SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 1982
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RICH RESERVOIR OF MUSICAL TALENT IN HONG KONG
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AN 'ISTRUMENTAL MUSIC TRAINING PROGRAMME ADMINISTERED BY THE MUSIC OFFICE HAS SHOWN THAT HONG KONG HAS A RESERVOIR OF MUSICAL TALENT THAT CAN ATTAIN INTERNATIONAL STATURE.
LAST YEAR, OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE 215 STUDENTS TRAINED UNDER THE PROGRAMME PASSED THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC EXAMINATION. AND 26 OF THEM OBTAINED DISTINCTION.
THE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TRAINING PROGRAMME WAS LAUNCHED IN 1978, A YEAR AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MUSIC OFFICE, THEN PART OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
BUT IN
UNDER THE PROGRAMME THAT YEAR, SOME 1 100 YOUNG PEOPLE RECEIVED INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TRAINING IN 250 CLASSES. LESS THAN FOUR YEARS, STUDENT INTAKE MORE THAN DOUBLED TO 2 600 STUDENTS AND THERE WERE 500 CLASSES.
+WITH THE OPENING OF THREE NEW MUSIC CENTRES BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR, ADDING TO OUR PRESENT FOUR, WE MAY AGAIN DOUBLE OUR TRAINING CAPACITY IN ANOTHER TWO YEARS TO PROVIDE COURSES FOR 5 000 YOUNGSTERS,+ SAID MR THOMAS WANG, ASSISTANT MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR (PROFESSIONAL).
THE MUSIC OFFICE, NOW PART OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, CURRENTLY MAINTAINS TRAINING CENTRES IN WAN CHAI, MONG KOK, NGAU TAU KOK AND TSUEN WAN. THE THREE NEW CENTRES WILL BE SET UP IN YAU MA TEI, HONG KONG EASTERN DISTRICT AND YUEN LONG.
ALTHOUGH TRAINING FOR BOTH WESTERN AND CHINESE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, ORCHESTRAS AND ENSEMBLES ARE HELD MAINLY IN THESE CENTRES, SOME COURSES ARE CONDUCTED IN SCHOOLS FOR STUDENTS IN THE
NEW TERRITORIES AND OTHER URBAN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NO TRAINING CENTRES WITHIN EASY COMMUTING DISTANCE.
THE PROGRAMME IS BUT ONE OF THREE MAIN FUNCITONS OF THE MUSIC OFFICE.
THE OTHERS ARE TO PROMOTE INTEREST IN MUSIC, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE YOUNG, AND TO ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST IN THE ORGANISING OF MUSIC ACTIVITIES IN ALL DISTRICTS.
+THESE THREE OBJECTIVES ACTUALLY COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER VERY NICELY. AS AN EXAMPLE, THE MUSIC FOR THE MILLIONS PROGRAMME, AND THE ANNUAL TRAINEE CONCERT WHICH ARE AIMED AT INTRODUCING MUSIC TO NEW AUDIENCES, HELPED OUR STUDENTS GAIN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE THROUGH PUBLIC PERFORMANCES.
+SO FAR, ABOUT 1 600 'MUSIC FOR THE MILLIONS' CONCERTS HAVE BEEN ORGANISED FOR AN ESTIMATED 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE SINCE THE PROGRAMME WAS STARTED IN EARLY 1978.
→TO OVERCOME THE INERTIA MOST PEOPLE HAVE IN ACCEPTING SOMETHING NEW, WE BROUGHT THESE CONCERTS TO OUR AUDIENCES BY HOLDING THEM IN SCHOOLS, PARKS, FACTORIES, PLAYGROUNDS, COMMUNITY HALLS, AND EVEN HOSPITALS AND CONVALESCENT CENTRES.
ES.
THE IDEA 18