Tales in tunes & harmony: Tagore finds young voice

Bard and beauty

Aandre Halder got up on stage with his violin, ready to play with the choir. The practice sessions had been tough, with the performers failing to sync with each other, but on the final day, they showcased perfect teamwork.

Music, storytelling and a creative journey characterised the Rabindra Jayanti programme at P.B. Academic School on May 9.

Students from Classes VI to XII took part in an inter-house elocution and dance-drama competition inspired by Tagore’s works.

A buzz of energy took over the school auditorium as students filled the stage with movements, colour and voice. Each house took up one of Tagore’s iconic dance-drama or poem, blending narration, dialogue, dance and live singing to portray timeless tales.

Gandhi (yellow) House clinched the contest with their Chandalika. Their rendition stood out not only for its polished execution but for its message — a compelling call to reject untouchability and embrace human dignity.

Subhash (red) House brought to life the powerful tale of Chitrangada, exploring the contrast between outer beauty and inner strength. Their synchronised performance of Guru guru ghono megh goroje drew a wave of admiration, earning them a commendable second place.

Teresa (blue) House used vivid props to present the bard's poem, Pujarini, the rendition earning them the third place.

Tagore (green) House’s contemplative staging of Balmiki Pratibha secured them the fourth position, offering an interpretation of redemption and transformation.

A 10-member school choir performed Tagore’s Boro asha kore and Tumi kemon kore gaan koro, accompanied by Hindi and English interpretations. The most touching moment was when three specially-abled students from the school’s inclusive department sang Phule phule.

The chief guest and educator Saheli Kar Mukherjee praised the beauty of each act.

"Our school celebrated Rabindra Jayanti in two halves. For the junior classes (up to Class V), we arranged screenings of animated films and short movies based on Tagore’s tales. Meanwhile, students from Classes VI to XII took part in the inter-house elocution competition, where they presented excerpts from Tagore’s renowned works. The children, along with their house mistresses, have worked incredibly hard for this day," said principal Madhuparna Andrews.

In reverence

Harshit Dhanuk of Class III presented a popular Rabindrasangeet in another language. As he sang Ami chini go chini tomarey in Hindi, the audience was transported to another world. Many talents, like his, got a platform as students of St Thomas’ Boys’ School, Kidderpore, celebrated Rabindra Jayanti with a mixed bag of performances on May 8.

The programme began with an opening prayer from Gitanjali by the head of the junior department, Moushumi Andrews.

The chief guest was author Kaberi Roychowdhury. Other guests at the event included the principal of the girls' wing, Rachael Elias, Reverand Arghya Biswas, presbyter, Anglican Church, Australia, and members of the board of governors of St Thomas’ Schools, among others.

Principal Suman Biswas felicitated the guests.

The programme commenced with a flute recital by Atri Chatterjee of Class VII, along with the song, Tumi amader pita, by Rudra Pramanik of Class VIII.

Arij Pradhan of Class VII and Adhiraj Raha of Class IX jointly performed Bhenge mor ghorer chaabi that had the audience humming along.

Md Ammar Ali of Class VII recited the poem, Where The Mind Is Without Fear, while Premjit Saha of Class X presented a guitar recital of Alo amar alo. Sadaf Tabrez of Class XII recited Song 73 from Gitanjali. The children of junior school also put up a performance. Students of Classes I and II performed a group recitation of Taalgaach.

Ayush Kundu of Class III and Abhilash Pal of Class IV recited Lukochuri and Dushtu respectively, evoking the childhood of everyone present. Debsharan Ghosh of Class V recited Mone pora, while classmate Sk. Ayaan Islam recited Kripon.

The teachers also enacted the first scene from the play, Bisarjon, and took part in a group rendition of Tomar khola hawa, among others.

"Tagore is not just a name; he is an emotion that lives in the heart of every Bengali. Celebrating Rabindra Jayanti goes beyond offering homage to this towering genius — it is a moment of reflection, a reaffirmation of our roots. It reminds us that true reverence lies not only in pride for our rich cultural heritage, but also in embracing the values Tagore held dear — universal peace, harmony and the shared bond of humanity," said the principal.

Return to innocence

A hush fell over the auditorium as Photik from Tagore’s The Homecoming lay still on stage, unable to bear the burden of his pain any more. The emotive power of Spandan Chowdhury of Class XI left many teary-eyed.

