The English conductor Malcolm Sargent was a master at handling applause. After a performance he&d shake a soloist by the hand while giving sotto voce instructions: “Take one bow and walk off.” Or while shaking a concertmaster&s hand: “Don&t sit down, I&m coming back for another bow.” I even heard him call out to an applauding chorus in London&s Royal Albert Hall, “Keep it going, keep it going!” After a Messiah performance under Sargent, concertmaster Tom Rowlette decided six curtain calls were enough for any conductor and began to lead the orchestra off the platform. Halfway off, he met Sargent coming back for another bow. Sir Malcolm struggled manfully against the tidal wave of departing musicians—waving, blowing kisses to the audience, and hissing “get back, you fools, get back” through the clenched teeth of his smile. Of course, he was swept offstage. Tom was summoned to his dressing room: “Mr. Rowlette, how could you do this to me after all the years we&ve worked together? How could you?” Tom&s reply was brilliant: “I&m really terribly sorry, Sir Malcolm, but you&d conducted so magnificently that I just couldn&t wait to come backstage to congratulate you.” “Well, yes,” replied Sargent, “it did go awfully well, didn&t it?”.