RECREATION
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Plans for additional public libraries with the eventual aim of setting up a branch library in every urban district have been made by the Urban Council.
The first public library to be set up in the New Territories by the Urban Services Department at Tsuen Wan is due to open in early 1974.
The British Council
The highlight of valuable contributions to educational and cultural activities by the British Council this year was the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The council provided financial backing for 10 concerts by the London Philharmonic Orchestra during the festival, held from February 26 to March 24. With a variety of conductors, John Pritchard, Eric Leinsdorf, and Edo de Waart, and soloists, Ida Haendel, John Lill, Michael Roll, and Rodney Friend they provided a background of orchestral music of great range and virtuosity before their historic tour of the People's Republic of China.
Although not directly backed by the council the appearance of the New London Gala Ballet, led by Galina Samsova and Andre Prokovsky, was an extension of a British Council-sponsored tour of other Asian cities. The group gave 12 performances at the Lee Theatre. Another popular item was the Bristol Old Vic's spirited modern production of the 'Taming of the Shrew', specially mounted last year for a British Council-sponsored tour of Latin America.
As a festival follow-up the English Chamber Orchestra, with its dynamic con- ductor, Andrew Davis, gave two concerts at the City Hall on April 4 and 5, under the joint auspices of Capital Artists and the British Council. The second concert presented an original composition by the orchestra's principal horn, Anthony Halstead, and featured as guest soloist the Chinese concert pianist Fou Ts'ong.
The two libraries in Gloucester Building, Victoria, and Star House, Kowloon, continued to provide a wide range of English books, and reading rooms for study, catering mainly for university and secondary school students. Opening the Star House Library each Saturday afternoon, the busiest period for issues, has proved particularly popular with part-time students.
The combined book stock in the Victoria and Kowloon libraries reached 34,157 and membership was about 7,600. On any one day during the year an average of 2,700 books were out on loan. In the reading rooms students and the general public were provided with copies of 229 British newspapers and magazines covering a wide range of subjects of interest to Hong Kong.
Assistance was given to government departments and the two universities, which had staff wishing to visit British universities and other institutions, for specialist courses or study tours. Seven British Council scholarships, four for teaching English as a second language, and six Sino-British Followship Trust Scholarships were awarded for post-graduate studies in the United Kingdom. The council also com- pleted arrangements for eight British Commonwealth Scholars from Hong Kong to visit Britain.