Applause (Latin applaudere, to strike upon, clap) is primarily the expression of approval by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences are usually expected to applaud after a performance, such as a musical concert, speech, or play. In most western countries, audience members clap their hands at random to produce a constant noise; however, it tends to synchronize naturally to a weak degree. As a form of mass nonverbal communication, it is a simple indicator of the average relative opinion of the entire group; the louder and longer the noise, the stronger the sign of approval.

APPLAUSE TICKETS Cirque du Soleil Tickets Disney On Ice Tickets Radio City Christmas Spectacular Radio City Rockettes Tickets The Nutcracker Tickets Hamilton Tickets

History

The custom of applauding may be as old and as widespread as humanity, and the variety of its forms is limited only by the capacity for devising means of making a noise (i.e., stomping of feet or rapping of fists or hands on a table). Within each culture, however, it is usually subject to conventions.

The ancient Romans had a set ritual of applause for public performances, expressing degrees of approval: snapping the finger and thumb, clapping with the flat or hollow palm, waving the flap of the toga, for which the emperor Aurelian substituted handkerchiefs (orarium ) that he had distributed to the Roman people. ^[1] In Roman theatre, at the close of the play, the chief actor called out "Valete et plaudite!", and the audience, guided by an unofficial choregus, chanted their applause antiphonally. This was often organized and paid for. ^[2]

Similarly, a claque (French for "clapping") was an organized body of professional applauders in French theatres and opera houses who were paid by the performer(s) to create the illusion of an increased level of approval by the audience.

With the proliferation of Christianity, customs of the theatre were adopted by the churches. Eusebius ^[3] says that Paul of Samosata encouraged the congregation to applaud his preaching by waving linen cloths (????a??), and in the 4th and 5th centuries applause of the rhetoric of popular preachers had become an established custom. Applause in church eventually fell out of fashion, however, and, partly by the influence of the quasi-religious atmosphere of the Wagner performances at Bayreuth, the reverential spirit that inspired this soon extended back to the theatre and the concert hall.

Protocol and variations

Well-recognized politicians or actors often receive applause as soon as they first appear on stage, even before delivering their speech or speaking their first lines. This accolade is given to indicate admiration for his or her past achievements, and is not a response to the performance the audience is attending.

Indiscriminate applause is widely considered a violation of classical music concert etiquette: Applause is discouraged between movements, reserved instead for the end of the entire work. There have been a number of attempts to further restrict applause in various circumstances, e.g., court theaters in Berlin prohibit applause during the performance and before the curtain call (although elsewhere in Germany this is felt to be beyond public tastes).

On some occasions, applause occurs in the middle of an event. The President of the United States, in his State of the Union address, is often interrupted by applause; tracking the number of such interruptions has become a trend on various television news channels. It is often customary for jazz performers to receive applause in the middle of a tune, after completing an improvisational solo. Applause during a symphony is regarded as a breach of concert etiquette—any soloists are usually acknowledged at the end by standing up at the request of the orchestral conductor—but this is not always the case in opera.

Extended applause at the conclusion of an event, usually but not always resulting in a standing ovation, implies approval above and beyond ordinary measure, and compels the performer to return in acknowledgement and at times proceed to an encore.

The traditions of most Westminster Parliaments discourage applause in favour of the hear hear.

A golf clap is a form of quiet clapping, so-named because it is the preferred form of applause for golfers; louder forms of applause are discouraged at golf tournaments so as not to disturb other golfers, who may be in the process of attempting a shot. Golf claps are sometimes used at other events to heckle or to show sarcasm.

Likewise, string musicians of an orchestra usually applaud by bobbing their bows in the air or gently tapping them on their instruments' strings. Wind section members will generally lightly stamp their feet or pat one hand on their leg to show approval to a conductor or soloist. An even more subtle form of applause may be exhibited by a member of an orchestra during a formal rehearsal or performance when a colleague performs particularly well, usually a slight shuffle of the foot on the floor or hand on the knee.

In flamenco and sevillanas, two Spanish musical genres, clapping often sets the rhythm and is an integral part of the songs.

A recent phenomenon in Britain is the use of a minute's applause to indicate respect for a recently deceased person, which has come to replace the traditional minute's silence, especially at soccer matches. ^[4]

Slow handclaps

Category:Wikipedia articles needing style editing {{#if:March 2008 In some cultures, slow, synchronized clapping by displeased audience members is considered not applause, but the opposite: a form of heckling, or an expression of mocking dislike or disapproval of the performer. The person being slowly clapped at may interpret the clap as an insult, and a sign to leave the stage. Comedian Fred Allen, in his book "Much Ado about Me," wrote that one noted Vaudeville house developed a rhythm ("clap, clap, clap clap clap"), the maddening repetition of which could completely unnerve a performer.

A notable occurrence of a slow handclap took place during a speech made by British Prime Minister Tony Blair on 7 June 2000, when he was heckled and slow-handclapped by members of the Women's Institute.

The slow handclap is occasionally employed to the opposite effect. In the tradition of London Livery Companies, for example, an assembled party (at, for example, a formal dinner) will routinely perform a slow handclap as a gesture of respect and deference to the arriving party of the Master and Court of the Company.

Another type of "slow handclap" is used as a dramatic device, often forming the conclusion of dramatic turning points in popular films. After some dramatic speech, one audience member claps slowly, then another, and then a few more, until the trickle of clapping gives way to a roaring applause, often ending in a standing ovation. This is also referred to as a crescendo applause , named for the increasing level of volume it produces.

Slow handclaps are used widely in yet another popular dramatic device, this time both beginning and ending with a single actor. The clapping is usually accompanied by ironic dialogue such as "Well done," or "Bravo" to indicate disbelief of or show scorn for another character's comments. The satirical television programme Saturday Night Live once featured a sketch called The Sarcastic Clapping Family of Southampton where each family member would interrupt the previous member's denouement-style monologue with a slow handclap.

During musical events it is common for an audience to clap to the rhythm of the song, to cheer the artists present on stage. Sometimes it is the artists themselves who invite the audience members to clap along. There are even songs which incorporate this kind of sound in the rhythm section, like Boston's "More Than a Feeling" and Queen's "We Will Rock You".

A synchronized, slow handclap at the end of a musical performance signals the audience's desire for an encore.

See also

• Clapping
• Acclamation
• Cheering
• Standing ovation
• Ululation
• Booing
• Golf clap
• Concert etiquette

References

1. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, page 843
2. Böttiger, ''Über das Applaudieren im Theater bei den Alten'', Leipz., 1822
3. ''Church History'', vii. 30
4. Marcel Berlins, The Guardian, Wednesday September 12 2007: Can applause really replace the minute's silence? http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/sep/12/comment.comment2