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2012 marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China. To celebrate the occasion, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) staged a joint performance of the Hong Kong Children's Choir (HKCC) together with the Hamburger Mädchenchor (Hamburg Girls' Choir) on August 26 at the Miralles Saal of the State Youth Music School in Hamburg.
On August 25, the HKCC performed at the Hamburg Family Day event organised by the Hamburg city government, as part of China Time Hamburg 2012. On the following day, August 26, the HKCC shared the stage with the Hamburg Girls' Choir in the final concert of their European tour. The celebrations not only provided valuable opportunities for the choirs to share experience with each other, but also allowed the audience to enjoy their enchanting performances.
Welcoming the choir on stage, the Director of the HKETO Berlin, Mr Ivan Lee, highlighted the HKSAR Government's emphasis on enriching the city's cultural life. "We promote art and culture, which is consistent with our core values as a free, diversified and open society. Recognising our children as the future pillars of society, our government encourages our youngsters to broaden their horizons through cultural exchange. Today's joint concert presents an excellent opportunity," he said.
Hong Kong is a cultural metropolis with a distinct identity grounded in Chinese traditions and enriched by different cultures, where life is celebrated through cultural pursuits and creativity is a constant driver of progress in the community. Hong Kong is accelerating the development of its dynamic cultural and creative industries. The HKSAR Government supports the cultural and creative industries to develop high quality programmes and to promote arts and creativity in the community. With about 34 000 cultural and creative industry-related establishments and more than 189 000 practitioners, Hong Kong is one of Asia's most important creative hubs.
Founded in 1969, the HKCC has made a tremendous contribution to children's arts education in Hong Kong. It is one of the leading choirs in Hong Kong and over the years has gained considerable worldwide acclaim. The HKCC won the prestigious Award of the Audience at the Vivace 2006 International Choir Festival in Hungary. In 2008, the choir was awarded the Gold Cup by the Shanghai International Children's Chorus Festival Organizing Committee.
For the HKCC's second consecutive European tour the HKCC's Music Director and Principal Conductor, Ms Kathy Fok, has selected a wide repertoire of songs including Bagatelle, a song dedicated to the friendship between China and Germany, and the brand new Choriental Symphony.
Founded in August 2003, the Hamburg Girls' Choir is under the overall direction of Ms Gesa Werhahn and is based at the State Youth Music School in Hamburg. The choir consists of about 200 singing girls aged between 4 and 20 years. The Hamburg Girls' Choir was a finalist and winner of the 2nd prize at the prestigious German Choir Competition 2010.
About 350 guests joined the concert of the HKCC and Hamburg Girls' Choir in Hamburg, among whom were the Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Hamburg, Mr Xing Weiping, and Director of the State Youth Music School in Hamburg, Dr Christofer Seyd.
Ends/Monday, August 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 21:43
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