Page 117 of 142
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Orchestra in this interim period, the Society has appointed the internationally acclaimed musician, Maxim SHOSTAKOVICH, as its Principal Guest Conductor until the summer of 1984. An International Music Advisory Panel has also been appointed which includes amongst its members the Managing Directors of both the London Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestras.
The Society's aim of integrating the Orchestra into the Hong Kong community has also made rapid progress. Concerts at City Hall continue to attract near capacity attendances. As a result of a change in repertoire policy, audiences at the Academic Community Hall and at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall have increased by over 100%. With the series of pops concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium now firmly established, the Society co-operated in an experiment in September when the Orchestra provided accompaniment for a series of six concerts with one of Hong Kong's most popular singing artists. The success of these concerts exceeded all expectations and the Society is examining proposals for similar ventures in the future.
As importantly, the Society is now a recording orchestra with a contract to make 6 records each year for international distribution. The first of these digital recordings, a disc of popular Chinese melodies, has already sold more than 10,000 copies in Hong Kong alone. With additional exposure on radio and television, this one recording has made many tens of thousands of our citizens more aware of the Orchestra's existence, standard, and potential. Internationally, this and future recordings will make a much wider overseas public aware of the tremendous achievements made in the arts in Hong Kong in recent years, achievements which this Council has carefully fostered and, in many cases, initiated.
The Philharmonic will make its first major overseas tour in April this year—2 concerts each in Bangkok, Singapore, and Osaka. The Osaka concerts will take place as part of the 25th Osaka International Festival, one of the world's major music festivals. Other companies taking part include the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra from Washington, U.S.A., the N.H.K. Orchestra of Japan, and London's Royal Ballet Company.
Artistic organizations all over the world are suffering from the effects of the current recession. In Hong Kong, the arts are exposed to an even greater risk in this time of difficulty because they are not as highly developed as in most western countries. It is our duty, therefore, to see that our artistic bodies can continue to pursue their objectives without having to sacrifice the quality that has been developed. In the Philharmonic Society, we shall shortly be making public our confidence in the future both of the Orchestra and of Hong Kong by launching one of the largest appeals for funds ever known in our history. We have decided to establish an Endowment Fund capable of generating sufficient annual income for the Society to complement its grants from this Council and from the Government. In this way, the Society believes that the whole of our community can work together to protect the Orchestra's development so far, to provide the musicians with the kind of benefits that are given to other men and women in Hong Kong, and to ensure that future growth professional can be encouraged at the appropriate time.
For it is now clear to all that the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is the jewel in Hong Kong's artistic life. And this jewel will become brighter in the future as the demands for its services continue to grow. For example, our musicians are presently heavily involved in many different types of teaching and training activities with the Conservatory of Music, the Music Office, and other organizations. In only two years' time, the new Academy of Performing Arts will be opened. This Academy, with its large School of Music, will require instrumentalists of the highest order to fill its roster of professors and tutors. Our children deserve the best that we can provide for them, and the Philharmonic Society is working closely with the Government to ensure that the best will be made available.
To close, I would like to say a few words on Urban Council's spending on cultural and recreational facilities. Some people suggested that in these hard times, we should cut back in these areas, but I totally disagree. In these days of gloom and doom, which I believe are only temporary, we should spend more. More activities will provide the necessary additional relief for the people who are being subjected to increased pressure as a result of the current economic and political uncertainties.
With these words, I support the motion.
(Mr. Kenneth Lo and Mr. CHAN Chi-kwan left during Dr. Philip Kwok's address.)
MR. FRANCIS CHAINE (in Cantonese):—
How to keep Hong Kong stable?—Some suggestions to Government
Mr. Chairman, today, at this Conventional Annual Debate, we are free to discuss what we want to discuss. So I would like to discuss a topic which is not within the jurisdiction of the Urban Council.
Since the visit of Britain's Prime Minister Mrs. Thatcher to Beijing in September 1982, the Chinese, British, and Hong Kong governments have all expressed their resolution to maintain the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. The common aim of the three governments to keep Hong Kong 'stable and prosperous' is, no doubt, very good news to all of us, but in the circumstances of today, this is easier said than done.
Let us begin with the issue of prosperity which, in Hong Kong, depends much on the export of our products, and it involves a great many factors, such as the exchange value of the Hong Kong dollar, the economic conditions of the European Economic Community and U.S.A. which are our major trading partners, the import quotas imposed by the E.E.C. and the U.S.A. in recent years on account of their own serious unemployment problems, the effect of the rising value of the U.S. dollar on the cost of raw materials, the increase of cost
Page 117 of 142
Page 117 of 142
190
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Orchestra in this interim period, the Society has appointed the internationally acclaimed musician, Maxim SHOSTAKOVICH, as its Principal Guest Conductor until the summer of 1984. An International Music Advisory Panel has also been appointed which includes amongst its members the Managing Directors of both the London Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestras.
