TEMPESTUOUS scenes befitting a Puccini opera were enacted at the Hongkong Cultural Centre where the Hongkong Philharmonia, a 60-piece orchestra made up of musicians from various musical outfits, was rehearsing for an operatic performance.
Enter stage left Ms Edith Lei, personnel manager of the Hongkong Philharmonic Orchestra, who, in a style worthy of the Keystone Cops, brusquely interrupted the proceedings in mid-La Boheme.
Flashing her identity card, Ms Lei demanded that four of the players - Ronald Wilson, Li Ming Lu, Jennifer Keeney and Chao Qian - pack up their instruments and leave immediately.
She was, it seems, holding the four to the letter of their Philharmonic contracts, the stringent terms of which have been a source of much acrimony over the years.
There was much pushing and shoving (with violin bows poised menacingly) as Ms Lei strode into the orchestra and attempted to enforce her orders.
She met staunch resistance from, among others, Mr Marcus Lehmann, the Philharmonic's acting concertmaster, who is sitting out a difficult contractual relationship with Ms Lei and her superiors.