Sudha and Srividhya are promising siblings. They presented their concert with sangfroid in the junior segment. Blessed with sonorous and almost identical voices, they steered their vocal recital in the right direction via the time-tested conventional path. They chose Kapi and Sankarabharanam for detailed treatment and each raga alapana was done by them independently.
Kapi is a raga with enough scope for an intelligent singer to exploit. The treatise by Srividhya was impressive and the kriti was ‘Inta sowkya’ of Tyagaraja was sung with élan. Though not extraordinary, Sankarabharanam also was satisfying with the forays Sudha made. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Akshaya linga’ and the niraval and swara paths were tackled with care including the once popular notes of ‘ga ma pa ma ga- ri ga sa ri ga’ refrain in the swara course.
Other pieces worthy of mention were ‘Gana rajena’ in Arabhi by Dikshitar, ‘Nee daya rada’ in Vasanthabhairavi by Tyagaraja and ‘Lambodara sodara’ in Kalyani of Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar. Except for Arabhi and Sankarabharanam, the songs were not accompanied by swara sallies. Their care was more on structuring the raga and presenting the compositions with clarity and bhava. Sayee Rakshit played the violin with assurance. Gopal Ravindran’s mridangam was crisp.
