XN000022-1983-07-14 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1983

JING YING SCORES A HIT IN WALES

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THE 'HONG KONG JING YING' HAS SCORED ITS FIRST MAJOR SUCCESS IN THIS YEAR'S OVERSEAS TOUR BY WINNING THE THIRD PRIZE IN THE 1983 INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL EISTEDDFOD, HELD AT LLANGOLLEN, WALES.

THE FIRST TWO PLACES WERE FILLED BY GROUPS FROM SWITZERLAND AND TURKEY.

ABOUT 15 GROUPS, INCLUDING SOME FROM OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, TOOK PART IN THIS COMPETITION.

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, WHO IS CURRENTLY ON LEAVE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ATTENDED THE CONTEST TO GIVE HIS SUPPORT TO THE YOUNG MUSICIANS.

THE WINNING HONG KONG ITEMS WERE TWO SOLO PIECES IN THE FOLK INSTRUMENTAL SECTION →→ MORNING SCENE AT MOUNTAIN AND +NIGHT THOUGHTS+ - WHICH WERE PLAYED ON THE KOU DI AND THE DRUM RESPECTIVELY, ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER CHINESE INSTRUMENTS.

THESE WERE DESCRIBED BY THE ADJUDICATORS AS +VERY ARTISTIC AND CLEVER PERFORMANCES OF TWO SOLOS WITH THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF VARIOUS INTERESTING INSTRUMENTS WHICH MAKE THEM VERY IMPRESSIVE AND THE ACCOMPANYING INSTRUMENTS MADE THE PERFORMANCE FASCINATING

THE EISTEDDFOD IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST FAMOUS MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD AND IS NOW IN ITS 37TH YEAR.

THIS YEAR, NO LESS THAN 10 000 MUSICIANS FROM 34 OVERSEAS COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE WEEK LONG PROGRAMME OF COMPETITIONS AND CONCERTS. IN AN EVENING CONCERT, THE HONG KONG JING YING ATTRACTED AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND.

IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A GROUP FROM HONG KONG HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE EISTEDDFOD, AND THEREFORE ITS SUCCESS IS EVEN MORE NOTEWORTHY.

THE LEADER OF THE JING YING GROUP, MR HOWARD YUNG FROM THE MUSIC OFFICE OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, SAID THE MEMBERS WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE HOSPITALITY OF THE PEOPLE OF WALES AND THE WARMTH OF THEIR RECEPTION BY FELLOW MUSICIANS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

DURING THEIR STAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE JING YING HAVE ALSO GIVEN TWO PERFORMANCES IN LONDON -- AT THE COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE AND THE HONG KONG STUDENT CENTRE. BOTH CONCERTS WERE WELL ATTENDED AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED,

THE FINAL ENGAGEMENTS OF THE GROUP'S TOUR TAKE THEM TO CARDIFF, WALES. BETWEEN JULY 15 AND 19 WHERE THEIR SOPRANO SOLOIST, MISS LINDA LI WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE 1983 SINGER OF THE WORLD COMPETITION, AND THE GROUP WILL GIVE SEVERAL CONCERTS.

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