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More than 400 young musicians will perform a variety of Chinese and Western music works in the 2014 Music Office Annual Gala at 3pm on March 30 (Sunday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.
The musicians are trainees from the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. They are members of the Music Office Youth Choir, the Hong Kong Youth Strings, the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band, the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Under the batons of Dr Angelina Au, Lee Sing-wan, Pak Wing-heng, Kwok Kin-ming, Li Sai-hong and Ng Ka-ming, the trainees will perform a diverse range of Chinese and Western pieces to showcase the skills they have learnt.
The programme highlights will include performances by the Music Office Youth Choir of Victoria's exquisite "Ave Maria"; Parry's "My Soul, There is a Country", which carries a musical rhythm and pervading lyricism; and Emmy award-winning composer Gary Fry's "Let's Jam", a song that is a call for people to lay down weapons and turn to singing. The Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band will present Eric Whitacre's "The Seal Lullaby", which was originally written for an animated film, and "Turandot - Selections from the Opera". The latter is an abridged arrangement of Puccini's "Turandot" for wind ensemble by the Japanese composer Yo Goto.
The Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra will present the joyful and passionate "Train Toccata", composed by Liu Yuan and arranged by Jiang Yin, and the Hong Kong Youth Strings will present Tchaikovsky's first movement of "Serenade in C major for String Orchestra, Op. 48". The Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra will perform Glinka's "Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila", a prelude with exotic sentiment and harmony.
Other performances will include Peng Xiuwen's rearrangement of the traditional wind and percussion piece "The General's Command"; the Intermezzo from Mascagni's opera "Cavalleria Rusticana"; and Suppe's celebrated piece "Overture to Dichter und Bauer", which begins with brass and follows with a dazzling and strongly sentimental cello solo section. The concert will also feature "Music for the Millions", composed by Joseph Koo for the Music Office's "Music for the Millions" concert.
Awards will also be presented to over 40 outstanding trainees and members of the Music Office's bands, choirs and orchestras.
Tickets priced at $100, $80 and $60 are now available at URBTIX. Half-price concessions are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card booking can be made at 2111 5999, and Internet booking at www.urbtix.hk. For programme enquiries, please call 2796 7523 or 2582 5311 or visit the website www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/MusicOffice/en/events_2014_01_09.php.
Ends/Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:00
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