neatly on to this issue of Caterer. It contains the nomination brochure for the 2004 Cateys. The Cateys are now in their 21st year. They have gone from strength to strength since their launch in 1983 because, while organised by the magazine, they have been adopted by the industry as its own. They remain the awards that everyone wants to win, the awards that mean the most because the nominations come from the industry and it is the industry which decides who deserves recognition for a job well done.

This means that the process starts with you. The nomination brochure is your chance to look around and give a little applause. Is there someone or some place that you feel is doing an exceptionally good job in a particular field? Do you know an operator who punches above their weight, who sets high standards, comes up with innovative ideas and contributes to the wider industry?

If you do, it's time to make a Catey nomination or two (or more). By singling out the top performers in our industry, by applauding success where it's deserved, we encourage the industry to take off and be thrilling and feel proud of itself.

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