An interesting twist to the debate about music and politics: http://www.musbook.com/news/Protestors-Disrupt-Jerusalem-String-Quartet-BBC-Broadcast/19432912.html
I think John Gilhooly is being slightly disingenuous in distancing his (or any) musical venue from the political implications of what it presents. On the other hand, for music to express (and all expression is political) it requires silence, attention, and possibly even empathy from its audience. From that point of view, it is interesting how rare disruptions to live performances are.

As a member of the audience at the already 'infamous' Wigmore concert yesterday (I was sitting next to one of the female protesters, the one who was grabbed by the hair by a man in front of me and dragged across my lap), my only, very heartfelt, comment is that I fervently believe that music should not be drawn into political debate. Nor used as a political vehicle.

However, I am also a fervent believer in the right to free speech

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2010/04/more_disturbances_at_the_wigmo.html

aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrghhh

I've said it before in other forums here, but I'll say it again.  We should not 'lament' the politicisation of classical music. Classical music, like all human activity, is political, in composition as in performance. We do ourselves a profound disservice to claim otherwise.  

This article in Prospect is one of the worst I've read in that respect--the image it has of an idealised classical musical culture is truly cringe inducing.  If we are to believe the implications of what is wished for here, i.e. if by going to a string quartet concert, we are meant to 'forget' the contemporary relevance of, say (in this instance) 'Jerusalem' as a place in Western political consciousness, but it might equally be the aesthetic context or social conditions of Beethoven's Vienna, or Bartok's Hungary, then you can count me out as a concert devotee for one.  We need more political awareness in our concerts, not less.  Music should make us remember, reflect, reconsider, not fantasize and forget...

I don't doubt that everything is inherently political. The question is to what extent we should take this into account. If a scientific discovery were developed on the wrong side of the political fence, as I believe was the case with Einstein in Germany, should it be ignored or celebrated? Einstein said:
"If my theory of relativity is proven correct, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France would say that I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew". Is it right to subject individuals; musicians or scientists working devoid of political provocation, to such scrutiny? Surely there are times to take politics into account and times to look past the politics to the person and what it is they stand for. As I discussed previously; it is hardly fair to blame the politics of a nation on these 4 individuals, nor is it fair to make them suffer for, on the most part, a religious and ethnic association with a place.

So, I don't think we should forget the quartet comes from Israel. The current situation may or may not cross our minds during a performance, but it would seem to me somewhat pedantic to let that get in the way of the music. It would be akin to me boycotting all nations built on slavery or any other social injustice. It would seem to me highly unfair to blame the people of Britain today for the slavery of 200 years ago; for the actions of others.

I've been wandering around the internet,  trying to find anything from the UK main political parties re their Arts Policies prior to the Election.

Tomorrow - April 10 - there's a phone-in on BBC R3 airing at 12.15pm ; questions can be submitted now by email - musicmatters@bbc.co.uk

Phone lines lines open tomorrow at 9.30 -  0370 909 33 33.

Music Matters Election Phone-In: Saturday 10th April