Calcutta, March 6 :     The Blue Danube has flowed into the plains from the hills: overcoming grovelling poverty and with violins under their chins, children of labourers from Kalimpong have arrived in the city to do what they can best - play Mozart and Strauss. For many, Mozart and impoverished Nepali children living in dingy, dank huts may sound incongruous. But the 53 children, aged between eight and 14, can be proud of themselves today for they truly 'have overcome'. Last evening, they dazzled the audience at the Ad Club night with renditions of classical music. The 20-minute set had one and all mesmerised. The children belong to the Gandhi Ashram School in Kalimpong which is tucked away near the 6th Mile Bridge on the Teesta river. The school is meant for children from the backward classes whose parents are 'illiterate coolies' from the outskirts of Kalimpong town. The school serves as a getaway from their small huts which have no electricity, water connection or proper sanitation, leave alone a tape deck or television. At the Gandhi Ashram School, children learn how to read and write. And along with their lessons, they learn the violin and the viola too. Four hours of practice a day and the children play Mozart, Strauss and other composers just by glancing at the score. Many have the bars of music by heart. While their friends in other schools listen to the latest beat, these children swear by the serenity of western classical music. 'Although I want to be a doctor, I will never give up playing the violin,' said 13-year-old Sony who plays alongside her nine-year-old brother in the orchestra. The brother and sister are two of the 50 violinists while the other three play the viola. Captivating numbers Yesterday, the little children played the First Movement of Mozart's quartet number 11 as well as his Second Movement's quartet number 12. Besides, they played a medley of waltzes, including the Blue Danube and a J.S. Rosas composition Over the Waves. Headmaster of the school Ed McGuire said the reason why they stress so much on music is because it develops the child mentally and broadens his horizon. 'I want the world to see that given a chance, children handicapped by circumstances can compete and impress just as well as the others. These concerts build their confidence,' Father McGuire said. This is not the first time that the children have left the hills and come down to the plains. Two years ago they toured the city, playing in different schools. They were back again early this year after a foreign diplomat asked them to play at his farewell party. Karendi, Subhash, Seema and Balika said in unison that music runs in their blood and it is in the air in Kalimpong. For Father McGuire and his concert children, being on the road is a dream. The hills are alive with the sound of music and they hope to take their violins and violas around the country soon. IA awards: Indian Airlines has awarded three members of the commercial department for excellent performance. They include senior traffic superintendent Shankar Mukherjee, traffic superintendent Nilkamal Mukhopadhyay and senior helper Kumar Bhattacharya. Dense fog in and around the airport delayed flights by three to five hours in the morning today. The afternoon and evening flights to Aizawl, Imphal, Chittagong, Dhaka and Delhi were also delayed.