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Oliver Chou

Te Deum: Praise the LordHong Kong Oratorio SocietyHong Kong City Hall Concert HallApril 6
Three versions of music set to ancient Christian hymns offered Hong Kong a moment of reflection as the Easter holidays draw to a close.
Te Deum, Latin for “O God we praise”, is a set of hymns dating back as early as the 4th century and has drawn leading composers, such as Haydn and Handel, to set music to it. One of the latest attempts is by local composer Chan Wing-wah, who premiered the work as his fourth symphony in 1992.
It was works by those three composers that were featured at the latest concert by the Hong Kong Oratorio Society as a celebration of its 60th anniversary this year.
The concert opened with Haydn’s Te Deum Laudamus in C. Under Chan’s baton, the 100-strong combined choirs of the Oratorio Society and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong delivered a solid four-part vocal line sung in original Latin.
The pompous opening by the Hong Kong Strings set the scene, and there was always an effective organ line from Wong Kin-yu, the city’s prime organist. The boisterous ending was grand and festive.
Next came Handel’s Utrecht Te Deum in D composed to celebrate the peace treaty that ended the war of the Spanish Succession and the only piece in the programme that was sung in English. Young guest conductor Andrew Hon and the six solo voices, including two Form Five students, tenor Adrian So and bass Gideon Yeung, went through a score that alternates between soloists and mixed chorus.
The string opening featured a light texture, characteristic of the baroque style, which was also brought out in solo passages on the woodwinds and the high-pitch trumpets. But the performance was spoiled by the poor amplification for the solo voices, which captured more nerves than singing.
But the snag was quickly put behind when soprano Nancy Yuen, head of voice at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, took the limelight in superb singing of Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate. She went on to sing in the evening’s grand finale, Chan’s Te Deum under the composer’s direction.
It was a piece premiered and recorded at the same hall more than two decades ago in the run-up to the handover.
“No matter how uncertain the future may seem, we should be thankful for the stability and prosperity that we have enjoyed” was a line Chan wrote at the premiere and maintains its relevance nowadays, if not more so.
The triumphant ending in a major key struck a positive note, which was shared by the audience with their rapturous applause.


Songs of praise: Classical music set to ancient hymns a Hong Kong hit

The Hong Kong Oratorio Society is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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Three versions of music set to ancient Christian hymns offered Hong Kong a moment of reflection as the Easter holidays draw to a close.


Songs of praise: Classical music set to ancient hymns a Hong Kong hit

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Three versions of music set to ancient Christian hymns offered Hong Kong a moment of reflection as the Easter holidays draw to a close.

Three versions of music set to ancient Christian hymns offered Hong Kong a moment of reflection as the Easter holidays draw to a close.