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Three concerts in the Lingnan Music Series presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will be staged in November. The concerts are must-see events for lovers of Chinese music.
"A Concert of Chaozhou Music" (November 4) will be performed by the Music Section of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Merchants Mutual Assistance Society Ltd. The enriching programme includes Chaozhou gongs and drums in "Welcoming the Guests from Heaven"; percussion ensemble music in "Phoenix in the Sky" and "Lions Playing with a Ball"; Su gongs and drums in "All Red Is the River"; Suona music in "Selling Groceries"; string poem ensemble music in "As the Waves Wash the Sands" and "Small Liangzhou"; and unaccompanied singing of Chaozhou tunes in "We'll Make a Lot of Money" and selections from "Taking Her Husband to Court" featuring vocalists Chan Sang-ho, Lau Sik-chun and Wong Chi-fei. The Society was founded in 1930, making it one of the earliest amateur music groups in Hong Kong. Over the decades, it has been playing a pivotal role in organising music activities at home and overseas. It has become a platform for exchange in Chaozhou music both in Hong Kong and internationally.
"A Concert of Zheng Music in the Guangdong Regions" (November 6) features the Zheng virtuosi Chan Kwok-fai and Xu Lingzi. The programme includes Hakka Zheng music in "The Lotus Rising from the Water" and "Song of the West Chamber"; Chaozhou Zheng music in "Fish Hawks Dabbling in the Water" and "Wild Geese on the Sandbank"; and Guangdong Zheng music in "Autumn Moon over a Placid Lake", "The Flowing Water and the Drifting Clouds" and "Butterflies among the Flowers". Together with their friends and students, Chan and Xu will bring the three schools of Lingnan Zheng music to audiences in one concert.
"A Concert of Hakka Music" (November 12) is a production by the Cantonese Han Music Research Society of Dapu County, which features Zheng player Rao Shuhang and vocalist Huang Hongying. Rao was born into a musical family. His grandfather Rao Congju and father Rao Ningxin were famous names in Zheng music. As a performer, Rao plays with sensitivity and lyrical charm, demonstrating an exceptional understanding of the traditional repertoire as well as virtuosic skills. He was the winner of the First Prize (Professional Section) at the Traditional Zheng Music Competition and was named Outstanding Graduate Student by the Xinghai Conservatory of Music. Huang is a National Class One Performer. She was trained in Chinese ethnic vocals under Chen Ling, and then studied the bel canto school of singing under Cai Jingyi. Her wonderful voice has won for her numerous accolades and awards, including the Five "One" Project Award and the May First Labour Day Medal of Guangdong Province, among many others. The programme of the concert includes wind and percussion music in "Xiao-Yang-Zhou", Si Xian music in "Searching for Plum Blossoms after a Snowfall", Qingyue music in "The Pitter-Patter of the Night Rain on the Plantain by the Window" and Hakka folk singing in "Hakka Girls Love to Sing".
Details of the performances are as follows:
A Concert of Chaozhou Music
November 4 (Friday), 8pm
Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre
Ticket prices: $120, $160
A Concert of Zheng Music in the Guangdong Regions
November 6 (Sunday), 8pm
Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre
Ticket prices: $120, $160
A Concert of Hakka Music
November 12 (Saturday), 8pm
Theatre, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre
Ticket prices: $120, $160
Tickets are now available at all URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by telephone credit card booking. Half-price tickets available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis). For group booking discount, please refer to programme leaflets.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321, or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/index.html. For ticketing enquiries, please call 2734 9009. For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Friday, October 21, 2011
Issued at HKT 11:44
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