Last night at Powell Hall in St. Louis, just before a St. Louis Symphony performance of Brahms's German Requiem, a group of protesters staged a peaceful demonstration tied to the killing of young Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Positioned in various parts of the auditorium, the protesters unfurled banners and sang "Which Side Are You On?" They then walked out, chanting, "Black lives matter." Much of the audience, and some musicians in the orchestra, responded with applause. I've attached a snippet of audio of the broadcast, with commentary by Robert Peterson and Adam Crane, of St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis Symphony, respectively. Note the moment when someone shouts, "Let's have some real music!" Crane thoughtfully adds, "That was also some real music we heard from passionate people in the audience."
