SPCCAA 15
Residence in April 2014. I was thrilled, though not surprised, that my
entire wish list was fulfilled in one go as the score for
Faith, Hope and
Love – A Choral Triptych for Orchestra and Double Choruses
arrived in
my inbox promptly on 1 September!
On the day of the concert, time seemed to zoom by quickly. Driven by
the collective goal of putting on a good show worthy of the occasion,
all aspects of the dress rehearsal was run with pristine efficiency. As I
was quietly collecting my thoughts inside my dressing room by the stage
entrance at 7:45 pm, the excitement and high spirit (accompanied by
noises admittedly) of the queuing orchestra members hardly disturb my
peace; instead, their cheers and nerves gave me positive vibes. “This is it,
boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen!”
The opening
St. Paulian Fanfare
and School Hymn were all things “St.
Paulian”. As the words, “
We build our school on Thee O Lord
” filled
every corner of the Cultural Centre Concert Hall, I looked around the
stage from the podium and saw alumni seated alongside students, all
intensely focused in the moment. Suddenly, the word “
we
” had a deeper
meaning; it gave me chills.
The Secondary School Orchestra, under the direction of Ms Carmen
Koon, followed the opening act with a performance of Wagner’s Prelude
to
Die Meistersinger
that had energy, drive and conviction. What became
more impressive was the orchestra’s versatility to play under guest
conductor, Mr Ken Lam and delivered precision and poise that were
appropriate in Beethoven’s
Choral Fantasy
.
1. Mr Mark Hayes, composer of the Choral Triptych
Faith, Hope and Love.
2. Sensational opening featuring
St. Paulian Fanfare
and School Hymn in Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.
3. Soloist Zoe Yu from SPCCPS.
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