The fifth day concert of the annual Music Festival of Sri Sathguru Sangeetha Samajam was started by Vijayalakshmi Subramanyan with a customary Hamsadvani varnam at the Lakshmi Sundaram Hall here on Friday.
Next, her propitiation of Lord Muruga, through Dikshithar’s ‘Sri Guruguha’ in Sudha Saveri, on Karthigai day was appropriate.
An appreciable aspect of the concert was that the singer’s enunciation brought out the devotion intrinsic to the kritis, such as ‘Hecharika’ and ‘Marivere,’ both Thyagaraja kritis, the first in Yadukulakamboji and the second in Shanmukhapriya.
V. V. S. Murari on the violin was able to produce the same emotive quality through his accompaniment.
Her alapana in Malayamarutham was thorough and a welcome change for the listeners. The main song too was a rare piece beginning with the name of the raga, at the end of which she produced charanaswarams, in Nalinakanthi, Lalitha and Nattakurinji.
Palladam Ravi on the mrudangam and Tiruchi S. Krishnaswamy on the gatam played their roles impeccably all through the concert, particularly during the thani.
Just as Sanjay had sung ‘Kana kankodi vendum,’ Vijayalakshmi sang Kana vendum laksham kangal,’ a prayer by Arunachala Kavirayar in which he describes the beauty of Sita.
The final song was another rarely heard kriti in Kamas by Muthuthandavar, beginning, ‘Karuvil varayo.’
The concert was interesting and entertaining, thereby fulfilling the expectation of the audience.