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Dear Friends of the CCOHK,
We are pleased to launch the FOURTH issue of CITY RHYTHM.

Contents of This Issue

A. Coming Events
In December, the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir performs a special Lucia programme with the CCOHK.

B. Spotlight
Interview with the Principal Flautist of the CCOHK, Matthew Wu.

C. Sounding Board
Audience feedback from our September concert with four Russian prodigies from the Spivakov International Charity Foundation.

D. Director's Notes
News from the Founder and Artistic Director of CCOHK, Leanne Nicholls, about the recent formation of the CCOHK Advisory Board.

E. Artist Scoop
Extra snippets of our artists. Artist featured in this issue: Swedish Voices Chamber Choir.

F. Music Amuses
Did you know that Berlioz published one of his most famous works under the name of the 17th century composer, Pierre Ducre?

G. CD Corner
Recommended CDs

H. Quiz
Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets

Enjoy the newsletter now !

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A. Coming Events

Don't miss our coming concert which features the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir.

Details

Celebration of Light
Date : 5 & 6 December (Thursday & Friday) 2002
Time : 8:00 p.m.
Venue : St. John's Cathedral, 35 Garden Road, Central

Artists
Swedish Voices Chamber Choir
Anders Nyqvist ----- Trumpet
Johnny Poon ----- Conductor

Tickets are available from Ticketek HK's box offices.
Ticketek Booking Hotline : 31 288 288
Ticketek Internet Booking : http://www.ticketek.com.hk/

Please note that this concert is a charity event with net proceeds going to the Sunbeam Children's Foundation to assist needy children in China.

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B. Spotlight

Interview with the Principal Flautist of the CCOHK, Matthew Wu.

Where are you from and how long have you been in Hong Kong?
I am from Jiang Xi in China, and I have been living in Hong Kong for about ten years.

What do you enjoy most about playing in the CCOHK?

The CCOHK often presents interesting programmes in which I have the opportunity to play some special repertoire. For me, playing with a chamber orchestra is an enjoyable experience because all the players are able to interact with one another more closely.

Which CCOHK guest artist has made the biggest impression on you?
Michala Petri, the recorder virtuoso.

Which CCOHK concert has been the most memorable for you?
Two concerts have been most memorable for me. The first one was "A Tango Sensation" given in June 2000, for which I played a flute solo piece by Ginastera. The second one was "A Night in Bologna" given in May this year. It was a very nice programme for the woodwind section of the orchestra

Why did you choose to learn the flute?
As a matter of fact, the first instrument I learnt in China was the Chinese flute. I was also attracted to the sound of the western flute as well, and so decided to learn both types of flute at the same time. I must say that I now like the western flute a bit more because its tone colour is unique and it has a very particular effect on me.

Tell us something about your childhood experience of studying the flute in China.
I started to learn the flute when I was nine. I was attending primary school then. At that time we had no tutor to teach us, so we just played together ourselves. When I was fourteen, I was chosen to attend a special art school to continue my music study. I remember that the instrument I played on during this time was rusty and broken.

Your music has recently taken you abroad. Could you share your experience?
This summer I was invited to play with the Rome Festival Orchestra in Rome. What a fantastic experience! I met many marvellous musicians from America, Italy and Europe. It was a valuable opportunity for me to meet those artists and work with them. Blending with different cultures enriched my musical life and was a great inspiration to me.

Name one of the most important milestones in your music career.
It was the opportunity for me to play in the Asian Youth Orchestra in 1993. The Orchestra went on a tour to Europe that year. It was superb. I even had the wonderful opportunity to play with the violinist Gidon Kremer. I also performed in some of the most famous concert venues in Europe. After the tour I was convinced that I wanted to become a professional flautist.

What message do you have for our friends?
I hope you enjoy the music we play. Do keep supporting us by attending our concerts. I would also love to hear from you. If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail me at: matthew_flute@hotmail.com.

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C. Sounding Board

Friends who attend our concerts and are successful in having their comments published will win 2 FREE tickets to one of our future events.

In this issue we are pleased to share with you the following COMMENTS FROM OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS who attended our "Spivakov Russian Prodigies in Concert " performance on 12 September 2002:

Out of the ordinary - especially the balalaika, a rare instrument! The solo artists are so enthusiastic and musical. The flute soloist was especially marvellous.
---------- Ms. Lau (Diamond Hill)

This was my first time to listen to the CCOHK. Firstly I am impressed by the untraditional yet elegant concert dresses. The balance of the orchestra is good, the violins outstanding. Four different soloists make the concert very colourful.
---------- Mr. Wu (Shatin)

Excellent. All four soloists were very good. The conductor and orchestra both impressed me.
---------- Mr. Jackson (Chung Hom Kok)

The balalaika was great. The chamber orchestra gave a good performance.
---------- Mr. Yue (Clearwater Bay)

Congratulations to these four friends, who have each won 2 FREE TICKETS to one of our future concerts. We will be in touch with you soon!

