Shri Madurai TN Seshagopalan - Vocal
Shri Delhi Muthukumar - Vocal Support
Shri SD Sridhar - Violin
Shri Trichur Narendran - Mrudangam
The venue was Government Music College, Adyar.
I don't remember the exact song list. Didn't note. The concert was held on 8th August. Been really tight these days. So a bit delayed.
1) Ninnukori - Mohanam Varnam - OS
2) Mathe - Khamas Daru Varnam - A
3) Meenakshi Memudham -Purvikalyani- NS, preceded by an elaborate Shlokam
4) Samaja Vara Gamana - Hindolam - AST
Odi Vilayaadu Papa - followed by a class-of-sorts!
TNS announced that he was down with a bad viral fever and almost thought of cancelling the concert. But he decided to sing as he was made to understand that a vast majority of the audience were students. He began with the Mohanam Adi Tala Varnam and rounded it off with some nice Swarams. The Khamas Daru Varnam was beautifully sung in all its leisure. He explained certain lyrically significant parts of the Varnam as well. He had some serious problems with his throat and was coughing rather badly in the initial parts of Meenakshi Memudham but recovered well by the time he started Swarams.
The Hindolam Alapanai was an education-of-sorts. He explained how even Ragams such as Hindolam can be sung with extensive Gamakams. He also outlined how one should listen to various genres of music and pick up what is relevant. He illustrated it by singing a few Hindusthani phrases in Hindolam and said one should listen to Hindusthani music with an open mind and would do well to pick up such phrases after modifying them suitably to suit the Carnatic style.
He also spent some time elucidating the meaning of Samaja Vara. The Swarams were highly elaborate with extensive Kanakku. And at the end of it all, when there was quite an applause from the young audience, TNS remarked that he was happy that a Laya-Pradhanam exposition received such a reponse. The Thani was short and nice.
Then he began Odi Vilayaadu Papa. This was interlaced with humorous interludes at phrases like Poi Solla Koodathu. And then at the point Kanivu Kodukkum Nalla Paattu, TNS started with a Swaram of sorts at the line, singing Sarali and Jantai and then even the Malahari Geetham - Shri Gananatha! Then he switched to Alankarams and with a simple SRGM RGMP GMPD MPDN PDNS type Alankaram, he outlined how students could practice Swaram singing at different Eduppus - 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4.
On the whole, it was a good concert-cum-lec dem. The accompanists gave able support.
Sathej