Our own Sangeetha Natak Akademi once in a while does the right thing at the right time. The latest in this category is the honouring of young artistes. Yes, Sikkil Gurucharan, our dear young Carnatic Vocalist, Akkarai S Subhalakshmi, violin artiste, C Lavanya Ananth, Bharathanatyam artiste and K S R Anirudha, Mridhangam artiste for Bharathanatyam are the recipients of this year's Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Award. They are young, but accomplished artistyes from our part of the country.

Congratulations to the awardees and the Academi.

At a function in Chennai on Monday, the 2nd of June, to felicitate them, Akkarai sisters Subhalakshmi and Swarnalatha gave a scintillating Violin duo performance. It is easy to perform solo – especially in classical music. That is because you can create on the spot. A duo needs a lot of practice to achieve synchronisation. Both will have to weave the patterns alike. It is difficult. And the Akkarai duo achieved the difficult with effortless ease.

The concert commenced with a rare Vasantha varnam. At the very beginning, they brought out the emotive richness. The gamakaas were full of life.

Then followed a brief essay in Hamsadhwani, as a prelude to Varanamukhavaa. They did succeed in bringing out the essence of the Krithi with brisk and well carved-out passages.

Swarnalatha's essay in Ananda Bhairavi reminded one of Suswaram Sundaresa Iyer. I have heard him delienating the Raga in all its beauty and charm. The popular Marivere was rendered by them with all its harmonious grandeur.

Then followed the piece de resistance, Intha Soukhyamaninae of Saint Thyagaraja. The Kapi they offered was 100% pure degree Kapi of Kumbakonam, nay Thiruvaiyaru.(Incidentally, the performance was at New Woodlands!!

They wound up the one-hour concert with a Thillana in desh. M D Ramanathan used to say that if you don't sing the Raga correctly, it will become paradesh! I think K V Prasad on the Mridangam knows every twist and turn of the Thillana. He literally played the Thillana on Mridangam. Sri Sundar Kumar, on the Kanjira was, as usual brilliant.

After a long time, I had the satisfaction of listening to a fulsome classical treat.

H RAMAKRISHNAN