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Over 500 young musicians will perform in the 2012 Music Office Annual Gala at 3pm on March 11 (Sunday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Two fabulous concertos, "Princess Wencheng" and "Chinese Rhapsody No.3", and a variety of Chinese and Western music will be performed, guaranteeing the audience a melodious afternoon.
The musicians are trainees from the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and are variously members of the Music Office Youth Choir, Hong Kong Youth Strings, Hong Kong Junior Chamber Ensemble, Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band, Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra.
Under the batons of Dr Angelina Au, Ng Ka-ming, Lee Sing-wan, Pak Wing-heng and Tsui Ying-fai, the trainees will showcase a spectacular rendition of Chinese and Western music.
The programme includes "Princess Wencheng", to be played by the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band accompanied by sheng trainee Chan Yui-ming. This piece is based on the famous old story of the peace-making marriage of Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty and Songtsen Gambo, King of the Tubos. The piece was originally composed for sheng solo with a Chinese orchestra; here it will be replaced by sheng solo accompanied by a symphonic band. Some of the Chinese percussion instruments will be kept to enhance the Chinese flavour.
"Chinese Rhapsody No.3", will be performed by the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra together with saxophone trainee Jeremy Lee. Originally a saxophone solo piece written by Huang An-lun, who lives in Canada, the music is filled with the rustic charms of China's northern regions. The concerto version to be performed has been rearranged for a saxophone solo and the Chinese orchestra.
The Music Office Youth Choir will perform Haydn's classical oratorio, "The Heavens are Telling from The Creation"; the choral piece "Prayer of the Children", which reflects the sadness of war; and the African-American spiritual work "The Battle of Jericho". The Hong Kong Youth Strings and the Hong Kong Junior Chamber Ensemble will perform Mozart's "Divertimento in F Major, K. 138", which reveals the composer's exquisite musical style as a young man.
Other performances include Giacomo Puccini's string work, "Crisantemi"; Giroux's band work "La Mezquita de Crdoba", which depicts the harmony between the Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Mosque at Cordoba, Spain; "Symphony No.1 in D major, Op.25 - Classical", an elegant symphonic work from Prokofiev; and "Shanghai Capriccio", which portrays the prosperity of Shanghai and the convergence of East and West.
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 all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions are available for full-time students, senior citizens, people with disabilities and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients.
Credit card booking can be made at 2111 5999, and internet booking can be made at www.urbtix.hk. For programme enquiries, please call 2796 7537 or 2582 5311 or visit the website
www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/MusicOffice/en/events_2012_01_30.php.
Ends/Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:47
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