The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered a "prayer for peace" at a gala dinner of Asia's largest security meeting last night.

The talented pianist played a Brahms sonata at the summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) to reflect her sombre mood following a diplomatic visit to the Middle East.

"It’s a serious time," Dr Rice said before the gala dinner — traditionally a night of song and dance performed by the diplomats themselves — but others did not share her sentiments and went all out to entertain.

Japan’s top diplomat hammed it up for guests dressed in Dick Tracy overcoat, and India performed a Bollywood skit that took a dig at North Korea and Pakistan’s rogue nuclear scientist.

"Oh, if only the world was Bollywood ... We could all dance and happily prance and declare the world as jolly good," the lyrics for the Indian delegation went.

Then in a reference to the Pakistani rogue-scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, they sang: "Then we add some handsome heroes, some villains and some nuclear Neros .. A Mr. Khan, a Dr. No, a Mr. Kim and a John Doe."

At which point, Dr Rice fell back in her seat in mock astonishment.

Dr Rice, who wore a red and gold outfit, was accompanied by a violinist during the recital at the summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She said she would like to “offer a prayer for peace” before playing Brahms' Sonata for Violin and Piano in D Minor, Opus 108.

Music has played an important role in Dr Rice's childhood. Her name, Condoleezza, is a variation of con dolcezza, a direction of how to play music that means 'with sweetness'. She was taught to play the piano by her grandmother at the age of three and has said she could read music before words.

As a child it was her ambition to become a concert pianist and she succeeded in gaining a place as a music major at the University of Denver aged 15. However, she decided her talents were not strong enough to fulfil her ambitions of playing the Carnegie Hall, in New York, and instead turned her focus to international politics.

The gala dinner, a highlight of the annual Asean Regional Forum, is a time when ministers can loosen up. It is traditionally held on the final day of talks between Asean members, 25 nations and the European Union, but this year it was held on the penultimate day. The summit is due to end today.

The former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, is famed for his amusing skits including a dance routine to the 1970s Village People hit, YMCA, while carrying a hammer and wearing a hard hat.

Other hit performances include Madeleine Albright's turn in 1997, when the then US Secretary of State sang a musical skit dressed as Evita Peron, and last year when Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, stole the show dressed as the Star Wars arch baddie, Darth Vader.

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