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"A Concert of Chaozhou Music", a must-see event in the "A Revival of Traditional Culture" Yau Ma Tei Theatre Series presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be staged in January. Local veteran musicians including vocal artists have been invited to perform famous Chaozhou music pieces at the Yau Ma Tei Theatre.
Performed by the Hong Kong Chiuchow Music Ensemble, the enriching programme includes Chaozhou gongs and da luogu drums in "Appointing Generals to Get Ready for Battle" and "Dance of the Dragon and the Phoenix"; Chaozhou gongs and xiao luogu drums in "Phoenix in the Sky" and "Lions Playing with a Ball"; suona music in "Selling Groceries"; traditional string music in "Fish Hawks Dabbling in the Water", "As the Waves Wash the Sands" and "Wild Geese on the Sandbank "; and Chaozhou operatic song singing in "A Pledge in the Garden" from "Madam Su" and "Reprimanding the Son" from "Taking her Husband to Court", featuring vocalists Lau Sik-chun, Fong Wah, Yeung Mei-wah and Wong Chi-fei.
In 2006, Chaozhou music was inscribed onto the first national list of intangible cultural heritage of China. It has a long history with its roots in the folk and vernacular tradition. This music genre can be categorised into Chaozhou gongs and drums, string poems, "delicate music", suites for dizi and temple music, with different modes such as "light three six" mode, "heavy three six" mode, "light three heavy six" mode, fanxian mode and "live five" mode. Sung with poetic verses from Chinese literature, Chaozhou music is an indispensable form of entertainment in the Chaozhou community: wherever there are Chaozhou people, Chaozhou music can be found.
The Hong Kong Chiuchow Music Ensemble is a non-professional organisation performing Chaozhou music and Chinese opera in Hong Kong. Established in the 1970s, the ensemble performed regularly in outdoor entertainment programmes organised by the former Urban Council. Its members are local enthusiasts in Chaozhou music, and most of them have more than 20 years of performing experience. Apart from performing as an accompanying ensemble for Chaozhou opera troupes in Hong Kong, it has also toured Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. The musicians are in close contact with famous virtuosi in Chaozhou and Shantou, actively promoting cultural exchange in a bid to keep the art form thriving.
"A Concert of Chaozhou Music" will be staged at 8pm on January 6, 2013 (Sunday) at the Theatre of the Yau Ma Tei Theatre. Tickets priced at $160 and $120 are now available at all URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by credit card telephone booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for the "A Revival of Traditional Culture" Yau Ma Tei Theatre Series package. A group booking discount scheme is also available. Please refer to the programme leaflets for details.
Other programmes of the "A Revival of Traditional Culture" Yau Ma Tei Theatre Series include "The Storytellers" Nanyin Concert, "Cantonese Music in Hong Kong - A Concert of 'Hard-bow' Ensemble" and "A Tribute to Wan Chi-chung, Guiding Light in Cantonese Saloon Music in Hong Kong".
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321, or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_104.html. For ticketing enquiries, please call 2734 9009. For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Monday, December 17, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:33
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