What was perhaps forgotten was that something that sounds good on the parade ground or in a concert hall might not be appropriate in the grandiose setting of the Beating Retreat at the Vijay Chowk, a huge square at the base of the Raisina Hill atop which Rashtrapati Bhavan rests and from where extends a three-km long esplanade ending at the India Gate war memorial.

Enhancing the ambience were buglers lining the grand steps to the North and South secretariat blocks with camel-borne troopers providing the backdrop, even as the National Flag fluttered in the breeze.

This grand setting, with few parallels the world over, deserves equally grand music. Slow marches like "Suman Samit" just don't fit the bill here but this deficiency was more than made up by "Kadam Kadam", "Senani", "Louden's Lassie" and "The Kilt Is My Delite".

With the pipes and drums of the Indian Army setting the mood for the evening, it was then the turn of the combined navy and air force to take centre stage with their rendering of "Space Flight" and "Hands to Flying Stations" with the trumpets calling out and the bassoons and tubas fleshing out the expression.

Then, there was the much loved "By Land and Sea" and "Anchors Aweigh" quick marches before the army brass bands came on with "Bombay Sappers", a peppy quick march and "Mushkoh Valley", a slow march that had the musicians alternately advancing and circling in a kind of musical cartwheel.