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

The Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra will present "An Evening of Fine Music" under the batons of conductors Kam Shui-wing and Wai Sing-fat next month.

The performance will be held at 8pm on September 14 (Sunday) at the Auditorium of the Tuen Mun Town Hall.

The concert will showcase well-known Chinese music such as ensemble, "Thunder in a Drought", "Tales of the Walled City"; suite: ("Overture", "Three-inch Golden Lilies", "Song of Fair Moon and Lotus", "Song of the Walled City"), "TV Themes"; suite, dizi solo "Orchids in Spring"; zheng solo "Home Melody" and "Autumn Moon in the Han Palace", percussion and orchestra "King Qin Smashing the Battle Line"; yueqin solo excerpts from "Sketches of Life in the North" ("Fishermen's Song" and "Hunting in Winter"); and erhu and orchestra "Erhu Rhapsody No 1".

Musicians include Cheng Yuk (dizi), Wu Lap-shan (zheng), Leung Ching-kit (percussion), Fong Ka-po (yueqin) and Au Yeung Ho-bong (erhu).

The Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra was established in 1979 to promote appreciation of the rich heritage of Chinese music. Orchestra members come from all walks of life. Many are well-trained recitalists and award winners at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. Some have been a part of the Music Office's "Hong Kong Elites" and participated in performance tours abroad.

The orchestra has performed frequently at the invitation of government departments and government-related bodies, including the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Music Office, the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and many private organisations.

In December 1999, it organised a highly successful 20th Anniversary concert entitled "The Way We Were". Leading overseas Chinese orchestras that participated in the event included the Keat Hong Chinese Orchestra from Singapore, the Professional Cultural Centre Orchestra from Malaysia and the Chao Feng Chinese Orchestra from Australia. The orchestra has recorded numerous cassettes and CDs, including "Song of the Chariots, Gongs and Drums in Celebration of a Bumper Harvest" and the Gold Disc winner, "Fishermen's Song of the East Sea".

The concert is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $120, $100 and $80 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions will be granted to senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. A 10% discount is also available for Friends of Leisure and Cultural Services performing venues. (Box seats and lounge packages are available. For details, call 2268 7238.)

For programme enquiries, call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. Ticketing enquiries and reservations can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked through the website, www.urbtix.gov.hk.

End/Thursday, August 14, 2003

NNNN