Songs to deliver the message
TO express one's aspirations and thoughts about society through music - this was the novel idea of a group of eager students from seven tertiary institutes who formed an organisation focusing on music in May last year.
Called the Hongkong Music Alliance for Students of Tertiary Institutes (HKMA), the group promotes music and composition among students, introduces campus music to society, and brings together student composers from the various institutes.
''As a group of well-educated people with a high sense of social responsibility, we expect to face many difficulties and much frustration as 1997 approaches,'' said Chan Kai-tai, president of the HKMA and a third-year medical student at the Chinese University.
''In this time of uncertainty, we will have many doubts and concerns we would like to express. Music is an international language, and we chose it as a good way to tell society what we feel,'' 22-year-old Kai-tai said.
The idea of setting up such a group came to Kai-tai three years ago after a discussion with Mr Jolland Chan, a Director of the Composers and Authors Society of the Hongkong and well-known lyrics writer.
Kai-tai had noticed that professional composers and music producers would often introduce a theme of current interest in their music to make it popular and sell well.
The student realised that music was the ideal vehicle to express ideas close to one's heart, and so the HKMA came into being.
''A year later, my desire to form the alliance was intensified when I saw restlessness everywhere stemming from worries about 1997,'' Kai-tai said.
He and Mr Chan then started to look out for potential writers and composers in various singing contests to be the pioneers of the music alliance.
At first, they encountered a certain degree of resistance in their search for an appropriate music style and focus.
''Finally we decided the music should be diversified, with no guidelines laid down. This would give us all the freedom to express ourselves sincerely on any subject we liked,'' Kai-tai said.
Another difficulty was finding support and financial backing.
According to Tommy Chan Yiu-fung, treasurer of the music alliance, funds to run the HKMA have been raised through ticket-sales for their forthcoming music production Here and Now - Hongkong 1993 , and from sponsors of the show.
Over $200,000 have been raised, and after the show's expenses have been covered, the balance will be put aside for the HKMA. When the HKMA is dissolved, the money will go to the Community Chest for charity purposes.
Kai-tai said it was not easy finding sponsors, as many feared the alliance would be taking a political stance and touching on sensitive issues in the show.
The large-scale production will be held at the Academic Community Hall of Hongkong Baptist College on March 13, and at the Lyric Theatre of the Hongkong Academy for Performing Arts on March 21.
Taking part will be Lee Kwok-cheung, Joyce Lee Lok-sze, Commercial Radio 2 DJs, including Wong Chi-chung, and tertiary institute students.
