LCSD to launch lecture series "Hong Kong Music Stories Series - All to start from the Libraries"
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present a new lecture series, "Hong Kong Music Stories Series - All to start from the Libraries", from October to December. Curated and hosted by former Chief Librarian of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) Dr Jim Chang, the six-lecture series takes the HKCL's Hong Kong Music Collection Campaign, which has been running for 25 years, as a starting point. Dr Chang will reflect on his work in music collection and archive, sharing the stories of six musicians who hold a prominent place in Hong Kong's music culture and providing in-depth appreciation of their representative works, thereby analysing their outstanding contributions and profound impact on the development of related local culture.
Details of each lecture are as follows:
Lecture 1: The Serious and the Witty Woo Man-sum
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Date: October 27 (Tuesday)
Guest Speaker: Wong Chi-wah
Woo Man-sum (1910-1963) was a renowned composer and librettist of his generation in Hong Kong. He began writing Cantonese opera libretti for famous stars in his youth and later composed lyrics for film songs, producing a remarkably diverse body of work that ranged from the serious to the witty. The speaker will share an extraordinary story behind his archival work on Woo's musical legacy.
Lecture 2: The Music Dreams of Chen Ning-chi
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Date: November 3 (Tuesday)
Indonesian-Chinese composer Chen Ning-chi (1940-2025) graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music. After relocating to Hong Kong in 1973, he served as the Assistant Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO), among other posts. In 2015, he received the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH) Hall of Fame Award. Chen left behind a legacy of more than 500 compositions, the majority of which are now held in the collection of the HKCL. This lecture will look back on his musical life.
Lecture 3: The Maestro of Cantonese Music, Loo Kah-chi
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Date: November 10 (Tuesday)
Guest Speaker: Ip Sai-hung
Cantonese music master Loo Kah-chi (1917-1996) settled in Hong Kong after the war and actively participated in vocal accompaniment, film scoring, radio broadcasting, music composition and concert performances. He led Radio Television Hong Kong's Cantonese Music Ensemble and the Lung Cheung Opera Troupe for 30 long years from the 1960s. Many of his autograph manuscripts are now preserved in the HKCL. This lecture will recount his life and contributions to the development of Chinese music and Cantonese opera in Hong Kong.
Lecture 4: Tong Leung-tak and the Legacy of Jiangnan Music
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Date: November 17 (Tuesday)
Guest Speaker: Koo Sing-fai
Erhu master Tong Leung-tak (1938-2010) gained considerable renown during his youth in Shanghai with the Tong Family Ensemble. After settling in Hong Kong, he served as the Concertmaster of the HKCO and later worked at the Music Office (currently under the LCSD). He also taught erhu at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. This lecture will explore his influence and contributions to Chinese music education in Hong Kong.
Lecture 5: Chen Dieyi the Poetic Lyricist
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Date: November 24 (Tuesday)
Guest Speaker: Chan Nicholas Louis
Renowned lyricist Chen Dieyi (1908-2007) moved to Hong Kong in 1952, devoting himself to editing, writing, screenwriting and songwriting. He penned timeless classics including "Evening Bells at Nanping" and "Lover's Tears". In 1996, he received the CASH Hall of Fame Award. Following his passing, his works were bequeathed to the HKCL. This lecture will reminisce about his life and the monumental contributions of his lyrics.
Lecture 6: "Love is Like a Dream", all about Pong Chow-wah
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Date: December 1 (Tuesday)
Pong Chow-wah (1928-1991) was a composer, lyricist and screenwriter who wrote for more than 30 films. He later worked for a record company and a television station, during which time he wrote Cantonese lyrics for the theme songs of several Japanese television dramas, such as "Robotan" and "Kamen Rider". His 1960s masterpiece "Love Is Like a Dream" became a beloved Cantopop classic. Apart from recounting Pong's life, the speaker will also share another remarkable story from his archival work on Pong's musical legacy.
Dr Chang joined the HKCO as a sheng musician after graduation from university. He later joined the public library service under the former Urban Council and retired as the Chief Librarian of the HKCL. He currently serves as a part-time lecturer at the Academy of Music of the Hong Kong Baptist University.
All lectures will be conducted in Cantonese and will start at 7.30pm at AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Each lecture will run for about one hour and 30 minutes. Tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) for $80 per lecture (free seating). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and discount schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_1996.html.
The lecture series "Hong Kong Music Stories Series," Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
