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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1977
AFTER FORMALLY OPENING THE FESTIVAL THE PRINCESS SETTLED DOWN TO LISTEN TO THE OPENING CONCERT. CONDUCTED BY HELEN QUACH, THE HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA PLAYED TCHAIKOVSKY'S FOURTH SYMPHONY, LIN SHENG SHINH'S +EXCERPTS FROM TIBETAN SKETCHES+, AND RODRIGO'S GUITAR CONCERTO.
HRH PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OPENS HK ARTS FESTIVAL *******
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF HRH PRINCESS ALEXANDRA'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL TONIGHT :
YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. SHAW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
+WE ARE BOTH OF US DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG, AND ESPECIALLY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF STAYING HERE AT THE TIME OF YOUR ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS - A FESTIVAL WHICH HAS GROWN RAPIDLY IN STATURE AND QUALITY SINCE ITS BEGINNING IN 1973.
+TODAY IT IS AN IMPORTANT OCCASION WHICH ATTRACTS VISITORS FROM OVERSEAS AS WELL AS BRINGING ENTERTAINMENT AND DELIGHT TO THOUSANDS OF THOSE WHO LIVE HERE, OFFERING THEM AN IMAGINATIVE AND VARIED FOUR WEEKS PROGRAMME OF MUSIC, SINGING, ACTING AND DANCING, PERFORMED BY EMINENT ARTISTES FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
+1 HAVE WATCHED THE PHENOMENAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, AND AT THE SAME TIME THE THINGS YOU ARE DOING TO WIDEN THE LIFE OF YOUR COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE FOUND THAT MATERIAL SUCCESS IS NOT ENOUGH. I AM THEREFORE DELIGHTED THAT HONG KONG IS TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS UNIQUE POSITION AS A MEETING GROUND FOR THE CULTURAL HERITAGES OF THE EAST AND THE WEST, AND IS FAST DEVELOP ING INTO AN IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE ARTS, AND I HOPE THAT THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL WILL BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN EVER.
+LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I DECLARE OPEN THE FIFTH HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL.+
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