DALURDAY, NOVINKY
1901
BAND FESTIVAL STRIKES HIGH NOTE
*****
THE FOURTH HONG KONG YOUTH SYMPHONIC BAND FESTIVAL REACHED A CLIMAX THIS EVENING WITH A ROUSING BAND DISPLAY AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM.
AND THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER, PREDICTED THAT BAND MUSIC IN HONG KONG WOULD STRENGTHEN IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
SIR JACK AND LADY CATER WERE THE GUESTS OF HONOUR AT THE GALA PERFORMANCE OF THE BAND FESTIVAL WHICH IS ORGANISED BY THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH TOM LEE MUSIC FOUNDATION.
+AS THIS YEAR'S GALA EVENING OPENS, SIR JACK SAID, +WE MUST SURELY BE REMINDED OF THE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN RECENT YEARS IN THE REALM OF MUSIC IN HONG KONG.
+AND WHILE REALISING THAT THIS FESTIVAL REPRESENTS MERELY A PART OF OUR ON-GOING AND EXPANDING ROLE IN THE WIDE WORLD OF MUSIC, WE ARE VERY PROUD INDEED TO NOTE HOW WELL THINGS ARE COMING ALONG IN TERMS OF BAND MUSIC. THIS FESTIVAL ITSELF SYMBOLISES THE CONTINUING GROWTH OF INTEREST IN BAND MUSIC AND THE STEADY PROGRESS MADE IN STANDARD UNDER THE JOINT EFFORT OF PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS, SCHOOLS AND THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
+BY THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION, THE POTENTIALITIES OF GIFTED YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE FURTHER DEVELOPED AND UNDOUBTEDLY, THEIR ACHIEVEMENT WILL BE GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH IN THE YEARS TO COME.
+WE CAN THUS LOOK FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE TO A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH WILL BRING ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,+ THE CHIEF SECRETARY ADDED.
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, IN THANKING SIR JACK FOR SUPPORTING THE FESTIVAL SAID THAT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BANDS AND THE MUSIC OFFICE'S YOUTH SYMPHONIC BAND HAD BEEN REHEARSING EXTREMELY HARD FOR THE GALA NIGHT.
+THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS ARE EVIDENT TONIGHT, HE SAID.
SIR JACK THEN PRESENTED THREE TROPHIES FOR THE BEST BAND DRILL+, +BEST MARCHING MUSIC+ AND BEST SPECTACLE+ TO NEI MING INSTITUTE OF MIU FAT BUDDHIST MONASTERY.
THE SCHOOL'S BAND WON ALL THE THREE TROPHIES IN A MARCHING BAND PERFORMANCE EARLIER DURING THE DAY. PARTICIPATED IN THE CONTEST.
SEVEN BANDS
THE CHIEF SECRETARY ALSO PRESENTED THE BEST SYMPHONIC BAND MUSIC+ TROPHY TO PUI YING MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND FOR WINNING THE SYMPHONIC BAND PERFORMANCE IN THE AFTERNOON. BANDS TOOK PART IN THE CONTEST.
A TOTAL OF 13
FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS OF TROPHIES AND SOUVENIRS MORE THAN 20 BANDS OPENED UP THE GALA NIGHT WITH THE FESTIVE OVERTURE OF DMITRI SHOSTAKOVITCH.
AN ADDED ATTRACTION WAS THE SHUJITSU GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL BAND WHICH GAVE TWO ROUSING LATIN-AMERICAN DANCE RENDITIONS. THE BAND CONSISTS OF 55 STUDENTS AND THEY ARE THE TOP BAND PERFORMERS IN JAPAN, HAVING WON A GOLD MEDAL FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS SINCE 1979.