Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Tomorrow to May 2, 7.30pm Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will showcase 20 original local compositions that celebrate this city's musical diversity at three free open-air concerts at the Cultural Centre Piazza this weekend.
Cadenzas of Hong Kong is the result of a project that was sponsored by the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (Cash) and started four years ago to give local composers a chance to have their works performed by a professional orchestra. Twenty works - from traditional Chinese music to East-West crossover melodies - have been commissioned by the Chinese Orchestra, many of which have already premiered over the past three seasons.
'The artistic life of an orchestra hinges on the constant supply of new musical works,' says the troupe's artistic director and principal conductor, Yan Huichang. 'Without a group of composers who write wonderful works ... even the best orchestras would suffer from lack of input.'
Composers whose works will be performed in the forthcoming concerts include Mui Kwong-chiu, Richard Tsang Yip-fat, Law Wing-fai, Chan Wing-wah, Ng Cheuk-yin, Tang Lok-yin and the orchestra's resident conductor, Chew Hee-chiat. Each has written a piece, lasting no more than seven minutes, to represent a district in Hong Kong; a special piece has been composed for the entire city and Tin Shui Wai.
Mui (above, right, with Tang) says the concert is meaningful not only because it showcases local talent and encourages composers to create new works. 'As long as it is good, they will play it ... even some of these original scores are extremely difficult to perform,' says the composer/arranger, who has collaborated with the troupe in other programmes such as 2008's All-time Favourites by Joseph Koo (and again in June for Romance of the Chivalrous Hero - All-time Favourites by Joseph Koo II).
Mui's The Sea off Little Palm Beach is a descriptive composition that was inspired by the picturesque coastline of Sai Kung: 'This particular beach is less busy and the horizon goes on forever you cannot tell where the water ends and the sky begins,' the composer says.