The Double Header and Triple Play concert events at the Chinmaya Mission, Boston in Andover have become events much anticipated by the music fans, not only from Boston but also from other states as far away as California, Arizona and Oregon.

This year's event was held at the Chinmaya Maruti Auditorium as in the past years and featured world renowned Carnatic music artists Ranjani and Gayatri on April 29th and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sanjay Subrahmanyan on April 30th. Both concerts were sold out days ahead of the program. Music fans from California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire attended the concerts along with the Boston faithful.

Sisters Ranjani and Gayatri started their concert with the well known kriti Siddhi Vinayakam in raga Shanmugapriya by Sri Muduswamy Dikshitar. Beautiful rendition of this kriti was followed by crisp and precise swara kalpana by both sisters and M. Rajeev who accompanied them on the violin. After performing kritis Nee Irangayenil in Atana, Aagadello in Purvikalyani and Subbaraya Sastry's master piece Janani Ninnuvina in Reetigowla the sisters moved on to the main piece of the evening Oh Rangasayee in Kamboji. A beautiful and soulful alapana of the raga Kamboji was performed by Ranjani and ended with a masterful thani avarthanam on the mridangam by Vidwan Sai Giridhar.

After a quick rendition of Sevikka vendumaiya in raga Andholika Ranjani and Gayatri started the RTP of the evening in raga Sindhubhairavi. An amazing alapana of the raga was performed by Gayatri who is a master of Graha/Shruthi bedam. She also explained how by shifting the base note Sa to Sindhubhairavi's Ga she was able to bring raga Thilang and this explanation proved to be very valuable to all audience and especially the several music students who attended this concert. Their pallavi was in Chathusra jathi Thriputai tala in Khanda nadai. The sisters then captured the hearts and minds of the audience by singing a Virutham that was full of bhava (expression) in ragamalika using ragas Bilahari, Saveri and Behag and followed it with the tamil kriti Muruganin Maru Peyar Azhagu. The sisters' concert cannot end without them performing a marathi abhang or two, many of which they tune themselves and this concert was no exception. After a beautiful Meera bhajan that depicts the monsoon season and Meera's love for Giridhari in raga Meghamandar they performed the abhang Vittomachala that was requested by many in the audience. The audience left with their ear full of music and heart and mind full of satisfaction after the concert.

The concert on the 30th of April was by Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sanjay Subrahmanian who was accompanied on the violin by Vidwan S. Varadharajan and on the mridangam by Vidwan Neyveli Venkatesh. Audience started arriving at least an hour before the concert.

Sanjay started the concert with Nenarunchi, a Ata tala varnam in raga Balahamsa by Patnam Subramanya Iyer. Then came the beautiful kriti Sama Geetha Priyan in Gowla raga and this was followed by Evarikai Avatharame in Devamanohari by Thyagaraja in Misra Chapu tala. Then came the very well conceived Varali alapana and the kriti Ne Pogadakonde. He sang a few rounds of neraval and swara kalpana mostly in mel kalam (second speed). Raga Harikamboji was taken as the sub main of the evening. The alapana was amazing with Sanjay squeezing every possible phrases out of the raga and the kriti (Kamala) Padamalarinai maravade. His rendition of the Hindola raga kriti Neerajakshi composed by Muduswamy Dikshidar melted the souls of the audience. The gem and center piece of the evening was the RTP in Bhairavi set to Misra jathi Ata tala, the sahithyam set to gopucha yati....Malai Pozhudhu pochude...yennasai Kannalane....aasai kannalane....kannalane. Sanjay's alapana of Bhairavi did not leave anything to the imagination of the audience. His long karvais drew spontaneous applause and a standing ovation from the delighted audience. This was followed by an elaborate ragamalika thanam before the pallavi. The thani avarthanam by Vidwan Neyveli Venkatesh that came at the end of the RTP was mesmerizing and induced another spontaneous standing ovation. Sanjay fulfilled the requests that came from the audience including children with thukkadas such as Harivasarathe in SIndhubhairavi, Ninnaiye Rathiyenru in Bageshri, Haridasulu in Yamunakalyani, Virutham in ragamalika followed by Yeppo varuvaro in Jonpuri, Akilacharachara in Kamas in praise of Lord Kapaleeswara and the concluding piece Thodi raga thillana by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar.

Accompanist Vidwan S. Varadharajan matched Sanjay note per note and answered everyone of his challenges. 

The organizers Chinmaya Mission should be very proud of the quality of the artists they bring, the punctual start, paying attention to every minute details and their customer relationship. A rasika who attended and wrote reviews of these concerts for rasikas.org didn't fail to notice that and included the following in the review..... A special note of thanks to the organizers, who seriously impressed with their professionalism in the brief opening remarks, the license given to musicians, the punctual starts of the concerts, and the ambience at the Chinmaya Mission auditorium. Kudos.

Rajesh Godbole, an organizer and promoter of Hindustani Music in the Boston area said the following after attending this concert....."Sanjay Subrahmanian is once in a generation kind of an artist! Intellect, Sur, Bhav, Layakari, Kahen...its all there. What overshadowed it all was the Asar...it is difficult to get over the sheer impact of what just hit you. I have not heard such an emotional Malkauns and Bhairavi in my life so far. As remarkable as the artist was the audience. Concert started on the dot.Straight 4 hrs and 15 minutes of emotional roller coaster ride. Not a single person including children moved or stopped giving talam. Non stop music and focus. Heavy stuff  for an ordinary Hindustani music listener like me."

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