Pierre Monteux was conducting LSO. The programme began with the Beethoven Fifth Symphony. At the end of the first movement the conducter looked vaguely uncomfortable, clutching his music stand and wiping his brow. Then he began the second movement but after a few bars he fell flat on his face. There was a stunned silence. No one seemed to know what to do. Eventually the inert conductor was carried out while the audience chatted quietly. After some minutes there was an annoucement : "Monteux apologises for this interruption to the concert, but hopes to be back with you shortly." When he returned it felt like witnessing a resurrection. The next works were by Richard Strauss. How would the old man cope? Well, he used a chair in the First Horn Concerto but when we came to Don Juan he was back on form and the applause was gratifying. Eventually an elderly lady silenced us saying : " My husband is suffering from a slight touch of gastric influenza which I am sorry to say he caught from me!" << less