Revered musicians Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma both performed at the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama yesterday in Washington DC.
Perlman and Ma played the violin and cello parts respectively for a new arrangement, Air and Simple Gifts - designed specifically for the ceremony by famous movie composer John Williams.
Anthony McGill joined the duo on the clarinet, while Gabriela Montero played the piano.
The music did not go down particularly well, according to Guy Adams of the Independent, who claimed that "the piece would have been perfect for a concert hall, but Washington's blustery winter air carried away many of its subtleties".
This compared to singer Aretha Franklin's performance of My Country 'Tis Of Thee, which Mr Adams claimed "stole the early part of the show".
His comments were not echoed by Sarah F Sullivan of Associated Content, who referred to the Williams piece as "stunning" and said it managed to capture the mood of the occasion.
