This reviewer’s ignorance of classical Indian music is profound. The concept of musical forms appropriate to the hours of the day is both mysterious and exotic.

And yet, the apparently contrasting approach to performance with Medici: be-suited, be-seated, semi-circled around the sheet music with Wajahat Kahn’s trio: barefooted, cross-legged, crescent formed, was curiously suggestive of parallel formal traditions of long-standing.

The renowned Medici Quartet, scarcely need any introduction, and gave an impeccable performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet in G with consummate sensitivity and aplomb.

Wajahat Khan’s instrument, the sarod, resembles the more familiar sitar, with voicings surprisingly suggestive of a National steel guitar, played open-tuned, yet with moments of the staccato percussiveness of a tenor banjo. His accompanist, Shahbaz Hussain, demonstrated a fine control of pitch and tonality by altering pressure on the tabla skin using the base of the palm. An un-named accompanist formed a third party, using a curious small, upright four stringed instrument, suggestive of a mini-bass, but producing a mid-range sound as a pulse or rhythmic backdrop. A fine traditional performance of an evening Raag was followed after the interval by the evening’s raison d’etre.

After the concert Wajahat Khan was elated, “The concert was fantastic as we managed to develop an amazing rapour with the audience and finished with a standing ovation.”

The idea of musicultural blending is hardly a new phenomenon. The great Ravi Shankar collaborated with André Previn on a concerto for sitar and string orchestra back in the 1970s. Here we were treated to a similar cultural synthesis with the sarod as main solo instrument, and it worked well, allowing all of the participants to show off their skills in a conversational call and answer dialogue.

The four movement piece allowed ample time for the continual fine tuning evidently required of the sensitive (highly strung) sarod. Some beautiful pizzicato, powerful moments of crescendo and supportive ensemble playing made this a memorable and fascinating performance. Once again reminding us that disparate cultures are really not that different, or as George Gershwin said… “Hey, music’s music.”