*********************************************

    More than 400 musicians from five orchestras, bands and choirs will perform in the "2005 Music Office Annual Gala" on Sunday (March 27) at the Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

    The musicians are trainees from the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. They belong to the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band, Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra, Music Office Youth Choir, Hong Kong Youth Strings and Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra.

    Under the batons of Ms Angelina Au, Mr Lam Wing-cheong, Mr Pak Wing-heng, Mr Patrick Sze and Mr Tsui Ying-fai, the trainees will showcase what they have learned.

    Programmes include Rolf Rudin's musical poem, "The Dream of Oenghus", Schubert's "Mass in G Major", "March of the Toreadors" from the opera, "Carmen", Albert William Ketelbey's short tone poem, "In a Persian Market", and "Moldau" by Bebrich Smetana, "the Father of Bohemian Music". Not to be missed are Zhang Shiye's "Tea Plantations along the Lian River" and Gao Feng's "Great China".    

    Tickets priced at $60 and $40 are now available at all Urbtix outlets. Half-priced concessions are available to senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients.

    For programme enquiries, please call 2399 2195 / 2399 2196 / 2582 5311 or visit the website www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice. Internet bookings can be made at www.urbtix.gov.hk and telephone reservations on 2734 9009.

Ends/Wednesday, March 23, 2005

NNNN