Yes, Yes, Yes — We Do Know

There is a wonderful story about the Philadelphia Orchestra when it was under the leadership of the great Leopold Stokowski. On one occasion, the orchestra was to perform a Beethoven Overture in which the composer had written a part for trumpet, played off-stage. Before a standing-room-only audience, Stokowski raised his baton, the orchestra came to attention, and then began to play brilliantly. But when the time came for the off-stage musician to play, there was only silence. The back of Stokowski’s neck reddened, but he nevertheless kept on conducting until again it was time for the off-stage trumpeter to play. Again, only silence. Everyone could see Stokowski’s neck and face getting redder and redder. Finally, when the piece ended, the maestro threw his baton down and went charging off-stage into the wings. With murder in his eyes, he was looking for that trumpet player. And there the musician was, where he was supposed to be. But the poor fellow was standing with his arms pinned…