RECREATION AND THE ARTS
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Response to the different training programmes offered by the office has been excellent. More than 100,000 students and young people took part in the ‘Music for the Millions' concerts organised to introduce serious music to the young.
Two youth symphony orchestras, two youth Chinese orchestras and one youth symphonic wind band have been formed and they have given public performances at the City Hall, Academic Community Hall of the Hong Kong Baptist College, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic. These orchestras rehearse once a week. In addition, music camps are held during school holidays.
August, 1978, saw the visit of the County of Avon Schools Orchestra from the United Kingdom as part of Hong Kong's first international youth music exchange programme organised by the Music Administrator's Office. During their visit, public concerts were given at City Hall and the Academic Community Hall, and outdoor promenade concerts were staged at the Hong Kong Polytechnic and Ocean Park. At the Academic Community Hall concert, 500 school children took part in a joint performance with the visiting orchestra. The promenade concert at the Hong Kong Polytechnic witnessed a colourful quadraphonic performance by the County of Avon Schools Orchestra, the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and school bands. Instrumental music training classes catering for 1,500 primary and 1,000 secondary students commenced in September, 1978. These classes are held either at the Music Administrator's Office or at schools. The 2,500 trainees were selected on the basis of aural tests specially designed to test the aptitude of students aspiring to undertake instrumental music training.
For the very talented, overseas training schemes were introduced in early 1978. The first was for six young students; the second for seven instructors of the Music Administrator's Office.
Hong Kong Conservatory of Music
The year 1978 saw further steps being taken towards the establishment of a conser- vatory of music. Using a grant from the Governor's Special Fund, the conservatory was able to fit out its premises in the Hong Kong Arts Centre and commence opera- tions on a small scale late in 1978. Its establishment will undoubtedly raise the standards of musical teaching and performance in Hong Kong in the future.
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Since 1973, when the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra took on professional status under the auspices of the Urban Council, its musical stature in Hong Kong and abroad has grown rapidly.
In its fifth season the orchestra, with 70 full-time musicians, offered a wide variety of concerts. It played to a predominately young audience, giving concerts in the City Hall, the Academic Community Hall of the Hong Kong Baptist College, and at many schools and colleges.
The orchestra's repertoire includes programmes especially tailored for students and young people, the regular concert-goer and those interested in popular classical music. Matinees, chamber music performances, recitals, opera and regular orchestral concerts are all included. As the Philharmonic is being recognised abroad, it is attracting appearances from distinguished soloists and guest conductors. These have included