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Musician’s services recalled

— PHOTO: K.K. Najeeb

In memory: A choral music programme being held in Thrissur on Thursday at a music festival in memory of Philip V. Francis.

Thrissur: A music festival organised by Piano in remembrance of musician Philip V. Francis began on Thursday.

Inaugurating the three-day festival, music directors Berny-Iganatius said that Philip’s interdisciplinary approach to music made a difference in his career.

“Very few people in the music industry have a similar outlook. He was a vocalist, composer and a tabla-player. The tone of his tabla-playing was commendable. He also delivered good results as a vocalist,” Mr. Berny recalled.

Mr. Ignatius said that Philip could realise only a few of his brilliant ideas during his brief life.

“In our conversations, I could sense a man who was raring to experiment. He had several off-beat projects up his sleeve.”

Metropolitan of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Aprem said that Philip’s greatest achievement was that he took music closer to people.

“He used music to spread joy and peace. Thus, he used it for the benefit of society. His services did not get adequate recognition. Yet, he worked tirelessly to give wings to his ideas,” he added.

Mayor R. Bindu, director Babu Narayanan, P. C. Thomas and Pisharody Chandran were present.

A choral music programme by Sruthi School of Liturgical Music of the Orthodox Syrian Church followed the meeting. Fr. M. P. George conducted the choir.

A choir led by Fr. George had won the first prize in the Tenth International Festival of Orthodox Chants held at Minsk in Belarus from April 29 to May 3. Forty-five choral groups from different countries, including Russia, Latvia, Lituania, Georgia, France, Romania, Ukraine, Armenia, Poland, Armenia and the Netherlands, had taken part in the contest. The jury included Mitroforny Archpriest Feodor Povniy and Alexander Anisimov, chief conductor and artistic director of the State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Belarus.

On Friday, Piano’s music festival will felicitate vocalists V. Gopala Bhagavathar, R. Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Sudha Varma, and instrumentalists Thrissur David, Puthur Rajan and V. K. Unniraj.

A western music show by Nomads will follow. It will feature Krishnakumar and Sarina on the vocals, Stephy on the keyboards, Johnson John, C. T. Francis and Joel Samuel on the guitar, and Babu Varghese on the drums.

On Saturday, a programme of film songs, titled ‘Thushara Bindukkal’ will be presented.

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