David Shenton says no to playing at the Inauguration, while The Piano Guys provide a laundry list of justifications.

British pianist David Shenton has joined a long list of performers who have turned down an invitation to play at Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration. Shenton was told that he would not be paid for his services – the honour of the engagement was to have been sufficient. He was also expected to have footed his own travel expenses, both expectations uncannily reminiscent of Trump’s business ethos.

Unsurprisingly, Shenton declined – he will be spending Inauguration week accompanying the politically outspoken UK cabaret artist Melinda Hughes at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. Hughes recently released a video lampooning Trump’s most ridiculous tweets, quoting journalist Graydon Carter: “only in America could a man whose staff reportedly took away his Twitter account because he couldn’t control himself be given the nuclear codes”.

The Piano Guys, who are all devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, have notably taken a different stance, provoking widespread criticism by agreeing to perform at the inauguration. The American cello and piano ensemble have defended their decision in a lengthy blog entry posted...