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Oliver Chou

Allegro Singers 
50th Annual Concert 
Cultural Centre 
Sunday 
History resonated on stage on Sunday in both sound and sight.
The Allegro Singers, founded in 1964 by soprano Barbara Fei, performed much as they did 50 years ago, with their signature mixed programme and cheongsams for the lady choristers.
The celebration began with 50 Whiz Kid Drummers performing Golden Blessing, a work created by percussionist Ronald Chin for the occasion. The concert then opened with Cao Ding from Shanghai, the Allegro's principal guest conductor, leading a fine rendition of oratorio excerpts by Haydn and Beethoven.
The adrenalin rose in the Chinese folk songs the Allegro Singers have had under their belt for decades. The Tea Mountain Love Song from Guizhou was sung with charming lyricism, and You Are My Beloved, a Shanxi tune, with nostalgic flair.
The 18 Allegro sopranos stood out, outnumbering the 10 lower-pitched altos and 15 male voices. There was less contrast in works for single-gender voices, such as Schubert's An Die Musik  for the ladies. But the soft men's voices came out strongly in Daban Love Song, a Uygur folk tune, when the tenors and baritones battled over a beauty with long braids.
The singers shifted gear in the three negro spirituals under the inspiring conducting of Johnny Poon Ming-lun. The earnest sentiment was best delivered in  Nobody Knows  and, in a cappella, Soon-A Will Be Done.
Piano aside, a violin solo was featured in Fiddler on the Roof. The clean lines of Andrew Ling, principal viola of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, made the soulful Sunrise, Sunset  memorable.
Richard Tsang Yip-fat and Chan Wing-wah had their moment by leading the group to sing their works. With Nancy Loo at the piano, Tsang's music, set to a great Song dynasty poem, displayed depth. Chan's For the Beauty of Music, a birthday gift, was listener-friendly but sparked surprise with electronic firework effects at the end.
But the biggest surprise came when the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra took the stage for the chorus of a famous tune from the movie Red Sorghum. The song title, Be Brave and Go On, Sisters, may well be the best birthday wish of all.
 


Allegro Singers still have magic at 50th annual concert in Hong Kong

The Allegro Singers, founded in 1964 by soprano Barbara Fei (pictured), performed much as they did 50 years ago, with their signature mixed programme and cheongsams for the lady choristers. Photo: Jonathan Wong

News

Hong Kong

The Allegro Singers, founded in 1964 by soprano Barbara Fei, performed much as they did 50 years ago, with their signature mixed programme and cheongsams for the lady choristers.
