SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1983
FIRST CHINESE MUSIC FESTIVAL STARTS
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THE FIRST CHINESE MUSIC FESTIVAL, ORGANISED BY THE MUSIC OFFICE OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, STARTED THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING WITH A CONCERT AT THE AUDITORIUM IN TSUEN WAN TOWNHALL,
THE NINE-DAY FESTIVAL WILL FEATURE SEMINARS AND MASTER CLASSES ON CHINESE MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTS TO BE CONDUCTED BY RENOWNED MUSICIANS.
THERE WILL ALSO BE AN ETHNIC CHINESE MUSIC DEMONSTRATION CONCERT ON NOVEMBER 24 AND A FINALE CONCERT ON NOVEMBER 27.
OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, DR HENRIETTA IP, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SAID THAT INCREASINGLY, HONG KONG WAS BECOMING A FOCUS OF CHINESE AND WESTERN CULTURE.
AN
+ IN RECENT YEARS, CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE MAKING OF MUSIC, BOTH CHINESE AND WESTERN, PARTICULARLY BY YOUNG PEOPLE.
THIS ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT,
I AM GLAD TO SAY, IS PARTLY
A RESULT OF THE MUSIC OFFICE'S WORK IN PROMOTING CHINESE MUSIC BY TEACHING CHINESE INSTRUMENTS THROUGH ITS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TRAINING SCHEME, BY MANAGING A NUMBER OF YOUTH CHINESE ORCHESTRAS AT BOTH DISTRICT AND REGIONAL LEVELS, AND BY GIVING REGULAR PERFORMANCES, PARTICULARLY TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, SHE SAID.
DR IP POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A GROWING NUMBER OF CHINESE ORCHESTRAS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, WITH A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF AUDIENCES.
IN A WELCOMING ADDRESS EARLIER, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON, THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, SAID THAT ONE OF THE MUSIC OFFICE'S OBJECTIVES WAS TO PROMOTE AN INTEREST IN MUSIC, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE YOUNGER GENERATION.
+AS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN PROMOTING CHINESE MUSIC IN HONG KONG AND FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE CHINESE MUSIC WEEK WHICH WAS HELD BY THE MUSIC OFFICE IN MARCH LAST YEAR, WE HAVE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, ORGANISED A CHINESE MUSIC FESTIVAL OF THIS MAGNITUDE AND VARIETY WITH A VIEW TO STIMULATING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE AND THE APPRECIATION OF CHINESE MUSIC,+ MR WILLIAMSON SAID.
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