XN000022-1975-04-30 — Page 8

ROYAL VISIT

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, April 30, 1975

'LIVE' MUSIC FOR THE ROYAL PROCESSION

A group of Hong Kong musicians have been rehearsing overtime

so that the Queen; during her visit next week, will have an opportunity

to see and hear a traditional Chinese orchestra at work.

The opportunity emerged in the course of planning the procession

for the Queen to be held in Nathan Road on the night of May 6.

At first it was intended that the various participants in the

procession would be performing their acts to the accompaniment of recorded

music, relayed over loudspeakers.

In discussing the technical problems involved, the planning

committee decided it would be more effective to have the music played

by a live orchestra, seated under the Royal Box, so that the Queen would

have a chance to see their traditional instruments and observe their

performing styles.

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However, this created the major problem of an orchestra having

to learn, in a very short space of time, an entirely new and extremely

varied repertoire of musical items, each of which would have to be care-

fully synchronised to the requirements of the individual groups in the

procession.

:

/Undaunted by .....