2000

Achievement in Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 2000 selected as Top 10 Music News in Hong Kong (updated on 3 March 2001)

The achievement of the team from Hong Kong in the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival 2000 has been selected as one of the Top 10 Music News in Hong Kong. 80.5% of the votes were cast on this news, ranking it the second among the 10 entries. Congratulations to the team! This is certainly good news to the harmonica community as it demonstrates that harmonica is well recognized and accepted by the local community. Please listen to the announcement here (RealAudio stream starting from 21:15, in Cantonese).

For details of the achievement, please read the report of the trip here.


Boxing Day Performance (updated on 12 January 2001)

We performed in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Foyer at 4:00pm on Boxing Day (26 December 2000, Tuesday), as part of the Euro Salon, a Christmas music carnival organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The programme:

    1. Anderson: Sleigh Ride

    2. Three Beatles' Songs:

      • Michelle

      • Yesterday

      • Hey Jude

    3. Sigmund Groven: Aria (guest soloist: Cheung Kin Ling)

    4. James Moody: Bulgarian Wedding Dance (guest soloist: Sum Siu Cheong)

    5. Pachabel: Canon and Gigue*

    6. Kabalevsky: Galloping Comedian*

* with guest performers Cheung Kin Ling and Sum Siu Cheong

Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival and Winners' Concert (updated on 12 December 2000)

二○○○年亞太口琴節之成果 (2001/05/06更新)

The third Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival was held in Seoul from 1 to 4 August 2000. Our treble harmonica player Ho Pak Cheong was invited to act as the adjudicator of the competition. We have performed in the gala concert (together with our resident pianist Miss Nerissa Yeung) and conducted a workshop on the art of harmonica quintet. We have also brought 29 of the talented harmonica players in King's College and Hotung Secondary School to enrich their experience. They have won 8 medals, including 2 champions, in 5 categories of competition ranging from solo to orchestra.

Here is a more detailed report of this trip, press release on 2 September 2000 and subsequent news reports.

To celebrate the success and share their fruits, the winners presented their works on 27 November 2000 (Monday) at City Hall Theatre. Here is theposter of the concert as well as the programme.

The next Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival will be held in Atsugi, Japan (which is the home-town of harmonica in Japan) from 30 July to 4 August 2002. Hong Kong will host the one after next in 2004.

第三屆亞太口琴節於二○○○年八月一至四日在漢城舉行。我們的高音口琴手何百昌應邀出任比賽評判，而我們聯同駐團鋼琴家楊芝華在綜合音樂會演出，並舉行以口琴五重奏演奏藝術為題的講座。

我們也藉此機會鼓勵香港年青一代口琴手出外見識。英皇書院及何東中學口琴隊的二十九名成員參予是次口琴盛會，並在比賽中奪得佳績，在獨奏以至大合奏五項比賽中囊括了八項大獎，其中包括兩項冠軍。這些成就更獲得公眾的認同，入選香港十大樂聞，並以80.5%的得票率名列第二。請聽結果宣佈(RealAudio格式, 21:25開始)。

為慶祝及分享這些成果，各優勝者於二○○○年十一月二十七日在香港大會堂劇院舉行了一場音樂會。這是音樂會的節目及海報。

這是亞太口琴節之行的詳細報告(英文)。

下一屆亞太口琴節將於二○○二年七月三十日至八月四日在日本口琴之鄉厚木市舉行。二○○四年亞太口琴節則會在香港舉行。



Chinese YMCA Harmonica Orchestra Concert (updated on 12 December 2000)

The Chinese YMCA Harmonica Orchestra presented a concert at City Hall Recital Hall on 28 October 2000 (Saturday). The programme:

  • Handel Largo from "Xerxes"

  • Bach: Fugue "The Little"

  • Mozart: Allegretto from "Magic Flute" (lead: Wut Tai Shing)

  • Haydn: Serenade from String Quartet (solo: Ma Kam Hon, with string quartet)

  • Rimsky-Korsakov: Song of India (solo: Ma Kam Hon, with string quartet)

  • Moody: Toledo (solo: Herman Ho)

  • Chagrin: Roumanian Fantasy (solo: Ho Kit Fun)

  • La Golondrina (trio)

  • Roumanian Rhapsody (trio)

  • Gershwin: selections from "Porgy and Bess" (Summertime, Bess You Is My Woman, It Ain't Necessarily So) (solo: Allan Ho)

  • Reilly: Valsentino (trio)

  • Kabalevsky: The Comedians' Galop (trio)

  • Faure: Pavane (lead: Yeung Yuet Bor)

  • Macarena (lead: Yeung Yuet Bor)

Jean-Jacques Milteau Performed in Hong Kong (updated on 8 November 2000)

The French jazz harmonica player Jean-Jacques Milteau and his Quintet appeared on the concert stage of Hong Kong on 3 November 2000 (Friday) as part of the East Asia tour.

The concert is one of the "Jazz Up" series of concerts organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Mr. Milteau met harmonica players in Hong Kong on 2 November 2000.

Tommy Reilly Passed Away (updated on 16 October 2000)

Tommy Reilly OBE, one of the greatest and finest classical harmonica players, has passed away on 25 September at the age of 81. He left us with no less than 10 major works written for harmonica and 7 fine CDs that are still available from Chandos Records. The British Guardian has written a tribute, quoting Larry Adler, "He was unique, in a class by himself. I will miss his wonderful playing: he didn't even have a close second."


Harmonica Orchestra Performed in King's College Students' Concert (updated on 31 July 2000)

The 80-strong harmonica band, consisting of the King's College Harmonica Band, alumni harmonica players and guest performers, has made a marvelous performance in the King's College Students' Concert on 10 July 2000 (Monday) at City Hall Concert Hall. The programme includes:

  • Dance of the Yao Tribe

  • Solveig's Song

  • Pomp and Circumstance No.1

Interview of Ho Pak Cheong by Next Magazine (updated on 17 April 2000)

Our member Ho Pak-cheong was interviewed by Next Magazine. The article describes how he transformed his own destiny, his patients, and last but not the least, the development of harmonica, with his "magical" hands.

A Milestone in Harmonica History - Our Performance in Hong Kong Arts Festival (updated on 18 March 2000)

A new page dedicated to this important event in our development and in the history of harmonica, accessible from the gallery page.

New picture is added!!! (updated on 17 April 2000)