Protest 'will not silence' premiere at City Hall

The premiere of Hong Kong's first symphonic musical will go ahead tonight, its composer and conductor have pledged, offering a moment of catharsis from the heat of the protests outside.

The full Hong Kong Sinfonietta - with 54 musicians rather than an ensemble of 20 to 30 players, as at most musicals - will perform the score, while the Actors' Family sings in the Cantonese-language The Passage Beyond at the City Hall Concert Hall.

Composer Leon Ko Sai-tseung said he had seen music made in far worse conditions than those created by the Occupy Central blockade outside.

"I was rehearsing a musical in New York City on September 11, 2001. After that, nothing really frightens me any more," the Hong Kong-born composer said.

"My only concern is the closure of City Hall … Otherwise our motto is, the show must go on," he added with a resolute tone. The City Hall closed its doors for the first time since 1962 on Sunday as police fired tear gas into crowds of protesters nearby.

Yip Wing-sie, conductor of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, which will perform at the premiere and five subsequent shows until Sunday, said her orchestra was no stranger to adversity.

"We performed during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak [in 2003] … when the audience and some of our players were still wearing masks," she recalled. "We have prepared this production for a year and my players have gone through eight rehearsals with [the actors]. We are ready to go."