words yvonne teh

The HK Chinese Orchestra (HKCO) came into being in 1977. Three decades on, this 85-musician ensemble remains the Fragrant Harbour’s only professional, full-sized Chinese orchestra. In line with their elegant, distinctly traditional Chinese dressing style, the HKCO’s musical repertoire is strong on Chinese traditional music. At the same time though, the orchestra does make room in its programmes for contemporary pieces and, over the years, has commissioned more than 1,700 original compositions and arrangements.

As part of the on-going A Dialogue between Traditions and Modernity series, the HK Chinese Orchestra’s October 12 and 13 concerts will mark the performance of one more newly commissioned work and include full-scale presentations of ancient court music and traditional folk tunes. Part I of the programme features a performance of Henan music dating back 9,000 years by invited guests the Henan Ancient Music Ensemble in Reverberations of Ancient Sounds; then the focus in Part II, Folk Music – Gentle South, Heroic North, is on Chinese folk music with the northern Chaozhou Xiansi Ensemble Group and southern Shaanxi Huayin City Laoqiang Troupe. The HKCO’s new work will premiere in Part III, From Ancient to Modern, As East Meets West – A Cosmopolitan Symphony. It is Cheng Dazhao’s Traversing Time and Space – you may know the composer for his famous Yellow River Concerto. Also in this third section, listen out for a dialogue between “the most venerable of western instruments”, the pipe organ, and the Chinese orchestra – Saint Saëns would have been transfixed.

The concert is not only a dialogue between East and West, however. Instead, it also is a celebration, as indicated by the title: the HK Chinese Orchestra’s 30th Anniversary Concert: From Ancient to Modern, As East Meets West – A Cosmopolitan Symphony. In the West, the traditional 30th anniversary gift is a pearl. However, what would no doubt warm the cockles of the HK Chinese Orchestra’s heart on this special occasion is if their two commemorative concerts are sold out! So, give them a special birthday and take in at least one of these performances: both will start at 8pm in the HK Cultural Centre’s Concert Hall. Tickets are $300 to $100 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.