XN000022-1980-03-09 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 1980

SAI KUNG CHILDREN'S CHOIR INAUGURATED

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THE SAI KUNG CHILDREN'S CHOIR, THE FIRST DISTRICT-WIDE MUSIC GROUP TO BE SPONSORED BY THE LOCAL DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, WAS INAUGURATED THIS (SUNDAY) EVENING BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES.

THE CHOIR, FORMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SAI KUNG RURAL COMMITTEE AND GOVERNMENT'S MUSIC OFFICE, HAS 75 MEMBERS AGED BETWEEN SEVEN AND 12, ALL OF WHOM ARE LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN.

IT HAS BEEN SET UP TO PROVIDE A RECREATIONAL OUTLET FOR LOCAL CHILDREN AND TO ENCOURAGE THEIR MUSICAL TALENTS.

SINCE THE CHOIR'S FIRST TRAINING SESSION IN JANUARY LAST YEAR IT HAS TAKEN PART IN EIGHT SUCCESSFUL CHORAL PRESENTATIONS

INCLUDING A CONCERT AT ST JOHN'S CATHEDRAL TWO MONTHS AGO.

THIS EVENING THEY PRESENTED AN AMBITIOUS MULTI-LINGUAL PROGRAMME AT THE BAPTIST COLLEGE'S ACADEMIC COMMUNITY HALL BEFORE A PACKED AUDIENCE OF VIPS, HEADED BY MR AKERS-JONES THE SAI KUNG DISTRICT OFFICER, MR COLIN BOSHER, AND THE MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR, MRS ELIZABETH WONG,

IT WAS THE CHOIR'S FIRST MAJOR PUBLIC APPEARANCE AND MARKED, AS MR AKERS-JONES SAID IN A BRIEF OPENING SPEECH, A SMALL BEGINNING FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE.

MR AKERS-JONES DESCRIBED THE ORGANISATION OF THE CHOIR THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF THE SAI KUNG DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, THE MUSIC OFFICE AND LOCAL SPONSORS AS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT WHICH DEMONSTRATES VERY CLEARLY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY'S APPRECIATION OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOUNG PEOPLE.+

CONGRATULATING THE CHOIR ON BEING ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR AKERS-JONES SAID HE WAS VERY GLAD THIS INTEREST IN MUSIC AND SINGING WAS SPREADING TO ALL DISTRICTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE ADVISORY BOARDS.

+SINGING IN A GOOD CHOIR IS AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE, AND UNITY AND HARMONY IN MUSIC GIVE ENJOYMENT, HE SAID.

+1 AM SURE THAT TONIGHT, AS THE SAYING GOES, 'THEY SING SO WELL WE CAN STILL HEAR THE ECHO OF THE SONG FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS.+

AFTER THE CEREMONY, THE YOUNG CHORISTERS, ALL IN BRIGHT- COLOURED UNIFORMS, GAVE" AN HOUR-LONG PERFORMANCE OF 15 CANTONESE, ENGLISH, ITALIAN, LATIN, MANDARIN AND HAKKA DIALECT SONGS.

THE CONCERT WAS SUPPORTED BY STUDENTS OF SAI KUNG SUNG TSUN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHO, DRESSED IN CHINESE TRADITIONAL COSTUMES, PERFORMED A LION DANCE AND THREE CHINESE FOLK DANCES.

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