It always seemed to me, between Christmas and the late January date of the chamber music concert, the high school/college ensemble in which I played just went through the motions. One year, for two rehearsals in early January, a symphonic violinist filled in for our regular conductor. I think we all knew, during the middle of one rehearsal, that he wasn't about to bestow accolades upon us. When he started to tell the ensemble, "When you all made the commitment to play in this orchestra...," we knew he wasn't going to follow up with, "...you may have been somewhat tentative about what you were capable of, but from what I've heard, you've exceeded expectations many times over! Seldom have I heard such gripping, robust playing..." While what followed wasn't a severe tongue-lashing, the gist of the substitute conductor's message was, "This might not be one of your big subscription concerts, and it might not attract as much of an audience as your main concerts. Nevertheless, you're still rehearsing for a scheduled concert; the music and the audience deserve your respect."
I can't say he was wrong to tell us that.
