Violinists recreate Titanic scene as they play in empty toilet paper aisle

Amid the near apocalyptic panic-buying and empty shelves, which has come to encapsulate the global Covid-19 pandemic so far, two heroes have emerged.

They come in the form of two violinists from the US, whose lighthearted response to the current state of the world has struck a chord with many struggling through the crisis.

Professional musicians Bonnie von Duyke and Emer Kinsella set up in an empty toilet paper aisle in Los Angeles and began serenading shoppers, recreating the iconic scene from Titanic where the ship’s band commit together to play until the boat sinks.

Wearing life jackets and a deadpan expression the double-act played to an unwitting audience surrounded by ransacked shelves.

Von Duyke even re-enacts the line from the film, turning to Kinsella and saying: “Gentleman, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight."

The ditty is Nearer, my God, To Thee, and is a tear-jerking moment in James Cameron’s 1996 classic.

Indeed, von Duyke and Kinsella’s nod to the movie encapsulates the way citizens around the globe have been reacting to the Covid-19, with stockpiling leading to shortages of essential items such as loo roll.

The pair posted the clip to their YouTube, titling it ‘Ode to RMS Toilet Paper - “I’ll never let go”'.

Von Duyke wrote: "Many musicians and freelancers are losing work at this time. Concerts and events are being cancelled right and left.

"Being a freelance artist myself, I'm not giving up and I want viewers to be aware of my services during this social distancing time."

The number of Covid-19 cases has almost reached 200,000 worldwide, with the death toll nearing 8,000.