More disturbances at the Wigmore Hall

This morning’s coffee concert by the Panocha Quartet was disrupted at the outset by a woman in one of the back rows, who started shouting something incoherent. She was removed by ushers and the recital proceeded without further incident.

The Panocha Quartet are Czech. They played Mozart and Dvorak and there was no possible political dimension. Since such occurences are mercifully rare, it may safely be assumed that today’s imagine that the eccentric disturber of today’s peace was in some way motivated by last week’s protest at which the Jerusalem Quartet were targeted by agitators.

One audience member who was present Monday told me she felt scared and helpless during the disruptions. Another endorsed the point I made in this morning’s Sunday Telegraph that once the hall’s seal of isolation had been broken by demonstrators it will be hard to restore its role as a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

All told, it’s a sad moment for civilisation.