Students of B.D.M. International had given the evergreen story a new life through movement, colour and music. It was performed as part of a creative presentation, Poth Cholatei Anando, on May 3. More than 200 students took part in the Rabindra Jayanti programme, organised a week before the Nobel laureate’s birth anniversary. Students sang and acted on stage to pay homage to the bard's spirit of freedom and humanity.

The programme began with a medley of Rabindrasangeet by the school choir.

A play, Chhoto Boro, by the Pre-primary kids left the audience cheering.

The star production was Poth Cholatei Anando presented by students of Classes I to XII. It clubbed some of the bard's short stories such as Achalayatan, Tasher Desh, Postmaster, Atithi and others.

Characters such as Ratan, Tarapada, Nirupama and Photik stepped out of the pages and onto the stage, reminding the audience of the freedom they sought.

"On Tagore's 164th birth anniversary, we pause to honour a titan whose influence permeates our culture and emotions. Tagore remains a living presence, guiding us with his wisdom," said principal Madhumita Sengupta.

A musical start

Children entered the gates of Sri Ram Narayan Singh Memorial High School looking resplendent in traditional attire. The girls wore red and white saris and salwar kameez, while the boys stole the show in dhotis and bright kurtas. They set foot on the school grounds determined to begin the new academic session with a bang.

Classes I to V celebrated the Punjabi and Bengali new year with music and dance and got an insight into the life and journey of BR Ambedkar at a programme held in the school auditorium on April 25.

The programme was held in the first two periods of the school, in two slots, before the students returned to regular classes.

Classes I and II began with a bhangra dance performance to the popular song Balle balle te soniye di. Over 25 students matched steps and raised the energy quotient as their friends cheered from the audience.

Next, close to 30 students of Classes III and IV brought alive the spirit of Poila Baisakh with the song Esho Hey Boishakh, and a dance to Poila Shobaar Thaak. The props, emotive power of the performers and their traditional look won hearts. The students were applauded for their hard work as well as talent, putting together the show in just a few days.

Finally, students of Classes III to V were treated to a short film on Ambedkar's life and work. They were made to relive history and learn from it.

"Congratulations to our talented children for their outstanding performances on Poila Baisakh and Baisakhi! Heartfelt thanks to the dedicated teachers for their guidance and creativity and the supportive parents for their encouragement. The celebration was vibrant, memorable and a proud reflection of our rich culture," said principal Puja Mehra.

The right shots

Rishit Dhar of Class IX had spent quality time practising on nets, along with his regular school and classes.

His hard work paid off when he clinched the best batsman of the tournament award and victory for the home team at the first edition of Bharpai Devi Memorial Cup, 2025, an Under-16 inter-school cricket tournament organised by Delhi Public School (Joka), South Kolkata.

The event commemorated the death anniversary of philanthropist Bharpai Devi. The pre-quarter finals and quarter-finals were held on April 28 and 30, respectively. The semis and final took place on May 2.

The participating institutions included Future Foundation School, Delhi Public School, Newtown, Delhi Public School, Ruby Park, Asian International School and others.

The chief guest on the final day was cricketer Duttetreyo Mukherjee and the guest of honour was Gautam Mitra, inspector-in-charge, Bishnupur police station.

The event commenced with a floral tribute to Bharpai Devi Agarwal by pro-vice chairman of the institution, Pawan Agarwal, director Deepak Agarwal, principal and the guests. The final was between the host team and Future Foundation School.

Future Foundation School won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 63 runs for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 10 overs. In a nail-biting finish, Delhi Public School (Joka), South Kolkata, scored 67 Runs, winning by 10 wickets in 9.4 overs.

The crowd went ballistic, cheering for the winners.

Future Foundation School won the runners-up trophy with Revanth Agarwal becoming the best bowler.
The final prize distribution took place with the whole school fraternity clapping and cheering for the winners.

The Man of Match award went to Aadrik Hazarika of Class IX. He scored an unbeaten 32 runs.

"Cricket is all about strategy planning, team spirit, leadership, fellow feeling and mutual respect. I am sure all the budding cricketers will imbibe all these attributes of human life during the tournament," said principal Writuparna Chatterjee.