An amusing gig story

One time, while playing a concert with the Dallas Chamber Orchestra before a large audience in The Church of the Transfiguration (referred to us musicians as "The Fig"), complete in white tie and tails, I fell off the stage in the middle of the performance. The orchestra was on risers, and I was sitting in a chair on the edge, at the back of the first violin section. We had just started to play the first piece, a French baroque overture of some kind.  I scooted back a bit to get more room, and went careening backwards off the stage, landing on my back on the floor, violin still in position, me still in the chair, literally before God and everyone. The audience started to burst out laughing and then stopped abruptly out of politeness.

I got up, put the chair back on stage, hopped back up, and took a bow. At that, the audience finished their aborted laughter and applauded. I then took my seat, careful to stay away from the riser’s edge, and we re-started from the beginning the piece of music we were playing.  I was physically sore for a few days after that, but not permanently damaged, either physically or emotionally, though it felt mortifying enough when it happened.