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The "Concert of folksongs from Northern Shaanxi by Wang Kwong Chinese Orchestra", presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be staged next month (October).
"Xintianyou", or literally "rambling in the sky", is a type of Chinese folk song in Northern Shaanxi. It belongs to the genre of "mountain songs", and is characterised by the rustic touch, pithy style and long, lingering resonance. The "xintianyou" songs of the Yulin region represent the widest range of folk songs of Northern Shaanxi and therefore occupy an important position in the genre.
Founded in 1962, Wang Kwong Chinese Orchestra is a long-established and active amateur Chinese orchestral group in Hong Kong. It first came to attention when it won many prizes in Chinese ensemble in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, and by 1972 it was frequently invited to perform at concerts organised by the former Urban and Regional Councils, and to participate in Chinese music activities organised by the Music Office. In November, 1989, it gave a mass performance at a Cantonese music concert in the inauguration programme of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and marked its place as the first amateur Chinese orchestra to perform there. Since 1981, the orchestra has initiated collaboration between Hong Kong amateur groups and artists from the Mainland by inviting famous performers from China to perform in Hong Kong. In 2003, it gave two concerts in celebration of the Orchestra's 40th anniversary featuring virtuosi from all over the world.
Under the leadership of conductor Li Chun-sang and guest conductor Gu Guanren, the orchestra will be accompanied in the Hong Kong concert by vocalists from the Yulin City Folk Arts Troupe including Wang Xiaoyi, Guo Yunqin, He Bin, Luo Shengjun, Luo Cuilian and Liu Meilan, as well as The Hong Kong Senior Education Workers' Chorus.
The concert will be staged at 8pm, October 14, 2006 (Saturday) at the Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre. Tickets priced at $140, $110 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. (Limited tickets for students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis.)
For programme enquiries, call 2268 7321; for ticketing enquiries and reservations call 2734 9009. Internet bookings are available at www.urbtix.hk. For credit card telephone bookings, call 2111 5999. Visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp for more information on the programme.
Ends/Friday, September 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:47
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