In Paris with the Li family Daoists, 2017. For a Dublin diversion, see here.

Under my fetish for taxonomy, the new subhead for humour under the WAM category contains many orchestral stories.

As Stephen Cottrell observes, they may often be subsumed under what Merriam calls the musician’s “licence to depart from behavioural norms”.

Many, indeed, relate to maestro-baiting (see also conducting tag), like John Wilbraham‘s celebrated comments.

Several stories go in pairs, like

• Berlioz drôleries (here and here)
• Gary Kettel classics (here and here)
• drumming (here and here)
• the touring life (Kangaroo, and LOOK!)
• The Mary Celeste (two stories in which I plead Not Guilty).

And there’s an indecent wealth of Matthew Passion stories, such as Mein Gott.

In rehearsal.

Spreading the net wider, for instances of deviant behaviour

• in Iberian folk traditions, see here and here
• rebetika
• tango
• jazz, e.g. Chet Baker, here and here
• Ladies and gentlemen, Lenny Bruce!!

See also The gig.

Of course, it’s not only performers who may have license to depart from behavioural norms, as is clear from the career of Bumbling Boris.