There was a lack of precision during our pared-down college orchestra's rehearsal of Handel's "Messiah." The choir director, who doubled as our conductor for the program, asked, "Is it something I'm doing? I'll sure try and do it differently if it'll help us stay together."
I was stunned. I'd never heard any orchestra director suggest that his conducting might need refinement. I suppose that's the difference between a choir director and an orchestra conductor, however. In my experience, a choir director who conducts an orchestra is more likely to wonder, "Is it me?" A full-fledged orchestra conductor, however, is far more likely to convey, "It's you. It definitely isn't me."
