Robert P and his conductors baton.

[alpha]

I could not help noticing at the recent Gt Georges Christmas concert that RP uses his baton to do more than conduct.

After each piece has finished, he sometimes does some storage things...

One of his signals I worked out. He holds the baton horizontal and very still..... this appears to signal that the boys should not move. When he drops his hands the boys are free to relax.

The other signals fail me....

He sometimes holds it horizontally and rocks the ends up and down. What does this indicate?

The other one is even more bizarre. He puts the baton in his mouth and rocks his head from side to side, I though perhaps it is the same as the other rocking one, but hands free... but then he did it, but held on to the ends????

Any ideas???? They are clearly signals to the boys, but what?

[Yorkie]

Well, we could tell you but then you'd have to be excommunicated from the Libera community as this is secret info only a few initiates may hold.

Or I could just admit that I don't have a clue...

[theforestdweller]

I only noticed the latter - when he puts the baton in his mouth and rocks his head. My simplistic view is that this is just an encouragement for the boys to smile/look happy, as it must look even more strange from where the boys are looking

[alcesalcesobservator]

I only noticed the latter - when he puts the baton in his mouth and rocks his head. My simplistic view is that this is just an encouragement for the boys to smile/look happy, as it must look even more strange from where the boys are looking

It could also be a reminder to enunciate-- talking with a pencil (or stick) in one's mouth can improve pronunciation. Or maybe it's "don't talk like you have a stick in your mouth". Who knows?

[hiskeys]

I believe someone else had mentioned that they thought he put the baton in his mouth to get their attention, since the monitors were understandably a distraction to a few of them, even from the back side.

[TimS_TheToolman]

I only noticed the latter - when he puts the baton in his mouth and rocks his head. My simplistic view is that this is just an encouragement for the boys to smile/look happy, as it must look even more strange from where the boys are looking

It could also be a reminder to enunciate-- talking with a pencil (or stick) in one's mouth can improve pronunciation. Or maybe it's "don't talk like you have a stick in your mouth". Who knows?

Just now came across this thread.

RP also did this in the concerts in the recent 2016 Korea Spring Tour, which were my first Libera concerts. I saw this at one of the concerts where I was seated a mere two steps away from him. Not only did he put the baton in his mouth and rock his head, he also grinned as he did this. Watching him and the reaction of the boys, it was a queue to the boys to smile. If I remember correctly, he did this at the conclusion of the last song in program.