The dilemma

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It hurts the ears and the heart. At the front, artists are performing, usually the best the host country has to offer; around them, a few guests listen intently and reverently. But further back, most of the guests are chatting cheerfully and unabashedly. Good manners would dictate pausing for a few minutes and refraining from conversation. But good manners don't stand a chance at the back. And that's why the beautiful sounds of the live musical performances have little chance at the front either. A dilemma.

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Silence, please!‍

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What to do? There are always attempts to bring discipline to the crowd of guests in a diplomatic manner. There was the idea of white-clad mimes sneaking through the standing audience with their fingers on their lips, urging quiet. Charming, but not effective. Equally ineffective and certainly not charming is the idea of walking ‘Please be quiet!’ signs.

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Division

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An ambassador once tried the following: He divided the reception into two parts. First, the guests were invited into the rows of chairs set up. There they sat strung out like in a concert hall. They had no choice but to concentrate on looking ahead, enjoy the music, remain silent and finally applaud heavily. The applause was only possible because they didn't have to hold a glass with sparkling content in their hands. Because applause with a champagne flute is known to be difficult. Only then were the guests allowed to stand up and dedicate themselves to the second part of the reception, namely cuisine and communication.
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Discipline

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‍Although this provided the desired discipline, this system also has disadvantages. First, you need a large event space to imitate the concert hall and then have enough standing space. Not every embassy or residence has as much representative space. A reception at the hotel would result in a lot of rental costs.

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Compromise

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The compromise – something I have also experienced many times – would be a technical break: an army of staff (costly!) remove the chairs to quickly make room for the standing reception. Meanwhile, however, the guests have to wait at the edge until the area is clear and the buffet is open. This situation also lacks charm and elegance.

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Buffet smells at the concert

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‍And another disadvantage: During the concert, appetizing buffet smells waft through the improvised concert hall from behind. That distracts a bit from enjoying music, even when the artists are really big stars.

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Reference in the invitation

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‍Jan Martensen from Waldorf Astoria - no one in Germany has so much experience with diplomatic receptions - suggests pointing this out in the invitation. So not just to ask for a reception, but to invite you to a “concert followed by a reception.” This was how the guests got in the mood for it. That could help at least a bit.

Snubbing the artists

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For the hosts, it is often a snub, as artist appearances involving travel, hotel and rehearsals mean a great deal of money and time. For the model artists of the respective country, it is a test of nerve on the verge of insult. You're not used to just creating background music for guests' conversations. Witnessing that is often really embarrassing. It is equally embarrassing, by the way, when someone sends a wave of shushing through the audience, only to be caught gossiping themselves shortly afterwards.
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Nice sounds, good sound

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‍The other side, of course, is: The most important thing about the embassy reception is neither the ambassador's speech nor the music performance nor the buffet. The most important thing about receiving an embassy is networking: deepening relationships, sharing information, spreading rumors, assessing the situation, listening to secrets, initiating projects and exploring deals. At least that's what the professional guests came for. And not for the music or the buffet. It will therefore never be possible to avoid talking and whispering. It's part of it. In other words, the problem of nice sounds versus good sound seems insoluble to me. If you have the solution, please get in touch — loudly.

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Sound system

The acoustics also depend on the microphone and loudspeaker system. It is embarrassing and unprofessional when noise and crackling, whistling and squeaking ruin the presentation. Or when the microphone fails again and again. Previous audio samples show where there is a risk of feedback and how the microphone must be oriented so that it is not unfavorable to the loudspeaker. Get away from the loudspeakers! The height adjustment of the microphone stand should also be adjusted to the height of the respective speaker. For example, if a small ambassador speaks into the microphone and then a tall Secretary of State, the microphone should be adjusted accordingly.