In addition to the London premiere of two Anglo-Indian collaborations, this concert featured a sparky performance by the Children of the Desert and a brief award presentation.

Indian classical musicians have been collaborating with western musicians for years. Nyman visited India in 2000 and later developed two half-hour pieces: Compiling the Colours - Samhitha, based around the virtuoso electric mandolin playing of U Shrinivas, and Three Ways of Describing Rain, a three-part piece involving the khyal vocals of Rajan and Sajan Misra and their sons, Ritesh and Rajnish.

Nyman is a provocative choice, since the music of his band has such a distinctive signature: a relentlessly loud, brash barrage of saxophones, brass and strings, pumped along by bass guitar and piano.

Yet, although there seems little space in his music, he is used to working with strong personalities: film director Jane Campion, fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, art director David King. This is neither marriage nor fusion, but an exercise in creative co-operation.

In Compiling the Colours, Shrinivas's mandolin decorates a central syncopated line that the composer works and reworks into a bright, optimistic concerto.

Three Ways of Describing Rain is more introspective. The ensemble parts behind the vocals in Sawan: First Rain build into a bold intensity that's almost medieval: the Misras are enhanced, but nevertheless remain themselves.

In the second part, Rang: The Colour of Nature, a more sophisticated orchestration clashes with the semi- improvised melismata of the four vocalists until Sanju Sahai's tablas introduce a pulse and a Nymanish reinvention.

Shrinivas joins in for the final movement, Dhyan: Meditation, in which Nyman's personality dominates for a short while, with mandolin sparking across the sawing strings.