XN000022-1980-10-20 — Page 9

8

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1980

ACAN LAUNCHES SINGING COMPETITION

******

THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) IS ORGANISING AN +ANTI-NARCOTICS SINGING COMPETITION+ TO BE HELD EARLY NEXT YEAR.

THE COMPETITION, PROMOTED FOR THE FIRST TIME BY ACAN, IS PART OF ITS PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY PROGRAMME FOR 1980/81.

+ONE OF THE IMPORTANT POLICY OBJECTIVES OF ACAN IN THE PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE IS TO TAKE A POSITIVE APPROACH BY ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEEK HEALTHY AND MEANINGFUL ALTERNATIVES TO DRUG ABUSE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NARCOTICS DIVISION SAID.

+ IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT THE COMPETITION IS DESIGNED. WE HOPE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND THEIR ENERGY AND LEISURE ON WHOLESOME ACTIVITIES SO AS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF THE IR EXPERIMENTING WITH DRUGS.+

THE COMPETITION IS ORGANISED BY ACAN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MUSIC OFFICE AND RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG AND SPONSORED BY THE TOM LEE PIANO COMPANY.

IT WILL BE OPEN TO ALL AMATEUR SINGERS OR GROUPS, BUT PARTICIPANTS MUST BE OVER 15. THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES WILL BE LIMITED TO 200.

A PRELIMINARY SELECTION AND AUDITION OF ENTRANTS BY PROFESSIONAL SINGERS WILL BE HELD BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER AND THE GRAND FINAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL ON JANUARY 24.

FOR THE AUDITION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SING ONE OF THREE ACAN SONGS BY WELL-KNOWN COMPOSERS AND LYRIC-WRITERS. DEMONSTRATION TAPES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THEM ON REQUEST.

FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE, THE AUDITION WILL BE HELD SEPARATELY IN FOUR CENTRES LOCATED ON HONG KONG ISLAND, IN KOWLOON AND IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

IN THE GRAND FINAL THE BEST SINGERS SELECTED WILL PERFORM THEIR CHOICE OF ONE OF THE THREE SONGS TOGETHER WITH ANY OTHER CHINESE OR ENGLISH SONG.

THE FIRST THREE WINNERS WILL BE AWARDED GIFT COUPONS VALUED AT $5 000, $3 500 AND $2 000 RESPECTIVELY. OTHER CONTESTANTS WILL BE PRESENTED SOUVENIRS.

WELL-KNOWN SINGERS, SONG WRITERS, DISC JOCKEYS, AND OTHER PERSONALITIES WILL JUDGE THE COMPETITION.

THE PRIZE

+