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Renowned musician Neyveli Santhanagopalan directed the  innovative Carnatic choir performance

Congregational singing is alien to Indian classical music. Thyagaraja Pancharatna Kirtanas and bhajans are perhaps the only exceptions.

But Irinjalakuda-based Varaveena School of Music made history recently by presenting a singular programme Carnatic Epic Choir directed by the veteran musician Neyveli Santhalagopalan.

 Interestingly, a contingent of one hundred musicians belonging to the age group of seven to seventy sang eight select compositions, thereby proving the efficacy of group singing in Carnatic music.

This novel venture was staged at the Regional Theater of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Thrissur before an invited audience. Each composition was received with roaring ovations.

Santhanagopalan himself directed each song standing on the stage facing the contingent, very much on the lines of a conductor of Western music.

Musical ingenuity

The group opened with