Exclusive by Katie Alston

An Italian restaurant has hit back after a knight of the realm and Master of the Queen’s Music walked out claiming he couldn’t bear to listen to their chosen tunes.

Renowned composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who is working on music for Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton, grumbled that the ‘idiotic pop’ coming out of the Olive Grove’s speakers was deafening.

A member of Pipedown, the campaign for freedom from piped music, acoustic wallpaper or elevator music, the celebrated composer is believed to have been teaching in the city last Monday before heading out for food with his partner Colin Parkinson.

Sir Peter, knighted for his services to music, asked a waitress at the Best Lane restaurant to turn down the noise, and she obliged.

He complained afterwards to a national newspaper that the music crept back up again, saying: "It was idiotic pop music. You just couldn’t hear yourself think, let alone order. It was deafening."

He decided to head elsewhere for his pasta, and found a restaurant willing to turn off their ‘muzak’.

Sir Peter, 76, added: "I would urge more people to demand that piped music is turned off and vote with their feet if shops and restaurants don’t comply.

"This is a protest movement that wants peace to be given a chance."

Olive Grove manager Gianni Pasquino, 53, has dismissed Sir Maxwell Davies’ complaint as ‘laughable’.

The father-of-three told this paper: "It wasn’t pop music, we play some of the world’s greatest classical and opera music, the likes of Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli.

"We never have it too loud but we can’t please everybody.

"It is like we are being used as a scapegoat to draw attention to his campaign.

"Most people would rather have music in a restaurant than not. It adds to the ambience.

"We can’t turn it off for just one customer, we tried to accommodate his request but it still wasn’t good enough. We have never had a complaint like this before.

"It is all very odd, especially as he sho/uld be championing music. It is a laughable situation.

"I wonder if we had been playing his music he would have asked for it to be turned off?"

Are you turned off by music in restaurants? If not, what tunes would you suggest?

Let us know by leaving your comments below or emailing us atkentishgazette@thekmgroup.co.uk