Remembering ESS Iyer
A Remembrance Day in honour of E.S. Sankaranarayana Iyer has been organised by Maragatham Sankaranarayanan Trust and Brahma Gana Sabha on December 2 at 6 p.m. There will be a recital of E.S.S.Iyer's compositions by his great granddaughter Savitha Kartik. The venue is Sivagami Pethachi Auditorium (inside MCTM School), 179, Luz Church Road.
All India Radio (Chennai, Tiruchi and Madurai) will also broadcast a one-hour concert of kirtanas, composed by ESS Iyer on December 2 from 8.45 a.m. to 9.45 am. It will be rendered by K. Vageesh, director, AIR, Tiruchi.
E.S.S Iyer (1881-1947) was a multi-faceted personality. He was a practising medical man, composer of Carnatic music in Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit, a sportsman, animal lover, freedom fighter and a great human being.
Free treatment
He acquired his knowledge in medicine by working under an English doctor attached to Palayamkottai General Hospital. The doctor was convinced of ESS's knowledge and skill and issued a certificate to ESS, which would enable him to be a practising doctor. ESS gave free medical treatment for the poor.
During the Second World War when medicines were not easily available, he combined various forms of medicine like Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha and so on to treat various illnesses.
His second love was Carnatic music. He was a listener and critic and later began to compose kirtanas in Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit. Most of his compositions were written on dry Palmyra leaves or in standard exercise notebooks. Unfortunately, he could not publish his compositions nor propagate it.
Academy patron
Right from its inception, ESS attended the concerts at Music Academy regularly. He was also one of the founder-members of the Expert Committee of Music Academy. He had to his credit many compositions of Katha Kalakshebam such Valli Thirumanam and so on. In fact he used to conduct these Katha Kalakshebams. He has also written the life history of Bal Gangadhar Tilak as a Kalakshepam and published a book `Thilakar Vijayam.'
He died suddenly in the December of 1947, when he was planning to come to Madras for the music season. After his death, his compositions have gone to the archives as his children had spread all over India and could not devote their time to his work.
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