It is understandable that any event marking 60 years of Indian independence should involve an epic series of concerts, but what was remarkable about From Raj to the Republic was that three such shows were staged back-to-back on the same day. The result was a seven-hour offering that was as magnificent as it was exhausting.

No running order was announced in advance, but the opening performance proved to be the most exhilarating of the day. Dr L Subramaniam is one of the finest exponents of the Carnatic classical music of southern India, which has appropriated western instruments such as his choice, the violin. A quiet-looking man, he sat cross-legged as he played, starting with drifting, exquisitely relaxed passages, and then moving to playful, or rapid-fire virtuoso improvisational sections in which he swapped solos with his son Ambi, another fine violinist.

The next lengthy performance came from a singer who was introduced as "a rebel genius and enigma". Kishori Amonkar, from the northern Hindustani tradition, gradually improvised around repeated phrases until she began to expand into rapid-fire vocal flurries, driven on by sturdy violin and tablas.

Finally came the most celebrated Indian dynasty of all. In recent years, Anoushka Shankar has taken a more prominent role than her father at their joint appearances, but this time it was different. Looking like a pop star with her cropped black hair, she briefly demonstrated her driving sitar style before introducing her father, who played for a full hour. Ravi Shankar turned 87 this year, and looked worryingly frail until he started playing, but his delicacy of touch and enthusiasm are unchanged.