Prince Charles Takes Up Karaoke Challenge
The Prince of Wales' vocal skills were given a stern test when he tried his hand at an Asian-style "karaoke" machine.
Charles aired his dulcet tones as he toured a new music centre dedicated to educating visitors about traditional music and instruments from across the Asian continent.
The heir to the throne took up the challenge of singing along with a pre-recorded Asian performer, or "virtual guru" - a device used to train music students.
Charles took the microphone and crooned as a computer screen displayed the pre-recorded voice as a moving graph. At the end of the singing session, the Prince turned to his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, and said: "Oh, well."
The royal couple had earlier tried their hand playing one of the many instruments on display at the centre, based in Acton, west London, and run by the Asian Music Circuit (AMC).
Charles and Camilla took up beaters used to play the gendair - a xylophone type instrument - and gingerly hit its metal bars.
They were also given a demonstration of the guqin, a Chinese stringed musical instrument.
The AMC's chief executive, Viram Jasani, gave the Duchess and Prince a guided tour of the musical instruments on display at the centre, which included everything from the well known sitar, used in pop music from The Beatles to the present day, and lesser known items like the five-stringed, banjo-like rabab, from Uzbekistan.
The AMC has been promoting and touring music from the Asian continent in the UK since 1991 and has established the centre as an education facility, which it describes as the first in the country.
Before the royal couple left, they were treated to a performance by renowned Indian artist, Bireshwar Gautam, a singer and Kathak dancer.