Dr. Shankar Srinivas - Vocal
V.V. Ravi - Violin
Chidambaram Balashankar - Mridangam
Venue: R.A. Puram Bhakta jana Sabha, Sringeri pravachana mandapam, Mandeveli 6.15 pm
Dr. Shankar is one of the senior most and earliest disciples of PSN since 1984 and has provided vocal support to him for hundreds of concerts when PSN was actively singing and has also learnt from semmangudi. He started performing as a teenager and is an A grade artiste of AIR Chennai for nearly 2 decades. He was a regular performer in the season including at the music academy in the 90s. A doctor by profession, he moved to the US in 2001 and since then rarely performs in the season - was refreshing to hear him. A lot of his talented disciples in US are performing too.
1. Pranamami Ganeswaram - Purchandrika - Sringeri Bharathitirthar (S)
2. Jaya Jaya - Manirangu - Swathi tribunal (S)
3. Tulasi Jagat Janani - Saveri - Thyagarajar (R, N, S)
4. Parama pavana - Ranjani - Meesu Krishna iyer (R, S)
5. Daksinamurthe - Shankarabharanam- Dikshitar - (R, N, S)
6. Mani noopura dhari - Neelambari - Uthukadu venkata kavi
7. Srinivasa - Hamsanandi - Papanasam Sivan
This was a chaste concert in Semmangudi bani with no unwanted frills or acrobatics, The opening song in purnachandrika was apparently set to tune by him. Manirangu was brisk with breezy swaras. Saveri was solid with riveting neraval and swaras in the charanam. Ranjani alapana by violinist was good and paramapavana is a less heard lovely krithi.
Shankabharanam alapana was imaginative yet sublime and pure. Sri Dakshinamurthe revealed strength of the patantara and was impeccable. Instead of swaras for the Pallavi, he launched into neraval in anupallavi not sung before, that was introspective and full of Bhava. Mani noopora dhari in the end was lilting.
On the whole, the effect was blissful and PSN sat through the entire program and seemed to enjoy it.
Ravi's accompaniment and Balashankar's vigorous play enhanced the quality of concert.
Cons
Poor acoustics with lot of echo. Nuances could not be heard
Too lofty for the kind of audience - less heavier items and more tamil songs could have enhanced the appeal
I was able to find an audio link for the concert - audio quality not very good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le0Jd32aDtE&t=207s