The municipal philharmonic symphony and chorus were rehearsing.... The municipal philharmonic symphony and chorus were rehearsing Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig Von Beethoven. Since the chorus doesn't enter until the final movement, the singers were becoming very bored - especially the men in the back row. Then the basses had a clever idea. During break, they tied a nylon fish-line around the conductor's score, 4 pages prior to the beginning of the last movement. They ran the line up through a roof vent, across the street and down into Joe's tavern. This allowed them to relax at the bar chugging brews, and when the line jerked, they could run across the street and take their places in the chorus at the precise time. Their plan worked flawlessly, especially when the conductor paused before continuing, to have the trombones, who were playing somewhat flat, tune their instruments. So all singers were in readiness as the conductor raised his baton. Well.....almost all... except for two men who had earlier passed out at the bar. And so this became the first case in musical history where it was the bottom of the ninth, the basses were loaded, the score was tied, there were two out, the lead-off man was up and the inside pitch was low.