ENG-1963 — Page 396

326

THE ARTS

amateurs and, considering the difficulties of arranging adequate rehearsal time, both acquitted themselves most creditably in per- formance. One of the most significant events in local music and one that holds much promise for the future was the formation of the Hong Kong Youth Orchestra which gave its first concerts in conjunction with the Schools Music Association winter series of concerts. Its first truly public concerts will be presented in 1964. The Schools Music Festival held at the City Hall in March attracted a record number of nearly 4,000 entries, with some 20,000 students participating, and ended with four successful prize- winners' concerts.

A series of popular band concerts was given by the bands of the Hong Kong Police, The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, the Durham Light Infantry, the Auxiliary Police, the Auxiliary Fire Services, the United States aircraft carrier Coral Sea and HMS Ark Royal. These concerts were generally held either in the early evening or on the afternoon of public holidays. The year also saw a public performance of Chinese orchestral music by the Chinese Folk Orchestra of the South China Film Industry Workers' Union. The orchestra consists of about 40 members, who play 13 tradi- tional Chinese instruments including strings, woodwind and per- cussion groups, and the repertoire includes both traditional pieces and modern compositions notably the Liang Shan Pa and Cho Ying Tai Concerto. Though full orchestral concerts were few, there was no lack in the number and variety of concerts by chamber music ensembles. Among-those which gave performances at the City Hall during the year were, the Munich Nonett, the German Bach Soloists, the Detmold Wind Group, the Benthien Quartet, the Philippines Music Ensemble and the Vienna Philharmonic String Quartet. Concerts were also given by the Chamber Group of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society and the South China Sinfonietta.

As in previous years, pianists dominated among the solo recitals and the year saw the return of Julius Katchen, Witold Malcuzynski and Halina Czerny-Stafanska. Other pianists included Lili Kraus, Louise Thai Thi Lang, Julian van Karoyli, Hilde Somer, Lya de Barberiis, Hans Richter-Haaser, Peter Coraggio, Gary Gaffman, Jorg Demus, Fred King and Paul Badura-Skoda. Recitals were given by violinists Jacob Krackmalnick, Peter Poole, Willard