Tag: 2015

Bel Canto Singers: Yu Kwang-chung’s Words & Music @ Hong Kong City Hall Theatre – 8pm, 4 February, 2015

Bel Canto Singers: Yu Kwang-chung’s Words & Music

Born in Nanjing in 1928, Yu Kwang-chung work’s have long been hailed as poignant expressions of emotions and are extremely popular with composers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.  They have been set to music to express nostalgia for the motherland, concerns for mankind, feelings of being at one with Nature, and reflections on the facets of Life.

The concert programme features vocal works written and re-arranged by composers inspired by Professor Yu’s poems including Titita (in two different versions by Taiwan composers Chen Mao-shuen & Ma Shui-lung), Nostalgia in Four Rhymes (in three different versions by Taiwan composers Lo Da-yu, Yang Hsien & Chin Shi-wen), The Sunflowers (Hong Kong composer Tang Lok-yin), What is the Rain Saying through the Night (pianist of the programme Julie Kuok), The Night Watchman (Hong Kong composer Hui Cheung-wai), Nostalgia (Mainland China composer Chao Daijian), On Such a Windy Night (Taiwan composer Chen Mao-shuen), The Answer and Your Smile Last Night (Taiwan composer Jenny Chou), The Blind Fortune-teller (Bel Canto Singers Artistic Director & tenor David Quah), Firefly (Taiwan composer Tai Ching-chuan) and And When I Die (Hong Kong composer Richard Tsang) and the Hong Kong premiere of Hong Kong composer Victor Chan’s Strange was the World.

The concert will be performed by tenor David Quah, soprano Margaret Yim, mezzo-soprano Emily Liu and bass Edmund Kwan, accompanied on the piano by Julie Kuok, with readings by veteran radio presenter and music critic Dennis Wu, hoping to transport the audience to the world of the Muse.

Bel Canto Singers: Yu Kwang-chung’s Words & Music
When: 8pm, 4 February, 2015
Where: HK City Hall, Theatre
How much: $280, $180 from URBTIX

Women’s Rugby Results – 31 January, 2015

Premiership

SCAA CWB Phoenix v Gai Wu
@ Tai Hang Tung Recreation Ground, Kick-off: 16:30

USRC Tigers v Valley Black
@ KGV, Kick-off: 18:00

National League 1

City Sparkles 22-5 Valley Red
@ KGV, Kick-off: 16:30

HKFC Ice v HKCC
@ HKFC, Kick-off: 18:00

HK Scottish 25-7 Revolution SRC
@ Shek Kip Mei, Kick-off: 18:00

Police 0-19 SCAA CWB Phoenix
@ Tai Hang Tung Recreation Ground, Kick-off 18:00

National 10s

Gai Wu 17-22 DB Pirates
@ Shek Kip Mei, Kick-off: 13:10

Taipo Dragons 33-10 Tin Shui Wai
@ Tai Hang Tung Recreation Ground, Kick-off:14:00

HKFC Fire 0-85 USRC Tigers
@ HKFC, Kick-off:19:30

Émilie Simon @ Grappa’s Cellar – 26 March, 2015

Émilie Simon @ Grappa's Cellar - 26 March, 2015

With her unique mix of electronic, pop, and Bjork-like vocals, Émilie Simon has performed at sold-out shows across the world. Now, following on from her sold out show in Hong Kong in 2010, Emilie Simon is back this March.

Surrounded by music from an early age, Émilie Simon won critical plaudits as early as 2003, when she recorded a debut album largely written, composed and produced by herself. The self-titled record, Émilie Simon, won Album of the Year at Victoires de la Musique, France’s most prestigious music award ceremony.

Born in Montpellier in Southern France, Émilie grew up bathed in the Mediterranean sun and immersed in the sound of clarinets and electronic melodies. Wishing to imbue her second album with a more wintry and polar vibe, she began to record sounds that related to coldness.

Coincidentally, in the midst of her search for sounds for the album, she was contacted by film producer Luc Jacquet to compose the original soundtrack for his Oscar award-winning documentary film La Marche de l’empereur (March of the Penguins), concerning the annual migration of emperor penguins.

In 2009, Émilie started writing songs arranged for accompaniment on piano, rather than a computer. “I even forbade myself to go near a computer for a year and a half,” Emilie said, “I wanted to see what I was capable of without my usual comforts around me.” The result was a collection of sounds reflecting Émilie’s impression of New York City — an urban, black and white musical that became her most recent album, The Big Machine. On this album, Émilie’s experimental inclination involved the clever use of traditional Chinese instruments – together with keyboards – as a vestige of her long stay in the heart of Chinatown.

In 2011, the album Franky Night, (dedicated to her late fiancé) won her many more fans in France as most of the tracks were sung in French, as opposed to English. Her latest album, Mue, hit markets in 2014 and includes tracks like Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” cover, and other heartfelt songs featuring both English and French lyrics.

Émilie Simon
When:– 8pm, 26 March, 2015
Where: Grappa’s Cellar
Tickets: $420 (inc one drink) from Ticketflap
More info: www.emiliesimon.com

The Bollands @ Shelter Skelter – The Great European Carnival, 31 January 2015

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852530170&k=rXZ6DmH

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852536111&k=K4wBtBc

The Bollands were out on a Saturday afternoon at The Great European carnival to support Shelter Box in one of their final appearances in Hong Kong before they set off on a massive US Tour. With Joyce on drums, the gig was great fun. I’d love for Joyce and Christian to be recording their gigs and releasing them online. The CD’s are great, but the live shows are fun and The Bollands will be missed when they head to the US.
Click on the photos to see more. My apologies for the video quality, the sound is fine.

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852532381&k=qQnKkb2

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852533775&k=dFZ5MsG

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852511245&k=5qVkHqR

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852512572&k=ZtKmK6F

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852507071&k=RTwRzd6

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Shelter-Skelter/47246717_rBZF6m#!i=3852505314&k=gMpKm6Z

Opening Pit Stop @ ARace – 30 January, 2015

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851136656&k=gRfqfCb

Slot car racing venue ARace celebrated the tracks opening with it’s first pit stop for friends and family and a special guest of honour.
Click on the photos to see more

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851138334&k=rwMDM47

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851138087&k=5ZH5T96

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851139679&k=4Sm93sM

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851140105&k=xFNqQnM

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851136888&k=LGqjbB4

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/Opening-Pit-Stop-Arace/47231966_kTdTxZ#!i=3851140127&k=Rr9LcGm