Sikkil Gurucharan accompanied by Ganesh Prasath (?) on the violin, J.Vaidyanathan on the mruthangam and Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan on the ghatam gave an excellent performance. the following is the list:
1. Varnam Sriranjani
2. Ganapathe Mahamathe Kalyani
3. Natimata Devakria
4. Unadhu thiruvadi Sarasangi
5. Sri varalakshmi namasthubyam Sri
6. Srikanthimathim Hemavathi
7. Malemanivanna Kunthalavarali
8. Maiya meri (Surdas bajan) Aberi
9. Chelineneko Paras and
10. mangalam Surati
after the varnam when he came to the much cliched kalyani i thought it was going to be one of the regulars. after natimata he took sarasangi and did an elaborate alapana. his voice at this point was ripening and he rendered full justice for a raga not much elaborated by many to this length. the song was followed by neraval and kalpana swara. after sri he drew a larger canvass for hemavathi and the raga visthara was deep and the SV Subbiah alike violinist gave a solid support. the neraval and kalpanaswara at parasurama was scintillating. i've not come across such a sparkling rally in recent times in hemavathi. J Vaidyanathan's erect posture and his superior nadham were great delight. the hall was reverberating with his percussion and vaikom as usual gave a good support.
sikkil is superior in diction; quick in understanding audience' psyche; knows limitations of his voice and does not blow out of proportion; has a clear plan of the concert outlay.
the packed hall was a testimony to this.