Renowned Hong Kong Lyricist Chow Yiu Fai’s Lyrics Writing Class Concert at HKMU: 19 Original Cantonese Songs Voicing Students’ Perspectives on Time

On the evening of March 20, the renowned Hong Kong lyricist Chow Yiu Fai's 2025/26 Lyrics Writing Class Concert and Sharing Session was held at the Agile Sports Hall of the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). As the first lyrics writing class taught by Chow Yiu Fai at HKMU, the 19 students explored the theme "How Much Time Do We Have Left?" to create 19 heartwarming original Cantonese songs. Drawing from interviews with people around them, they transformed touching real-life stories into poignant lyrics.

The concert was built on the motif of "sand", a symbol of time's fleeting nature—like quicksand slipping away. Over the semester-long lyrics writing course, each student conducted an in-depth interview with a person, transforming their life stories into original lyrics reflecting on the meaning of time.

The performance of the students at the concert, Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

The performance was divided into three parts: "The Promise of Sand", "The Land of Gathering Sand", and "The One Who Holds the Sand". The 19 original lyrics written by Chow Yiu Fai's students were presented in various formats—some performed by the lyricists themselves, some sung by their classmates or friends, and in some instances, the interviewees themselves took the stage. The lyrics drew from real-life experiences of individuals across different ages, backgrounds, and identities, capturing stories such as the nostalgia of soon-to-be emigrants for their friendships in the city, cherished moments between children and family members, and the business perseverance of alleyway stores in modern times, etc. Each heartfelt performance of the lyrics reflected the students' keen observation of daily life and their nuanced understanding of time and emotion.

Each heartfelt performance of the lyrics reflected the students' keen observation of daily life and their nuanced understanding of time and emotion. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

The real-life inspirations behind the 19 songs also attended the concert and shared their feelings about the students' songwriting. The interviewee for the song "Sister Giu"—the grandmother of lyricist King Lok—expressed her deep emotion at King Lok's lyrics to capture the unforgettable moments between him and her in daily life, as well as her joy at hearing King Lok perform the song himself at the concert.

The interviewee for the song "Sister Giu"—the grandmother of lyricist King Lok—expressed her deep emotion at King Lok's lyrics to capture the unforgettable moments between him and her in daily life, as well as her joy at hearing King Lok perform the song himself at the concert. Photo by Bastille Post

King Lok performed the lyrics written by himself. Photo by Bastille Post

In addition to the students' performances, singers On Chan and Cloud Wan also joined as special guests, performing lyric works by Chow Yiu Fai on the theme of "time" and adding luster to the concert.

On Chan, Photo by Bastille Post

Cloud Wan, Photo by Bastille Post

Regarding the entire concert, the instructor of the lyrics writing class, Chow Yiu Fai, expressed his delight at being able to continue the tradition of running a lyrics writing class after transferring to teach at HKMU, allowing more students interested in music and lyrics writing to experience the joy of creation. He also thanked the 19 interviewees who were willing to share their valuable life stories with the students. He expressed his hope that even after the lyric writing class comes to an end, the students can continue to cherish their passion for creation, observe the world attentively, write more touching stories from their lives, and use music to bring warmth to others.

The group photo of Chow Yiu Fai (second row, eighth from left) with the lyrics writing class students and guest performers at the concert. Photo by Bastille Post

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — A malfunctioning battery, a cool suit that got very hot and a big deficit to the leader with less than 50 laps remaining at Darlington Raceway.

The “Track Too Tough To Tame” tested Tyler Reddick in every way possible Sunday, and this year’s top star in NASCAR naturally passed with flying colors for his fourth victory of the season.

“I know never to give up,” said Reddick, who broke through after three runner-up finishes on the tricky 1.366-mile oval. “I think it’s very fitting that when we finally get our first win here at Darlington that ‘The Lady in Black’ would test us like that. We’ve been so close so many times.”

Starting on the pole position for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, Reddick led 77 laps in the No. 45 Toyota for his 12th career victory. Chasing down Brad Keselowski after his final pit stop, Reddick breezed to a 5.847-second margin of victory.

Ryan Blaney finished third, followed by Carson Hocevar and Austin Cindric.

The problems started on the first lap for Reddick, who radioed his team about an alternator problem that caused his voltage to drop dangerously low. The team swapped a battery with larger capacity into his Camry after the first stage, but the charging problems remained.

Reddick had to toggle off his cockpit fans and the power to his cool suit, which provides driver comfort through a water circulation system. During a later pit stop, Reddick pumped water out of the suit, which had begun to cook because of temperatures in the high-80s.

“The battery wasn’t charging at all,” Reddick said. “All day long just not running fans and sweating my tail off inside the race car. We knew it was going to be physical. Really wore out, but I guess I don’t need as much of that cooling stuff as I normally have.”

It might not quite have been a performance on par with the “flu game” that Jordan delivered in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, but it still pleased the basketball great.

“Pretty sure it’s frustrating for him because he had an unbelievable car, and I think the key to him winning was just keeping his head,” said Jordan, who has been on hand for every Reddick win this season and got to celebrate Sunday at a track he attended with his family decades ago as a child growing up in North Carolina. “We just had to get the car right, and I think he did an unbelievable job. I just wanted everything to be good, because once he gets back out there, then I feel like his competitive juices are going to carry him all the way to the end. He earned it all week, and I’m real proud of the team.”

Keselowski led a race-high six times for 142 laps. But the Roush Fenway Keselowski driver made his final pit stop four laps earlier than Reddick, who made the most of fresher rubber to erase a seven-second gap and complete the winning pass on the 266th of 293 laps.

“We didn’t have the best car today, not compared to Tyler,” Keselowski said. “Tyler drove a hell of a race, and he’s driving a rocket and making it count right now.”

Reddick began the season with a Daytona 500 win on the way to becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first three races of the season. He joined NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (1987) and Bill Elliott (1992) as the only Cup drivers to win four of the first six races in a season.

Tire management always matters on Darlington’s abrasive surface, and drivers wrestled Sunday with increased wear because of new car regulations.

But despite predictions of chaos from a 12% increase of horsepower and a 25% reduction in downforce (which helps maintain traction through the turns at high speed), drivers mostly kept their cars from careening out of control.

The race featured four yellow flags — including only one for a multicar incident — the fewest caution periods at Darlington since there were three in the March 21, 1999, race that was shortened by rain. The last full-length race at Darlington with fewer than four cautions was the 1998 Southern 500, which had two yellows on Sept. 6, 1998.

“A lot of fun today sliding around,” said Blaney, who overcame two mediocre pit stops for a career-best third at Darlington. “I thought the package was really fun.”

Despite predictions of nonstop chaos because of the new car regulations, the first 91 laps unfolded under the green flag without interruption. It marked the fifth consecutive race in which the first stage was completed with the caution flag staying holstered.

The NASCAR Cup Series will race at Martinsville Speedway, the first short track of the 2026 season, on Sunday, March 29. A year ago, Denny Hamlin snapped a 31-race winless streak with his first victory in 10 years at Martinsville, where he has a series-leading six wins.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Tyler Reddick is introduced to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Tyler Reddick (45) and Bubba Wallace (23) compete through Turn 2 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Tyler Reddick, center, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

Tyler Reddick, left, celebrates with his son Beau, right, in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

The pit crew for Austin Dillon (3) rushes to complete a pitstop during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

A pack of cars compete through Turn 3 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Darlington, S.C.(AP Photo/Matt Kelley)