December Music Season: Some venues are sporting a strikingly new look  

At the auditorium of Spastic Society of Tamilnadu

After many years, the curtains will be up on what used to be Bharata Kalanjali’s annual event, ‘Sangeethotsavam’. The two-day event opens on December 29 at the auditorium of Spastic Society of Tamilnadu in Taramani.

With no fixed seats, the space promises an all-new experience for art lovers. Reportedly, the facility comes with ample parking space.

“We have worked on the auditorium in terms of the flooring, curtains and stage,” says Satyajit Dhananjayan, son of VP Dhananjayan.

He says Sangeethotsavam is going through a revival phase, as it is being organised after a lull extending beyond 10 years.

While Spastic Society of Tamilnadu is the owner of the space, Dhananjayans are promoting the space, throwing it open to the public for them to rent through the year at a reasonable fee.

He says the space has a unique charm and can be used for multiple purposes including workshops, exhibitions and even kalaripayattu training. On the question of acoustics, Satyajit strikes a candid note, saying it is still a work in progress. “We are talking to sound engineers and improvising on what is available,” he says.

In a communication to The Hindu Downtown, VP Dhananjayan writes that the renovated theatre space will be inaugurated by the Governor. Following the inauguration, there would be a performance by the senior artistes of the dance school and a violin recital by Kalaiarasan.

Not very far away from Taramani, MS Subbulakshmi Arangam at Asian College of Journalism will witness its first big event since being opened after the pandemic. MadRasana Festival is being held for the first time at this venue from December 23 to December 27, where the main highlight is that some of host perform without mikes.

According to a note about this facility, the auditorium has acoustics that it can write home about. The seating arrangement is engineered to offer a sense of intimacy between the performers and the audience. Between concerts, one can relax on the beautiful lawns of the campus which comes with a canteen.