Classical Music for Babies began as a ruse - despite its billing, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta concerts were initially aimed at parents. The orchestra introduced the series last year as a way to help the adults appreciate music through storytelling and imagination. 'Hopefully, that would inspire them to do the same at home', says the orchestra's music director, Yip Wing-sie.
But for their third showcase this weekend, the Sinfonietta, led by guest conductor Peter Moore, have their sights set on toddlers with a programme featuring plenty of rhythmic melodies such as the cha-cha and the cancan that will absorb their restless energy.
It's natural step forward for the hugely popular concerts. Previous runs drew full houses of parents and babies, even when held in distant venues in Yuen Long.
'The Sinfonietta did a great job in making the atmosphere appealing to the young ones, by using colourful decor and balloons. But the main attraction is the music. More than a few toddlers simply stood on the chair and conducted along with the music,' says Wendy Chung Wing-yan, who took her son to a performance in March.
That show was built around musical excerpts to describe a baby's day, starting with Grieg's Morning (popularised by a milk commercial) and ending with Haydn's Farewell Symphony, during which musicians departed the stage one by one and babies responded by waving them goodbye.
Chung adds: 'It was my 18-month-old boy's first orchestral experience, and he listened intently during the hour-long programme.'
