Sabha Gayan (Mehfil/Concert)

It is common to see different views on what makes a good concert. But there would be some common factors that emerge through all these different opinions. The most important aspect in ‘sabha-gaayan’ is the soft expression on the face of the singer or instrumentalist, while singing or playing. One should only have such expressions which are conducive to the performance, and which would have an effect on the audience. The audience must in no way feel any kind of aggression and artificiality in the appearance of the musician. On the other hand, one should have expressions which would involve the listener.

The second question that comes up is: how should one present one’s music to the audience in a performance? In my opinion, the performer should present it in accordance with the various existing traditions. These should not be compromised in any way. In this regard, there is one point that cannot be debated: it is very important to take care that the audience does not get bored in the course of a performance. It is not necessarily true that a scholarly singer/instrumentalist is a good performer. Therefore, it is essential for the singer/instrumentalist to study the minds of his/her audience. One should take the level of the listeners into account, and present the concert accordingly.

For example, if the audience is not aware of the nuances of classical music and likes what sounds good to the ear, and if the performer presents a difficult and uncommon raag, the audience is sure to be disappointed. In such a situation, if the singer/instrumentalist performs a raag which is commonly heard and thus familiar, the concert will definitely be a success. On the other hand, if one has a learned audience, which is well-versed with the finer points of classical music, and if the performer sings/plays an unusual raag, which has been handed down through tradition, the listeners will surely appreciate the musician’s skill and talent. The choice of ‘raag’ for a concert is extremely important; thus, one should not sing different ‘raag’ with the same mood one after the other.

Also, a ‘purva-raag’ should not follow an ‘uttar-raag’. Similarly, there should be a ‘bandish’ in fast tempo (‘drut’) after a slow ‘bandish’ (‘vilambit’), and there should be a range of compositions here - for example, ‘tritaal’, ‘drut ektaal’, ‘tarana’, etc. Every singer must take his/her voice quality and strong and weak points into consideration, and present the concert accordingly. For example, if a singer’s voice is thin and ideal for fast ‘taans’, he/she should avoid singing ‘weighty’ ‘raags’ like Puriya, Darbari, Malhar, etc. On the other hand, if the singer has a deep voice, he/she should not choose ‘raags’ which are light in nature, and different types such as thumri, bhajan, natyasangeet, etc.

These factors given above are some of my humble opinions regarding ‘sabha-gaayan’.
Courtesy info: Pt. Madhav Ingle (Gwalior Gharana)