Typically, the opening of the Asian Youth Orchestra's summer festival and rehearsal camp is an officious affair, with sponsors and politicians saying all the usual nice things about promoting the arts, culture and young musicians. However, Monday's ceremonial debut of this year's crop of 104 musicians got quite emotional at one point - and it wasn't during the orchestra's moving performance of Edward Elgar's Nimrod.
In front of VIP guests - including, from left, The Link Management chairman Nick Sallnow-Smith; the deputy Foreign Ministry commissioner in Hong Kong, Zhan Yongxin ; conductor Richard Pontzious; Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen; and Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler - South Korean Consul General Seok Tong-youn (far right) got quite choked up describing his difficulty in raising funds to fulfil a promise to bring the group to tour his country.
Then, the honourable and emotional consul turned to Mr Tang and pleaded that the Hong Kong government 'has to step up its support for the Asian Youth Orchestra ... After all, the AYO helps to elevate the status of Hong Kong as a cultural hub of Asia.'
It is quite rare for a foreign representative to speak so to a Hong Kong official. Sheepishly, Mr Tang responded with the usual line about arts subsidies and the West Kowloon Cultural District. 'When completed, this 40-hectare site will serve as a centrepiece for the arts in Hong Kong and around the region. I hope the cultural district will become an ideal place for the Asian Youth Orchestra to stage rehearsal camps and concerts in the future.'
Yeah, sounds like lip-service. In contrast, the ambassador personally raised HK$1 million to help underwrite the orchestra's three concerts in South Korea. Any local politicians ready to follow suit?