Reminiscing about historical places, or those tied intrinsically to our heritage, could never have been better. And what better way to do it than by rendering the immemorial songs that eulogise such places, coupled with a lecture about their significance? A concert series, Kshetra Sangeetham, by noted vocalist Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam and her students, has proven the same.
“We wanted to do a thematic concert series about the ‘kshetras’, places with spiritual and historical significance. One suggestion led to another that led to the birth of Kshetra Sangeetham,” she explains.
The vocalist also points out that the kshetras are steeped in history and culture, which acts as a magnet to visitors. She adds that with the concert series, she would like to highlight the scores of composers who received inspirations from such places, leading them to compose songs and devotional hymns. ‘
“The Pasuram and Thiruppavai were composed during the era of Alwars; the Thiruppugazh during that of the Nayanars. All of these compositions hold special place in our history.”
The singer thanks the encouraging support of Krishnaswamy, secretary of the Krishna Gana Sabha, without which the concert may not have become successful. The singer, till date, has covered over 14 kshetrams over the last three years. The 15th in the Kshetram series will be held at the Narada Gana Sabha on February 12, with emphasis on Tiruttani.
A presentation about the place in question, its cultural uniqueness and the inspiration it has provided to various composers, precedes the concert.
Speaking about the concert format of Kshetra Sangeetham, she says that it isn’t very different from that of regular concerts.
“The content of such concerts should interest listeners. For those interested in history or archaeology of the place, the lectures by experts should be of appeal to them.”
The research on Kshetra Sangeetham took around two months, with her students helping with the basic research. Preparing a content for each Kshetra concert was another challenge. “There have been kshetras of different places with songs that may not be understood by audiences,” she explains.
Such aspects have thrown up challenges. Until now, among the places covered as part of the concert series include Chidambaram, Chennai, Tiruvaiyaru, Tirupati, Tiruchendur and Vaitheeshwaran Koil.