Indian Music Appreciation Course

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Silk Street
London, EC2Y 8DS United Kingdom
18 October 2025
10:00 am
Darbar Festival 2025

Unlock the Enchanting World of Raga and Tala. One day. Countless centuries of musical brilliance.

Single Bill Harmeet Virdee, Sukhdeep Dhanjal

Discover melodic ragas and mathematical talas taught by senior musicians at the Darbar Festival’s immersive 1-day Indian classical music course. No prior knowledge required; just bring your curiosity.

Whether you’re hearing the hypnotic call of the sitar for the first time or seeking to deepen your understanding of this profound art form, our expertly crafted journey will transform how you experience music forever. You will learn more about the mesmerising structures of raga that have captivated listeners for millennia; intricate patterns of tala that weave time into mathematical poetry; how ancient traditions evolve into contemporary expression and the subtle emotional landscapes that make Indian classical music uniquely powerful.

Taught by Sukhdeep Dhanjal, an inspiring tabla teacher, who will unveil the mathematical poetry of talas and the rhythmic cycles that form the heartbeat of Indian classical music. Meanwhile, Harmeet Virdee, one of the UK’s finest sitar players, will guide you through the melodic landscapes of ragas, revealing how these ancient modal frameworks evoke profound emotions and tell timeless stories.

Auditorium 1, Barbican Centre 

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Harmeet Virdee

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Location
Within walking distance of a number of London Underground and Elizabeth Line stations, the closest being Barbican, St Paul’s, Farringdon and Moorgate

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public Transport
Barbican: 4 min walk; Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Circle lines
Moorgate: 7 min walk; Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Circle, Northern lines, Elizabeth Line (use the Moorgate exit for Liverpool St stop)
Farringdon: 8 min walk; Elizabeth line
St Paul’s: 11 min walk; Central line
The nearest tube station served by the Night Tube (Friday and Saturday) is St Paul’s on the Central line.

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'T' for Tabla with Gurdain Rayatt

Learn to play tabla from beginners to advance with Gurdain Rayatt. Online classes are starting soon!
Waseem Ahmed Khan | Raag Poorvi

Waseem Ahmed Khan | Raag Poorvi

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2021, on 23rd October, at the Barbican Centre, London. Musicians: - Waseem Ahmed Khan (khayal vocal) - Gurdain Rayatt (tabla) - Milind Kulkarni (harmonium) - Harmeet Virdee (Tanpura) - Mithila Sarma (Tanpura) Raag Poorvi; Thaat: Poorvi; Samay: Late Afternoon Enter the world of khayal through the velvety, expressive voice of Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan and his penetrating sense of drama from the Agra gharana school of music. Poorvi is a sunset raga, which to many listeners evokes a serious, mystical mood. It originated in Eastern India, evolving from Raag Purvagauda by around the 16th century. It is the fundamental raag of Poorvi thaat [base scale], but is is somewhat rare today, with the structurally similar Raag Puriya Dhanashree often being preferred. Poorvi differs from Puriya Dhanashree principally in that it can take both a shuddha and a tivra [natural and raised] Ma. It takes the swaras SrGmPdNS, forming an angular shape which mixes wide and narrow tonal intervals. Ga and Ni are respectively the vadi and samvadi [king and queen notes], and Sa and Pa are often avoided in ascending lines, giving the scale a characteristic vacancy. Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.