On October 31, the Calcutta School of Music presented Berenice Da Gama Rose and Neecia Majolly in a concert at the Sandré Hall. Majolly is well known for surprising her audience with an astonishing range of skills. An accomplished pianist, singer, teacher and composer, she is also the founder and conductor of Camerata, a Bangalore-based choir, which has recently released its first album in India.

Berenice Da Gama Rose was here for the first time, and presented a formidable repertoire starting with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Berenice, who possesses an excellent technique, played the challenges of each of the “Pictures” with ease and dexterity. This, however, is a work that needs to mature and one is convinced that it will do so with time and when Berenice gets over her dependence on the written score. Some of the movements fell short of the required emotional interpretation. For instance, both Gnome and the Hut of Baba Yaga lacked the elements of excitement and terror

The selection of the pieces that followed, by three Argentinian composers, Alberto Ginastera, Carlos Guastavino and Astor Piazzolla, was sensitive and the music proved to be a refreshing change from the romantic and modern repertory.

But it was in the second half of the evening that Berenice proved her skills as a sensitive and intuitive accompanist when she partnered Neecia Majolly in a recital of selections from popular Broadway musicals.

Neecia’s voice, though small, has a lovely clarity that can really hit those high notes with apparent ease. Her sense of humour came through all the way as well. Perhaps there was a little too much of hand gestures, but they certainly signified the spirit of true entertainment as she came in singing There’s No Business Like Show Business from Annie Get Your Gun. Her voice was always in true pitch and she demonstrated a sense of timing too. Berenice displayed a wonderful ability to follow the nuances of the singer’s voice as well as to bring out the expressive introductions that set the mood for the songs that followed.

The evening was a delightful combination of the serious, the romantic and the lighthearted. It is a pity that attendance during concerts by gifted artists is sparse, and hence is far from encouraging.