Hot music on a hot night

Woodstock's student musicians arrived back in Mussoorie on Sunday evening after a whirlwind trip to Delhi to play on Saturday night before an appreciative audience at the Pipal Tree Amphitheatre, part of the renowned Akshara Theatre. Well-known theatre personalities Gopal Sharman and Jalabala Vaidya, founder-directors of the Akshara Theatre, welcomed more than forty musicians who entertained the 400-plus crowd with a wide variety of music.

The daytime heat still filled the theatre as the jazz band took the stage, and the temperature rose further as the hot sounds of classic jazz filled the air. They were followed by the school's chamber choir, fourteen voices in perfect harmony. The intensely sad setting of the war poem "In Flanders Field" held the listeners spellbound. The first half ended with two fragile and evocative ragas performed on sitar and santoor respectively.

The second half added to the variety with two Western classical pieces performed by the student chamber ensemble and then the faculty string quartet. This second piece was composed by Zingrin Shishak. A member of the Woodstock music faculty, and it gained a very warm reception. After more from the choir, the jazz band closed the programme with more up-tempo music, and the evening concluded with Jalabala Vaidya performing an impromptu jazz dance with MC Pete Wildman while the band played the audience out.

The concert was a fundraising event for Woodstock School, and in excess of one lakh was raised after all expenses were covered by sponsors, which will benefit the school's employees in respect of improvements to their housing. Most happy of all, though, were the performers, who enjoyed a very special night in Delhi.