Lute, Flute and Chorus Music Concert

Organised by Hyderabad Western Music Forum

At Saptaparni Amphitheatre
On 23rd December 2009
Memories are made of this.
This was an evening to remember for those who showed up for this- it would not be amiss to say
-evening of celestial music. It was an experience that didnt belong in the realities of this strife-torn
time in Hyderabad. It was an evening of music that fused and combined. It was music of unification,
tranquility and peace with the world.
A Separate Reality
The whole evening, organised by the Hyderabad Western Music Forum, transported all of us, music
lovers and musicians, into an otherworldly realm.
A separate reality prevailed over all of us who were fortunate to experience this musical bounty at
Saptaparni, the open air amphitheatre itself an artists delight. Small -seating around 150 - with a
frangipani tree on the stage.
Programme Notes
The programme though disparate, was cohesive and entertaining. The evenings programme was built
around the principal artiste, the Lutenist, Andre Henrich. Andre Henrich, from Germany, and based in
Paris since 2002, has given several premiere performances. He has worked with renowned Ensembles
and has performed throughout Europe and the USA and also in Japan, Taiwan and Egypt. And now India!
St Francis Womens College Choral Ensemble, the gifted Hyderabad based college choir.
Nagaraju, the sensational Indian classical flautist from Hyderabad who is a popularly known as Flute
Nagaraju.
. The St Francis College for Women Choral Ensemble opened the evenings programme. Around
24 young women between the ages of 17 to 20, filed in, uniformly clad, elegant in burgundy with gold
trimming. They opened the evening with Dona Nobis Pacem (give us peace), a traditional Latin hymn,
this they did Acapella, singing without instrumental accompaniment harmonising like a band of angels
with one of the girls conducting. They continued with two Christmas carols, It came upon a Midnight
Clear, and Emmanuel and ended the Christmas music with a delightful Acapella rendition of Carol of
the Bells, displaying a high level of musicianship. The choir ended their session with Lean on Me by
Bill Withers, and Unwritten by Natasha Bedington.
For some songs, the chorus was accompanied by guitar and on some with guitar and violin. The violinist
tone was warm, rich and full; very seldom heard in Hyderabad. Some of the songs were adapted and
arranged for this group by the singers themselves. They sang without referring to music, and they sang
all but one song, without a conductor.
The Chorale really shone, intensifying the beauty of every song! The harmonies and graceful lines of
this womens chorale sounded even better than the more familiar mixed-voice choirs we are used to
hearing. The discipline and harmony displayed by this truly talented group was an object lesson in
choral music for all the choirs in the city. They were beyond doubt, outstanding!
. The Main Event - Andre Henrich. Lutenist Extraordinaire!
Andre Henrich is one of the few musicians in the world who plays the Lute, a medieval string instrument
which we had previously only heard or read about as the accompanying instruments of troubadours
and wandering minstrels in medieval Europe.
To hear this unusual instrument was worth waiting a lifetime for. The Lutenist, Andre Henrich,
introduced the audience to the Lute. It is an instrument which could have gone extinct like some of the
other early instruments, but was kept alive by a few lutenists, composers and lute makers. The Lutenist
also spoke about each piece before he played, putting them in clear context. He played music
appropriate to the Lute by the composers Ennemond & Denis Gaultier, Francois Dufaut, Esaias Reusner,
Johann and Silvius Leopold Weiss - music of the 16 th and 17th century European renaissance. Amongst
the pieces played, the only composer familiar to this reporter was Johann Sebastian Bach.

And what can one say about his playing, when eminent music critics in Europe and USA have said that
he is wonderful, stylish - of rarely heard brilliance.
We can only say that we were awed at Andres artistry, and his distinctive and evocative sound; the
sureness of his touch and the delicacy of tone which he drew from the instrument and which matched
his gentle demeanour. Hyderabad has been fortunate to host an eminent musician of Andre Henrichs
stature.
. Last, but definitely not the least Nagaraju on Flute
Flute Nagaraju is a dazzling talent, an artiste whose Bamboo Flute leads the listener into a world
beyond the aural
senses, he is a pied piper of emotion, where your feelings follow the sounds his flute produces.
Baroque Fusion - The first two tunes in this session were pieces by Handel, which Nagaraju played in
duet with Andre Henrich, a first duet of this kind, possibly in the world! It was a historic confluence of
music. It didnt sound like Nagaraju was playing Handel for the first time; he played with such
assurance, his flute sounded so compatible with the Lute. And Andre Henrich played along as if they
had played together before. Yet it was a first for both the musicians. We, the audience felt we were in
the presence of greatness. It was indeed a historic occasion.
Raga - Nagaraju then played solo flute, drawing on an Indian classical raga. Flute Nagaraju used the
whole gamut of playing technique, blowing in a variety of styles, now staccato, now easy, loud, soft,
gentle, bending notes, shaking them, stirring them, creating waves of sound, pulling notes upwards and
down; his fingers sometimes seeming to blur. But every note transported you on a sensual journey, and
when the raga ended, the listeners were returned to their senses and another reality, exhilarated with
the journey!
Duet on a head arrangement - The programme ended with Andre Henrich dueting again on a
head arrangement that Nagaraju and he had devised, which left both of them room for spontaneous
invention. Nagaraju of course, is adept at improvisation, as it is the Indian classical musicians way of
life. But Andre Henrich rose to the occasion and creatively developed the theme during his solo, and did
well too, seeming to enjoy the experience. It was so delightful to hear a western classical musician,
whose art is in interpreting music that is written down, going with the flow, offering himself up to the
challenge of instant creativity, and enjoying the moment! It was another first in the world ever! And we
were there! It was incredible experience!
Thats all folks! The show ended. And we were loath to leave.
Sharing Music. Creating Harmony
While partaking of the tea, cake and samosas after the concert, some of the musicians who attended
the concert said that this was the best concert that they had been to. Many from the audience
expressed their wish for more concerts because the music was so fulfilling. The Trustees of the
Hyderabad Western Music Forum assured the audience that there would be more concerts. This was the
opening overture. Not the finale. There would be more to come.