MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1979
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THE VENUE OF THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS THE TSUEN WAN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL, WHOSE 1,000-SEAT AUDITORIUM HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND RENOVATED TO ACCOMMODATE THE HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA WHICH PLAYED BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY BEFORE THE INTERVAL AND CHINESE CLASSICS AFTER IT.
UNDER MATSHEDS AT THE NEARBY SHA TSUI ROAD PLAYGROUND, THE RENOWNED PHOENIX OPERA TROUPE CAPTIVATED THE AUDIENCE, WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE OF THE CANTONESE OPERA, THE FAIRY OF RIVER LOK SHUI, A LEGENDARY STORY OF ANCIENT CHINA ABOUT A YOUNG GIRL WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE OF A LOVE AFFAIR WITH HER BROTHER-IN-LAW.
THE EVENING'S ENTERTAINMENT - VOTED A SPLENDID SUCCESS BY ONE AND ALL WAS PRECEDED BY A COCKTAIL RECEPTION ATTENDED BY SOME 300 LOCAL VIPS LED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FESTIVAL'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, MR. CHAN PO-FONG, AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
DESPITE THE INFORMALITY AND LOCATION OF THE RECEPTION IN THE SCHOOL'S COVERED PLAYGROUND SOME OF THE MEN WERE IN BLACK TIE, THE IR LADIES IN LONG EVENING DRESSES.
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+ IT'S BEEN QUITE A NIGHT FOR TSUEN WAN,+ REMARKED THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, MR. JAMES HAYES. +WE'VE REALLY COME OF AGE.+
THE GUESTS WERE PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH THE 80-PAGE COLOUR BROCHURE PRODUCED FOR THE FESTIVAL BY MR. HO TUNG-CHING, THE FESTIVAL'S EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR, AND MR. AKERS-JONES MADE SPECIAL MENTION OF IT IN HIS SPEECH.
+ IT IS OF EXCELLENT QUALITY AND GIVES A STRIKING INDICATION OF THE LATENT TALENT AND GREAT POTENTIAL IN OUR NEW COMMUNITIES,+ HE SAID.
THE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN ORGANISED AND PROMOTED BY THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD. THE TSUEN WAN CULTURE AND RECREATION CO-ORDINATING ASSOCIATION AND THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS A +DRY RUN+ FOR AN ANNUAL TSUEN WAN ARTS FESTIVAL.
THE SECOND IS TO BE STAGED EARLY IN 1980, WITH THE PRINCIPAL VENUE BEING THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL, A $23 MILLION PROJECT NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL GIVE THE TOWN A CULTURAL COMPLEX MODELLED ALONG THE LINES OF THE CITY HALL IN HONG KONG.
CERTAINLY, THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL HAS ENOUGH VARIETY FOR MOST OF THE HALF MILLION POPULATION OF TSUEN WAN - FROM CANTONESE MANDARIN AND CHIU CHOW OPERA, FOLK DANCING AND SINGING, PUPPET SHOWS AND DRAMA PERFORMANCES TO AN APPRECIATION SERIES ON CHINESE AND WESTERN MUSIC, CHINESE OPERA AND CANTONESE DRAMA TO EXHIBITIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS, PAINTINGS AND CALLIGRAPHY.
THE FESTIVAL HAS PROVED AN INSTANT SUCCESS WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND BY OPENING NIGHT MORE THAN HALF OF THE PERFORMANCES AND FUNCTIONS HAD BEEN BOOKED OUT, WHILE THE REMAINDER WERE ABOUT 80 PER CENT SUBSCRIBED.
+ IT WOULD SEEM THAT MANY HAVE HAD TO MISS OUT BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY BOOKINGS, REPORTED MR. HAYES, THE ONLY CONSOLATION IS THAT WE ARE HOPING FOR SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER FOR THE NEXT FESTIVAL.+
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