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D. Director's Notes

Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce the recent formation of the CCOHK Advisory Board. The Board of Directors is made up as follows:

Mr. Peter Brack (Chairman)
----- Senior Vice President, Time Inc.

Ms. Chui-Inn Lee
----- Managing Director, Felicitas Limited
----- President, Women in Media

Mr. Suberna Shringla
----- Partner, Constellation Resources

Mr. Phil Goh
----- Solicitor

Ms. Angela Ho

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our board members for their special contribution to the CCOHK!
Best wishes,

Leanne Nicholls
Founder & Artistic Director, CCOHK

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E. Artist Scoop

Besides producing the popular group "ABBA" and a host of outstanding opera singers such as Jussi Bjorling, Birgit Nilsson and Nicolai Gedda, Sweden is also globally admired for its "choral wonder". Although the country has a population of only 9 million, as many as 600,000 to 700,000 Swedes sing in choirs each week. In Stockholm alone there are over 15 leading international chamber choirs. In fact Swedish choral singing has developed into a well-known export product, and the Swedish choral tradition has been used as a model for the renewal of choral singing in many other countries.

The Swedish Voices Chamber Choir comprises some twenty singers and is considered to be one of the finest of the Scandinavian choirs. In addition to performances in Europe, the USA and China, the choir has recorded several CDs and has appeared at the famous Vienna International Festival. A special for the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir is music at Lucia Time. The procession with its beautiful singing and the choir all dressed in white robes with candles is like a dream. When the singers have entered the room, the choir circles itself around Lucia who wears a crown of candles on her head. The choir sings both Swedish and English Christmas Carols and on departure the singing is heard fading in the distance. A Lucia Programme with the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir is a truly unique experience!

For more information on the Swedish Lucia tradition please refer to the following web-sites:

http://www.santas.net/swedishchristmas.htm
http://www.cvc.org/christmas/scand.htm

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F. Music Amuses

Did you know that Berlioz published one of his most famous works under the name of the 17th century composer, Pierre Ducre?

With his thick head of reddish hair, Berlioz was impulsive, emotional, and bursting with energy and radical ideas. In his large-scale works, Berlioz often astonished audiences with original effects and abrupt changes of tempo. Critics often judged Berlioz's music to be eccentric and "incorrect". To prove them wrong, when publishing his oratorio-trilogy "The Childhood of Christ", Berlioz mystified the critics by pretending to have found the last chorus amongst the manuscript scores of a composer of the 17th century, Pierre Ducre by name. The critics were fooled and reviewed the work favourably, which Berlioz maintained would not have been the case had they known it was his!

Source:

http://www.hearts-ease.org/cgi-bin/conservatory_bio.cgi?ID=44
http://97.1911encyclopedia.org/B/BE/BERLIOZ.htm

In our December concert featuring the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir, you will have the opportunity to hear "The Shepherd's Farewell" from Berlioz's "The Childhood of Christ".

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G. CD Corner

If you enjoy Haydn's violin concertos, then this excellent CD recording is definitely recommended:

Haydn : Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major Hob.VIIa:1

Haydn : Violin Concerto No. 2 in G major Hob.VIIa:4

Haydn : Symphony No. 22 in E-flat major (Philosopher)

Conductor and soloist : Pinchas Zukerman

Orchestra : National Arts Centre Orchestra

BMG Classics 09026-60797-2

First released in 1993 (Re-released in 1998)

Please also be informed that we will be selling CDs recorded by the Swedish Voices Chamber Choir in our December concert. These CDs are not available for purchase in Hong Kong and include:

1. Bach Motets
2. Scandinavian Songs
3. Music for Epiphany

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H. Quiz

Answer the quiz and win FREE concert tickets

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Question 1
Name one of the solo instruments featured in the CCOHK concert entitled "Spivakov Russian Prodigies in Concert" on 12 September 2002.

Question 2
In January 2003 the CCOHK will perform with another child prodigy. What is her name?

(For answers to these questions please check our website: http://www.ccohk.com/ )

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Send your answer by email to maryanne@ccohk.com on or before NOON on 8 November 2002 (Friday) together with your name, telephone number and postal address.

The first two persons to submit the correct answer together with his/her name, telephone number and postal address will win 2 FREE tickets to our "A Celebration of Light" concert on 5 December 2002 (Thursday).

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We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. Do forward this to all your music-loving friends so that they can join in the fun and win free concert tickets too.

The editor of CITY RHYTHM is Mary Anne Pun.

If you have any questions, please e-mail her at maryanne@ccohk.com