Std 10 English · Unit Three

3.6 The Concert

Complete textbook exercise solutions based on the text "The Concert" by Shanta Rao — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati).

Reference Note: The solutions provided below are based directly on the textbook chapter "The Concert" by Shanta Rao, as provided in the reference file Std-10_Eng-149-156[1].pdf.

English Workshop

1Who said to whom?

(a) "We mustn't miss the chance."
Anant said this to his mother and sister, Smita.
(b) "This is not the last time they are going to play."
Anant's mother said this to Anant.
(c) "A walk in the park might make you feel better."
Aunt Sushila said this to Smita.
(d) "Tomorrow morning we perform for the boy-Yes?"
Ustad Allah Rakha said this to Pandit Ravi Shankar.

2Read the following sentences and write which emotions are revealed from these sentences.

(a) Pandit Ravi Shankar is playing tomorrow at Shanmukhananda auditorium.
Excitement and Joy.
(b) It's the chance of a lifetime.
Desperation, strong desire, and eagerness.
(c) Will you come to Aunt Sushila's house and play for him?
Hope, desperation, and earnest pleading.
(d) Did you...did you hear him?
Anticipation, eagerness, and disbelief.
(e) Is it...It's not possible?
Astonishment, extreme surprise, and disbelief.

3Explain the meaning of the following words given in the table with reference to the particular personality mentioned in the text.

Speciality	Personality	Explanation
Maestro	Pandit Ravi Shankar	A prominent conductor or performer of classical music, specifically a master sitarist.
Ustad	Ustad Allah Rakha	A highly skilled person, expert, or master in Indian classical music, specifically a tabla wizard.
Moustachioed	The man making a speech	A person having a large or bushy moustache.

4Describe the condition of Smita when she was going towards the stage. Read the text again and complete the boxes given below.

Smita's condition:

Her heart was beating loudly.
Her knees felt weak.
Her tongue was dry.
She felt terrified but remained determined to speak to the musicians.

5The whole story revolves around Anant. Write a short paragraph on Anant taking help of the given points (Health, Disease, Early interests, Intense desire/wish, Fulfillment).

Anant was an active fifteen-year-old boy who was the best table-tennis player in his school and the fastest runner. He had a deep interest in music and was learning to play the sitar, already composing his own tunes to the astonishment of his guru. Tragically, his health deteriorated rapidly when cancer struck, forcing his family to move to Bombay for his treatment at the cancer hospital. Despite his grave illness, his intense desire was to attend Pandit Ravi Shankar's concert, calling it "the chance of a lifetime". Ultimately, his wish was miraculously fulfilled when his sister bravely invited the legendary musicians to their home. Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha came to Aunt Sushila's apartment and played exclusively for him, bringing immense peace and happiness to Anant in his final moments.

6Go through the story again and complete the following table that highlights their special traits of character.

Special traits	Smita	Anant	Aunt Sushila
Strength	Courageous, determined, devoted sister	Talented, optimistic, passionate about music	Welcoming, supportive, hospitable
Weaknesses	Sometimes forgetful of her brother's condition when excited	Physically frail and bedridden due to illness	X (Not mentioned)
Dreams	To fulfill her brother's dying wish	To become a great sitarist one day	X (Not mentioned)
Motivation	Immense love for her brother	His passion for classical music	Her affection for her relatives

7The two contradictory pictures are depicted in the story. Discuss in pairs and describe them in your words in front of the class.

The story beautifully depicts two deeply contradictory pictures of life. The first picture is one of vibrant energy and normalcy in the park—where people are walking, running, playing ball, doing yoga, and feeding ducks. It represents a world moving on, oblivious to personal tragedies. The second picture is the grim, suffocating atmosphere of Aunt Sushila's small apartment, where a brilliant young boy is slowly succumbing to cancer, gasping for breath with an oxygen cylinder by his bed. Smita stands at the intersection of these two worlds, feeling entirely isolated in the busy park while carrying the heavy burden of her brother's impending death.

8Using words from another language in a write up is called Code-mixing. Make a list of all the Indian words in table A and their meanings in table B.

'A' Indian word	'B' Meaning
1. Raga	(a) Piece of Indian classical music based on one of the six basic musical modes.
2. Pandit	(b) A title of respect for a master or scholar, especially in Indian classical music.
3. Ustad	(c) An honorific title for an expert, master, or highly skilled musician.
4. Sitar	(d) A plucked stringed instrument used in Hindustani classical music.
5. Tabla	(e) A pair of small hand drums used in Indian classical music.
6. Guru	(f) A spiritual or academic teacher, guide, or master.
7. Paan	(g) A preparation of betel leaf combined with areca nut and other ingredients.
8. Divan	(h) A low bed, couch, or seating arrangement without a back or arms.

9(A) Choose the appropriate Adverb or Adjective form to fill in the gaps.

(1) She spoke in an excited tone. (excited / excitedly)
(2) Smita accepted the suggestion gratefully. (grateful/gratefully)
(3) They gave him whatever made him happy. (happy/ happily)
(4) He ran very slowly. (slow / slowly)
(5) He would become a great sitarist some day. (great / greatly)
(6) Life went out of him gently. (gentle / gently)

9(B) Rewrite in Indirect speech.

1. "Please", she begged him, "Please come".
She begged him earnestly to please come.
2. He said, "What shall we do, Ustad Sahib ?"
He asked Ustad Sahib what they should do.
3. Her brother said, "Enjoy yourself". He added, "Lucky you!"
Her brother encouraged her to enjoy herself and added that she was lucky.
4. 'Yes' Panditji replied. "It's settled then. Tomorrow morning we shall perform, for the boy."
Panditji replied affirmatively that it was settled then and added that they would perform for the boy the next morning.

10Write a brief note on other stalwarts in this (music) field. (Take help of the given points)

1. Name: Ustad Bismillah Khan

2. Field: Indian Classical Music

3. Specialisation: Shehnai

4. Guru: His uncle, Ali Bux 'Vilayatu', who was the official shehnai player at the Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.

5. Early life: Born as Qamaruddin Khan on March 21, 1916, in a family of traditional Muslim musicians in Bihar.

6. Education: Received traditional musical training from his uncle from a very young age along the banks of the river Ganga.

7. Early success: Gained national prominence when he performed at the All India Music Conference in Calcutta in 1937.

8. Contribution: Elevated the Shehnai from an instrument used primarily for folk events and weddings to a highly respected concert instrument on global stages.

9. Awards: Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

10. Special incident: He had the rare honor of performing at the Red Fort on the eve of India's Independence on August 15, 1947.

11Imagine you are the monitor of your class. You are assigned the task to invite a classical singer as a chief guest for the Annual Day Programme. Write a letter of invitation to a famous classical singer.

To,
Shri. Mahesh Kale,
Pune, Maharashtra.

Subject: Invitation to be the Chief Guest for our Annual Day Programme

Respected Sir,

I am writing to you on behalf of the students and faculty of Swami Vivekananda High School, Mumbai. As the monitor of Class 10, it is my great honor to invite you to be the Chief Guest at our Annual Day Programme, which will be held on the 20th of December at our school auditorium.

Our school places a strong emphasis on cultural education, and our students share a deep interest and love for Indian classical music. Many of us are aspiring musicians and singers who view your journey and mastery of classical vocals as deeply inspiring.

Your presence at our event would be a tremendous source of motivation for our young talents. We would be absolutely thrilled if you could grace the occasion, say a few words of guidance, and perhaps share a brief musical piece with us.

We kindly request you to accept our invitation. We eagerly await your positive response.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
Class Monitor, Std 10
Swami Vivekananda High School, Mumbai

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