I have mixed feelings. There's nothing as exciting as when an audience breaks into thunderous applause (with shouts of joy) at a great performance. I love it.

On the other hand, there's a guy in my town who always has to be the first to applaud at the end of a piece of classical music. And he has a loud, whopping irritating clap. Does he want everybody to admire him for knowing the piece by heart?

Or does he think we are a bunch of hicks and don't have the good manners to applaud a fine performance? Someday I want to corner him in a dark alley and say, "John, would you PLEASE allow the last note to die away before you start blapping your hands together?"