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Evergreen crooner Alan Tam and well-known Hong Kong band Mr. have been added to the lineup of star talent for the Hong Kong Week Opening Ceremony for Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo).
The opening ceremony will take place on the morning of October 20 (Wednesday) at Baosteel Stage inside the Expo Park's Pudong site, instead of October 18 (Monday) as originally planned.
Speaking at a press conference in Shanghai today (October 12), the Commissioner of the HKSAR Expo Affairs Office, Mr Patrick Chan, said: "The HKSAR Government was recently informed by Shanghai authorities that their senior leaders would be away from Shanghai in mid-October to attend an important meeting and therefore could not attend the Opening Ceremony originally scheduled for October 18."
Under established practice of the Pavilion Weeks of other Provinces, Regions and Municipalities, Shanghai's senior leaders will attend the opening ceremonies staged at the Expo Park. Mr Chan explained that the opening ceremony would be a key event of the Hong Kong Week. The presence of senior leaders of Shanghai would carry important meanings. After careful consideration, the HKSAR Government decided to reschedule the opening ceremony to October 20 so that we could welcome senior Shanghai leaders to this important event relating to Hong Kong's participation in Expo.
Mr Chan said the change of date meant that popular singer Eason Chan would not be able to perform as scheduled due to a prior commitment. However, the rest of the opening ceremony arrangements would remain unchanged.
The opening ceremony at the Baosteel Stage inside the Expo Park will bring together musical masters and budding maestros for a fusion of talent that provides the audience with an unmistakably Hong Kong event.
Those taking part will include Canto-pop doyen Joseph Koo, singers Alan Tam, Frances Yip, Kay Tse, Eric Suen and the band "Mr.", renowned violinist Yue Jao, erhu master Wong On-yuen, and the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ng Ka-ming. The music score has been arranged by Hong Kong Week musical director Dr Mui Kwong-chiu.
The opening ceremony will be produced by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), which is also the creative force behind the impressive main set design for Hong Kong Week activities at the Baosteel Stage.
The five-day Hong Kong Week, from October 18 to 22, will feature more than 20 events and performances covering pop music, jazz and swing, Chinese music, harmonica tunes, dance, Cantonese opera, film, fashion and design and art.
"Close to 1,000 performers and staff members from 12 organisations will present more than 60 shows during Hong Kong Week," said Mr Chan. "It is definitely going to be an action-packed and fun-filled week of quality entertainment, events and activities."
Mr Chan said the closing programme for Hong Kong Week would be the Hong Kong Sinfonietta's performance of Igor Stravinsky's A Soldier's Story at Shanghai Oriental Art Centre.
Admission to the opening ceremony is by invitation only. Shanghai Expo visitors can enjoy other Hong Kong Week performances and activities in the Expo Park for free.
RTHK and the Shanghai Media Group (SMG) will jointly provide live broadcast signals in the Mainland and Hong Kong for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The opening ceremony will be live webcast on RTHK's website and broadcast on RTHK Putonghua Channel on October 20 from 11.45am. The closing ceremony performance at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre will be broadcast live on RTHK Radio 4 and Shanghai Radio FM947 on the night of October 22 from 7.30pm.
A 90-minute "Hong Kong Week Special" is scheduled to be broadcast at 7 pm on October 23 on Asia Television Limited (ATV) Home Channel and will also be available on RTHK's website.
More information about the Hong Kong Week events and activities is available from the following website www.hkexpo2010.gov.hk/hkweek.
Also, in response to questions raised by the media, Mr Chan said that HKSAR Government recently learned from the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination that the Hong Kong Pavilion would have to be dismantled after the end of Shanghai Expo, as in the case of other pavilions and in accordance with the Bureau of International Expositions' requirements and usual practice.
Ends/Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:00
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