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A Century of Cantonese Music in Hong Kong 【Online Programme】
About the Programme
About the Programme
About the Creative and Artistic Personnel
About the Creative and Artistic Personnel
Episode 1: Early Cantonese music – Yan Laolie and Ho Lau-tong
Episode 1: Early Cantonese music – Yan Laolie and Ho Lau-tong
Episode 2: The fusion of Cantonese music with Western elements – Yau Hok-chau and Chan Man-tat
Episode 2: The fusion of Cantonese music with Western elements – Yau Hok-chau and Chan Man-tat
Episode 3: Lui Man-shing and performing styles of Cantonese Music
Episode 3: Lui Man-shing and performing styles of Cantonese Music
Episode 4: Contemporary Cantonese Music – Liu Tianyi and Yi Jianquan
Episode 4: Contemporary Cantonese Music – Liu Tianyi and Yi Jianquan

Situated in a region where the local culture is influenced by Greater Guangdong, Hong Kong counts Cantonese music as its indigenous form of traditional music.  Here, Cantonese music has enjoyed more than a hundred years of steady and robust development to become the most popular and influential genre representative of regional music for Chinese people at home and abroad.  The large number of Cantonese music virtuosi living here has also contributed to the enrichment and expansion of the repertoire locally.  As a result, Hong Kong has become an important base for Cantonese music after Guangzhou and Shanghai, and a unique Cantonese music culture with Hong Kong characteristics has taken shape.  Numerous Cantonese music classics are well-known to the Cantonese community and have enjoyed enduring popularity.

In this online concert, 'A Centurty of Cantonese Music in Hong Kong', the young musicians of the Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble presents classics and fine works of local Cantonese music makers in the last one hundred years.  To revive the quaint sounds of those early days of Cantonese music, an old model of yangqin with two fretted courses is used to perform Autumn Moon on a Placid Lake.

In every episode, adjunct professor of the Lingnan University, Yu Siu-wah and local Dizi  musician Chu Siu-wai give you an unmatched perspective into the history and diverse themes of Cantonese music before the performances begin.   All four episodes will be conducted in Cantonese with Chinese subtitles.

 

First Episode: Early Cantonese musicYan Laolie and Ho Lau-tong

The close relationship between Cantonese music, traditional theatre of Guangdong and the Cantonese dialect facilitated the development of Cantonese popular music.  Some of the household tunes of the 1950s and 1960s with catchy lyrics were actually derived from classics.  This episode describes the history of Cantonese music, representative musical instruments of early Cantonese music and well-known works by virtuosi of that period.
 

Second Episode: The fusion of Cantonese music with Western elements–Yau Hok-chau and Chan Man-tat

In the first half of the 20th century, Cantonese music was fast developing and showed the deep influence of foreign cultures.  This episode traces the development of Cantonese music from the "hard bow" to the "soft bow" combo, and the process of Westernisation from its indigenous roots.
 

Third Episode: Lui Man-shing and performing styles of Cantonese music

Lui Man-shing (1898–1981) was an epoch-making figure in Cantonese music.  The gaohu that he invented transformed the original timbre and acoustics of Cantonese music.  A combo he helped to establish, dubbed by the contemporaries as "the Four Greats", produced the period genre called "Spirit Music", which had Western musical instruments incorporated.  Apart from an account of Lui's achievement, this episode also explores the causes for the change in style in Cantonese music.

The Centre for Chinese Music Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong is acknowledged for lending the yangqin with two fretted courses for performance in this episode.
 

Fourth Episode: Contemporary Cantonese musicLiu Tianyi and Yi Jianquan

From the 1950's onwards, the development of Cantonese music in Hong Kong and Guangdong took different paths.  Quite a number of Cantonese music virtuosi of Hong Kong, such as Lui Man-shing and later, second-generation gaohu maestro Liu Tianyi (1910–1990) returned to Guangzhou.  This episode gives an account of the roles that Hong Kong and Guangdong played in the development of Cantonese music in the second half of the 20th century.
 

Conducted in Cantonese.
The programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.  The presenter reserves the right to vary the broadcast time of the programme. 

Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble

The Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble is a professional Chinese music group with its focus on the local community and on producing quality chamber concerts.   Founded in 2003, it has a mission of developing Chinese music culture in Hong Kong and delivering the unique charm of Chinese ensemble music known for being "small but elegant, and simple but refined".  The Ensemble's current resident musicians are all music graduates from various institutes in Hong Kong, with rich experience in concert performance.  The Ensemble is a grantee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and a registered non-profit organisation in Hong Kong. 

(Click here for more)

 

Artistic Adviser: Ho Man-chuen

Instructor at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Resident Conductor of the Academy Chinese Orchestra, and Artistic Adviser of the Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble.
 

Speaker: Yu Siu-wah

Adjunct professor in the Department of Cultural Studies of the Lingnan University and the Department of Music of The Chinese University Hong Kong.
 

Moderator: Chu Siu-wai
 

Gaohu/Erxian: Chan Kai-him
Gaohu/Zhonghu/Yehu/Zhu Tiqin: Tung Tsz-ching       
Yangqin: Kwok Ka-ying
Pipa: Wong Ling-yan
Pipa/Zhongruan/Xiaosanxian: Yu Wing-ka
Qinqin/Xiaosanxian/Yueqin/Zhongruan/Daruan: Chan Sze-tung      
Guzheng: Chow Lai-kuen 
Dizi/Xiao: Ho Siu-cheong
Xylophone: Chak yuet-man
Drums: Cheung Long-hin, Ronney

 

Information provided by the performers

First Episode: Early Cantonese music – Yan Laolie and Ho Lau-tong

Dizi and Ensemble

 

Thunder in a Drought

 

Arr. Yan Laolie
Orch. Li Zhuxin
 

Xiaosanxian, Yehu
and Xiao

A Hungry Horse Shaking Its Bells
 

Passed down by Ho Lau-tong
 

Pipa Solo
 

Rain Lashing on the Plantain
 

Passed down by Ho Lau-tong
Arr. Li Canxiang

"Soft Bow"
Five-piece Combo

United We Go
 

Arr. Yan Laolie
 

 

Second Episode: The fusion of Cantonese music with Western elements –
Yau Hok-chau and Chan Man-tat

"Soft Bow"
Five-piece Combo

Billowing Waves under the Hazy Moon
 

Chan Man-tat
Arr. Windpipe Cantonese Music Quintet

Pipa and Ensemble
 

Lion Rolling a Ball
 

Yau Hok-chau
Arr. Li Canxiang

"Hard Bow" Ensemble

In Celebration of Good Times      

Yau Hok-chau

Third Episode: Lui Man-shing and performing styles of Cantonese Music

Yangqin, Gaohu
and Qinqin

Autumn Moon over a Placid Lake
 

Lui Man-shing
 

"Soft Bow"
Five-piece Combo

Stepping High
 

Lui Man-shing
 

Yangqin Solo

Lovers' Reunion at the Milky Way

Lui Man-shing

Xylophone and Ensemble
 

Lion Dance
 

Lui Man-shing
Arr. Ngai Chiu-kwan

Ensemble
 

The Tiger Leaving Its Lair    
 

Lui Man-shing
Arr. Li Zhuxin

Fourth Episode: Contemporary Cantonese Music – Liu Tianyi and Yi Jianquan

Gaohu and Ensemble

Birds Returning to the Woods

Yi Jianquan

Guzheng Solo

Weaving Busily

Liu Tianyi

Gaohu and Yangqin
 

Fish Frolic in the Water in Spring
 

Liu Tianyi
Arr. Tang Kwaixuan

Gaohu Duo and Ensemble
 

The new year flower market welcomes spring
 

Liu Tianyi
Orch: Li Zhuxin

Online Programme
  • date14.07.2020 - 04.08.2020
    (4 episodes in total)
  • priceFree Viewing
DATE
VENUE
PRICE
14.07.2020 - 04.08.2020
(4 episodes in total)
Online Programme
Free Viewing
DATE
14.07.2020 - 04.08.2020
(4 episodes in total)
PRICE
Free Viewing