The actual first night was on the 9th. As I came out to conduct I was greeted by a great ovation and bowed twice. Why was this? Was I already that well known in London? Surely Diaghilev could not have organised it? To do so would have meant handing out free tickets to a claque, and all the tickets had long ago been sold. More likely it was the Russians applauding, as there were a lot of them in the audience. The show went well, and I was only nervous when we got to the cut we had instituted. The orchestra played far better than the one in Paris. At the conclusion there was a tremendous response, greater even than after the first night in Paris. From Diaghilev came a huge laurel wreath embellished with red and white ribbons.