By Dr Cyriac Maprayil

On the 28th of November, on a cold winter's evening in London, people gathered at the Barbican Concert Hall to be warmed by a musical journey through India over the ages. The event drew to a close the year- long exploration into the complex cultural heritage of the British-Indian experience. The event was co-ordinated by the high commissioner of India under the able leadership of the director of the Nehru Centre.

The concert was composed by Dr L Subramaniam, a south Indian violinist, along with his wife, celebrated singer, Kavita Krishnamurti and the London Symphony Orchestra, they transported the audience back in time.

The first stop was the ancient Vedic era; beguiling and mysterious, the strings and flute invited the audience to glimpse something of the magic that lies deep in the soul of India. The Mughal period was next, a stunning vocal display accompanied by the ever mesmerising percussion and Talluri's tantalising flute.

The last two movements traced the journey through the 20th century and beyond. The London Symphony Orchestra evoked the drama and grandeur of British India and this gave way to the conclusion, independent India, modern India. An India liberated from stereotypes and the weight of foreign rule, the two orchestras came together once more in a daring symphony of hope, promise and expectation that left the audience holding our breath, ready to take the plunge into 2018.