CHENNAI, September 17: It was classy, and dazzling all through. In a way, it was special, too. The 18 kids on show kept the packed Music Academy hall enthralled as they presented a Carnatic Choir. In the end, it proved to be a full-fledged Carnatic concert comprising all regular features – kritis, tukadas, swara improvisation and even a brief thani avartanam. The one-and-a-half-hour show saw minutes fly without your noticing them! They talked ``nineteen to dozen’’ during the little breaks when they tried their best to make Abinaya akka `regain’ her voice. Neeraj, Surya, Nishanth, Nagasrinidhi, Abhiram, Vibha, Sahana, Tanish, Sindhu, Jannavi, Nityasree, Srutakeerthi, Aishwarya, Gowri, Anagha, Mansa, Ahrthi, and Srutakeerthi, all hailing from Bengaluru, presented a mesmerizing show on the evening of September 15.

The entire show was weaved into a story of sort. Upset that their `akka’ lost her voice while singing with them. The kids invoke Gods by rendering some well-known Trinity numbers. They keep singing, but their ``akka’ was not getting her voice back. Finally, they force her to attempt singing. And, finally their beloved `akka’ gets her voice back, and outcomes the racy ``thillana’’.

Poornima Satish played the music instructor to perfection. Does music have a therapeutic value? Yes, indeed. Even in the past, many composers have proved it. This was indeed the theme for the evening show.

The auditorium was filled with people of assorted sorts – children, college students, older ones etc. – cutting across social canvass. A few have come in with their young babies on hand!

It was amazing to see the discipline in the audience. Excepting claps at the end of each number, there was pin-drop of silence. None got out of the hall during the brief talam session (as you usually notice in a regular concert). And, the children on stage sat down dropping perfect beats on their palms, counting talam!

Bombay Jayashri has done it yet again. Bhoomija, a trust set up to promote performing arts, initially asked Jayashri to do a solo concert to help raise funds for Drishti Eye Care. She, however, had different thoughts. She decided to train young children to sing Carnatic music. Thus born Carnatic Choir, conceptualized and directed by Jayashri.

It isn’t that easy to train kids. It is tougher still to get perfection out of them. Well, Jayashri has done that. These children stood simple, and were elegantly dressed in pink colours to sing the songs of the Trinity with great composure and perfection.

Bombay Jayashri’s disciples - Poornima Satish, Abhinaya Shenbagaraj, Pavitra Ramesh, Swetha Sriram and Meera Sundar - had in fact strictly followed their guru’s instruction to impart music knowledge to these kids to make this event a grand success.

As soon as the performing kids assembled on stage, the little boy in the first row started “Raga Sudha Rasa Panamu Jesi”of Saint Thyagaraja. He was then followed by other kids. It was a fine alap by the children. After this, Abhinaya akka (as they fondly address her) lost her voice. Consequently, she was ``forced to sit’ on the dais along with accompanying artistes! The children were accompanied by a host of artistes - Meera Sundar and K.J. Dileep on the Violin; two little girls on Tanpura; Sumesh Narayan on Mridangam; and a Ghatam artiste.

They prayed Lord Ram by rendering “Vandanamu Raghunandana” of Thyagaraja in Sahana to cure their akka. This was followed by a swaravali singing and “Sobhillu Saptaswara”.

They then sang “O Jagadamba” in Anandabhariravi. It proved hot, and they jumped around. So, they prostrated Goddess with an Amirthavarshi kriti “Anandamritha Karshini” of Dikshitar, rubbing their hands for rain and wind to bring coolness around. Children in the auditorium were looking wide-eyed to see what would happen next. The children then sat down in a horse-shoe formation for a talam session with claps, counting beats. On completion of each song, a kid would enquire: Akka are you alright? Not yet. Disappointed, they would go back to invoke God again. This time they would try Bilahari, as suggested by a genius among them. “Na Jeevadhara” of Thyagaraja was impeccable. Their rendering style and dedication defied their age. They went on to render a ragamalika “Teerada Vilayattu Pillai” with simple but impressive swaras at each change in raga. One boy played Krishna by pulling the plait of his team mate when the line “Pinnalai Pinninru Ihzupaan” was rendered, and he was promptly lauded for his good deed by his colleagues! Finally, they called Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, for help. They sang “Krishna Ne Begane Baro” in Yamuna Kalyani. Finally, the children dragged their Abhinaya akka to sing with them a tillana. Oh Goodness! She got her beautiful voice back! The children sang for joy, and a song dedicated to Kanchi Paramacharya made famous by Nightingale M.S.Subbulakshmi was sung solemnly by all.

It was a chaste, and an unalloyed music by the children. It was indeed an evening to cherish for all those who made it to The Music Academy.