A moment when the work of a legendary poet and a composer are used in a perfectly complementary manner is rare. Yet, the union of Nazrul’s poem, “Barangana”, by Rezaul Hossain Tito and D.L. Roy’s famous song, “Potitodharini Gange”, by the students of Nupurchhanda Ghosh was one such moment. It left an indelible impact on the audience at a recent recital of Unforgettable Songs held at ICCR. Hossain’s dulcet voice conveyed the depth of the revolutionary poet’s words, while the 50-odd voices that backed him were traditional in style but collaborative.

Ghosh presented a series of six solo songs in her usual assured style. Most of them were popular numbers, but Ghosh’s training and stage presence added to their charm. “Aami akriti adham” and “Aaji eshechi” set the mood, but “Aaye re basanta” and “Modhukoli elo holi” — with refrain similar to “Brojogopi khele holi” — were most striking. The chorus gave a fillip to “Hao dhormete dhir” and “Bolo bolo shobe” and displayed class and good training. The accompanying musicians — Partha Mukherjee (tabla), Surojit Chakraborty (keyboard) and Alok Roychowdhury (effects) — made just the right noises.