XN000022-1977-02-06 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1977

ATTENTION THEN TURNED TO THE HARBOUR, WHERE A FIREBOAT WAS SHOOTING JETS OF WATER INTO THE AIR. AND, ANNOUNCED BY THE SOUND OF CHINESE MUSIC DRIFTING OVER THE WATER, A JUNK ARRIVED AT QUEEN'S PIER, CARRYING SCHOOLGIRL DANCERS.

FOUR ACROBATS FROM THE HONG KONG MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION TURNED CARTWHEELS, AND WERE FOLLOWED BY STUDENTS OF THE KIANGSU- CHEK IANG COLLEGE, WHO GRACEFULLY PERFORMED THE DANCE OF THE SILK BOUQUETS IN PINK UNIFORMS. GIRLS OF ST. CLARE'S SCHOOL THEN ADDED TO THE COLOURFUL SCENE BY GIVING THE DANCE OF THE SPRING BLOSSOMS IN GREEN SILK.

NOW IT WAS THE TURN OF THE SINGERS. THE HONG KONG YOUTH CHOIR SANG + THE FARMER'S LIFE IS GOOD+, IN MANDARIN, AND THE NEW METHOD COLLEGE SANG +RETURN FROM THE WESTERN PILGRIMAGE+. THIS WAS A PARTICULARLY LIVELY PERFORMANCE, WITH A GOLDEN FLOAT CARRYING A MAN PORTRAYING A MONK, AND TRADITIONAL CHARACTERS INCLUDING THE KING OF PIGS AND THE KING OF MONKEYS, ESCORTED BY DOZENS OF MONKEYS WHIRLING MAGIC WANDS TIPPED WITH GREEN LIGHTS.

FOR A FEW MOMENTS A GOLDEN DRAGON OVER 100 FEET LONG, AND THE DANCERS, WAITED IN THE COLD, THEN A FANFARE RANG OUT. CALLED +ROYAL ARRIVAL, IT WAS THE FIRST OF TWO FANFARES ARRANGED FOR THE OCCASION BY THE LIGHT INFANTRY'S BANDMASTER, MR. K.W. NAPIER. IT HERALDED THE ARRIVAL BY CAR OF PRINCESS ALEXANDRA, HER HUSBAND, THE HON. ANGUS OGILVY, WITH THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, LADY MACLEHOSE AND THE PRINCESS'S LADY-IN-WAITING, LADY MARY FITZALAN- HOWARD.

THE PARTY WAS WELCOMED ON A FLOWER-BEDECKED REVIEWING STAND BY MR. RUN RUN SHAW, AND MISS BARBARA FEI RECITED A POEM ENTITLED +MEETING OF THE PARALLEL LINES. IT HAD BEEN SPECIALLY COMPOSED

·BY MR. HSU YU. IT TRACED THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG AND ITS INCREASING CULTURAL AWARENESS. MISS FEI THEN PRESENTED THE PRINCESS WITH A SCROLL ON WHICH THE POEM HAD BEEN WRITTEN IN CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY.

THE PRINCESS, IN A DRESS OF DARK GREEN AND GOLD, THEN DOTTED THE EYES OF THE DRAGON TO START THE GOLDEN DRAGON DANCE. THE ARTS FESTIVAL FLAGS WERE BROKEN OUT BY MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, WEARING THEIR NEW SCARLET, BLUE AND WHITE UNIFORMS FOR THE FIRST TIME. TWO POWERFUL SEARCHLIGHTS WERE SWITCHED ON, THE IR NEAR-VERTICAL BEAMS ANNOUNCING TO ALL HONG KONG THE OPENING OF THE FESTIVAL, AND OTHER LIGHTS PROJECTED THE FESTIVAL LOGO ON TO A WALL OF THE CITY HALL.

THE PRINCESS, THE GOVERNOR AND THEIR PARTY THEN WENT INTO THE CITY HALL AND WERE WELCOMED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, MR. A. DE 0. SALES, AND MRS. SALES.

IN THE CONCERT HALL THE PRINCESS ENTERED TO THE SOUND OF THE SECOND FANFARE, +WELCOME TO THE PRINCESS+.

AFTER FORMARE