Our South Asian Symphony Orchestra performed at the India international Centre at the closing ceremony of the diamond jubilee celebrations of that august institution. We had a packed audience in the Fountain Lawns of the IIC with the chief guest being the Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar accompanied by his wife, Mrs Kyoko Jaishankar. The concert was conducted by Alvin Arumugam with an orchestra of 38 members. The repertoire commenced with the invocation Maitreem Bhajata , performed beautifully by Akshatha Rudrapatna of Bangalore. Vivaldi’s Winter and Piazzolla’s Primavera Portena followed with Raja Halder the  concert master of the orchestra as violin soloist. We had begun to play the specially orchestrated Melodies from the Mountains, which was being  premiered  at the concert when the skies opened up and it began to rain. We were heartbroken that we had to abandon the stage at this point as it had begun to pour. It was an outdoor concert. After half an hour of agonising, it was decided that we would accommodate the orchestra on the small stage of the indoor auditorium of the IIC and continue with the concert which is what we did. Beethoven’s Eighth was performed superbly.  The orchestra rallied brilliantly to the occasion, and Alvin did a masterly and most impressive job in conducting the concert. It was scintillating in all respects, despite the weather  gods and Mother Nature having played their own orchestra!