Group celebrates first milestone of musical journey
A new concept was conceived for Mother’s Day in May 2009. It was meant to be a gift to all mothers – a gift that enabled them to sing; to re-kindle their desire to learn music and bring back singing into their homes.
While some had learned to sing as a child others didn’t even know they could sing until they tried, encouraged by the Bhakti Sangeetha Group that met, learned, practiced and finally gave concerts at the Sandrigham Community Centre and elsewhere over the past year. “In a sense, therefore, this is an adult education programme of sorts,” says Vasantha Kalbagal, who initiated and led the programme.
The group celebrated its first anniversary with a Bhakti Sangeetha Annual Day on June 27.
The participants trained in workshops spread across four Sundays, where they learned 25 songs written by different composers in several languages – all belonging to Carnatic classical music.
The Goshti Gayana group, as the group calls itself, has been invited to perform on several different occasions, starting from the Janmashtmi celebrations at Isckon last year. “They have learned about 100 songs in a year, and are confident in performing about 25 of them, which is an impressive number,” Ms Kalbagal says.
The participants have displayed dedication and devotion toward learning music. In spite of not having learnt the basics and understanding concepts such as swara and laya, they are committed to it. It stands as a testimony to the greatness of the composers, whose compositions are able to reach out to un-trained music appreciators. They have learnt compositions of great composers like Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa, GNB, Annamacharya, Badrachala Ramadas, Sambashiva Iyer, Papanasham Shivan, Mysore Vasudevacharya, Soordas as also those of the new generation of composers.
On the occasion of its anniversary, the Goshti Gayana Group gave a 35 minute musical presentation of a few compositions. Before they began, they paid respects to the teachers who have contributed indirectly to this workshop.
The programme was well attended and some in the audience said that the highlight was Soor Das’s “Darshana Do Ghana shyam,” and “Bandano Manege Vittala” which brought tears to their eyes.
Speaking on the occasion chief guest, Dev Nadkarni, the group editor in chief of the Indian Weekender recognised and appreciated the sustenance of a project like this, which progressed consistently for a year. Dr. Ashok Malur, the President of the New Zealand Karnatic Music Society presiding the function urged the participants to carry forward music to the next generation.
A new concept was conceived for Mother’s Day in May 2009. It was meant to be a gift to all mothers – a gift that enabled them to sing; to re-kindle their desire to learn music and bring back singing into their homes. While some had learned to sing as a child others didn’t even know they could...
A new concept was conceived for Mother’s Day in May 2009. It was meant to be a gift to all mothers – a gift that enabled them to sing; to re-kindle their desire to learn music and bring back singing into their homes.
While some had learned to sing as a child others didn’t even know they could sing until they tried, encouraged by the Bhakti Sangeetha Group that met, learned, practiced and finally gave concerts at the Sandrigham Community Centre and elsewhere over the past year. “In a sense, therefore, this is an adult education programme of sorts,” says Vasantha Kalbagal, who initiated and led the programme.
The group celebrated its first anniversary with a Bhakti Sangeetha Annual Day on June 27.
The participants trained in workshops spread across four Sundays, where they learned 25 songs written by different composers in several languages – all belonging to Carnatic classical music.
The Goshti Gayana group, as the group calls itself, has been invited to perform on several different occasions, starting from the Janmashtmi celebrations at Isckon last year. “They have learned about 100 songs in a year, and are confident in performing about 25 of them, which is an impressive number,” Ms Kalbagal says.
The participants have displayed dedication and devotion toward learning music. In spite of not having learnt the basics and understanding concepts such as swara and laya, they are committed to it. It stands as a testimony to the greatness of the composers, whose compositions are able to reach out to un-trained music appreciators. They have learnt compositions of great composers like Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa, GNB, Annamacharya, Badrachala Ramadas, Sambashiva Iyer, Papanasham Shivan, Mysore Vasudevacharya, Soordas as also those of the new generation of composers.
On the occasion of its anniversary, the Goshti Gayana Group gave a 35 minute musical presentation of a few compositions. Before they began, they paid respects to the teachers who have contributed indirectly to this workshop.
The programme was well attended and some in the audience said that the highlight was Soor Das’s “Darshana Do Ghana shyam,” and “Bandano Manege Vittala” which brought tears to their eyes.
Speaking on the occasion chief guest, Dev Nadkarni, the group editor in chief of the Indian Weekender recognised and appreciated the sustenance of a project like this, which progressed consistently for a year. Dr. Ashok Malur, the President of the New Zealand Karnatic Music Society presiding the function urged the participants to carry forward music to the next generation.
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