THE POPULARITY OF karaoke in Hong Kong indicates that many among us are pop stars at heart, ready to belt out a number at the slightest encouragement. At the Grand Hyatt 'Music to your Ears' charity dinner, some famous bathroom singers were given the chance to set aside their shampoo bottles and grab a microphone in front of an audience of music lovers. Organised by Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and friends, the evening was officiated by Betty Tung Chiu Hung-ping, wife of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa. Among the 450 guests were Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, John C C Chan, jeweller Maria Gaspari, steel tycoon David Pong and Dr Chow Yei-ching, chairman and managing director of The Chevalier Group. Business identity Patricia Fang joined Selina and a chorus of amateur singers in various musical favourites, but stepped aside for noted architect Victor Chan and his comrades when they performed a medley of old Beatles numbers. There were a few jaw-dropping surprises that night. Even Dr Stanley Ho Hung-sun, a guest and one of the main sponsors for the evening, seemed astonished when hair-stylist Kim Robinson walked into the spotlight to sing the Bee Gee's classic How Deep Is Your Love? CNN correspondent Lorraine Hahn was one of the few who wasn't taken aback - she was the other mystery guest who followed in song. By the end of the night, $2.2 million had been raised for the Community Chest and its 142 welfare agencies.