The Society's aim of integrating the Orchestra into the Hong Kong community has also made rapid progress. Concerts at City Hall continue to attract near capacity attendances. As a result of a change in repertoire policy, audiences at the Academic Community Hall and at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall have increased by over 100%. With the series of pops concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium now firmly established, the Society co-operated in an experiment in September when the Orchestra provided accompaniment for series of six concerts with one of Hong Kong's most popular singing artists. The success of these concerts exceeded all expectations and the Society is examining proposals for similar ventures in the future.
a
As importantly, the Society is now a recording orchestra with a contract to make 6 records each year for international distribution. The first of these digital recordings, a disc of popular Chinese melodies, has already sold more than 10 000 copies in Hong Kong alone. With additional exposure on radio and television, this one recording has made many tens of thousands of our citizens more aware of the Orchestra's existence, standard and potential. Internation- ally, this and future recordings will make a much wider overseas public aware of the tremendous achievements made in the arts in Hong Kong in recent years, achievements which this Council has carefully fostered and, in many cases, initiated.
The Philharmonic will make its first major overseas tour in April this year--2 concerts each in Bangkok, Singapore and Osaka. The Osaka concerts will take place as part of the 25th Osaka International Festival, one of the world's major music festivals. Other companies taking part include the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra from Washington U.S.A., the N.H.K. Orchestra of Japan and the London's Royal Ballet Company.
Artistic organizations all over the world are suffering from the effects of the current recession. In Hong Kong, the arts are exposed to an even greater risk in this time of difficulty because they are not as highly developed as in most western countries. It is our duty, therefore, to see that our artistic bodies can continue to pursue their objectives without having to sacrifice the quality that has been developed. In the Philharmonic Society, we shall shortly be making public our confidence in the future both of the Orchestra and of Hong Kong by launching one of the largest appeals for funds ever known in our history. We have decided to establish an Endowment Fund capable of generating sufficient annual income for the Society to complement its grants from this Council and from the Government. In this way, the Society believes that the whole of our community can work together to protect the Orchestra's development so far, to provide the musicians with the kind of benefits that are given to other
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 117 of 142
men and women in Hong Kong, and to ensure that future growth
professional can be encouraged at the appropriate time.
For it is now clear to all that the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is the jewel in Hong Kong's artistic life. And this jewel will become brighter in the future as the demands for its services continue to grow. For example, our musicians are presently heavily involved in many different types of teaching and training activities with the Conservatory of Music, the Music Office and other organizations. In only two years time, the new Academy of the Performing Arts will be opened. This Academy, with its large School of Music, will require instrumentalists of the highest order to fill its roster of professors and tutors. Our children deserve the best that we can provide for them, and the Philharmonic Society is working closely with the Government to ensure that the best will be made available.
To close, I would like to say a few words on Urban Council's spending on cultural and recreational facilities. Some people suggested that in these hard times, we should cut back in these areas, but I totally disagree. In these days of groom and doom, which I believe, are only temporary, we should spend more. More activities will provide the necessary additional relief for the people who are being subjected to increased pressure as a result of the current economical and political uncertainties.
With these words, I support the motion.
(Mr. Kenneth Lo and Mr. CHAN Chi-kwan left during Dr. Philip Kwok's address.)
MR. FRANCIS CHAINE (in Cantonese):—
How to keep Hong Kong stable?—-Some suggestions to Government Mr. Chairman, today, at this Conventional Annual Debate, we are free to discuss what we want to discuss. So I would like to discuss a topic which is not within the jurisdiction of the Urban Council.
Since the visit of Britain's Prime Minister Mrs. Thatcher to Beijing in September 1982, the Chinese, British, and Hong Kong governments have all expressed their resolution to maintain the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. The common aim of the three governments to keep Hong Kong 'stable and prosperous' is, no doubt, very good news to all of us, but in the circumstances of today, this is easier said than done.
Let us begin with the issue of prosperity which, in Hong Kong, depends much on the export of our products, and it involves a great many factors, such as the exchange value of the Hong Kong dollar, the economic conditions of the European Economic Community and U.S.A. which are our major trading partners, the import quotas imposed by the E.E.C. and the U.S.A. in recent years on account of their own serious unemployment problems, the effect of the rising value of the U.S. dollar on the cost of raw materials, the increase of cost
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