The Outreach Music Interest Courses organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will be held from September 2019 to January 2020. Over 100 courses, ranging from Chinese and Western musical instrument classes to music workshops are now open for members of the public to apply.
 
     The Choral Conducting Workshop receiving an overwhelming response last year and will be rerun this year. Topics on pre-rehearsal preparation, selection of repertoires, rehearsal strategies and basic conducting skills will be covered. School music teachers, conductors and music instructors of community and church choirs are welcome to apply. The course fee is $320.
 
     Following the recent trend of cross-subject education under the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) approach, the Music Office is introducing the new STEAM Music Workshop. Participants will learn to invent digital music instruments with electronic building blocks, and also to compose and perform simple music pieces. A parent-child workshop and an adult workshop will be held. The incorporation of STEAM into music lessons will also be introduced in the adult workshop so that music teachers participating in the workshop can put knowledge to practice. Course fees for the adult workshop and the parent-child workshop are $160 and $320 respectively.
 
     Courses on ocarina, keyboard, ukulele, classical guitar and classical vocal singing; Western music theory (Grades 1 and 2); aural training; instrumental enrichment courses of yangqin, cello, flute, xiao and clarinet; and ensemble training of Chinese traditional music, saxophone, Western strings and Western chamber music will also be offered. The course fees range from $215 to $1,005.
 
     The Outreach Music Interest Courses also provide basic training on xiao, liuyeqin, zhong-ruan, pipa, yangqin, zheng, dizi, erhu, clarinet, saxophone, flute, trumpet, percussion (glockenspiel and practice pad), violin, viola and cello. The course fee is $1,070.
 
      All courses are conducted in small groups in Cantonese and will be held at different venues throughout Hong Kong, namely the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Sha Tin Town Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Tai Po Civic Centre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Yuen Long Theatre, Ko Shan Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library and the Music Office's music centres in Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan.
 
     Online applications can now be made through the Music Office website www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice. Course prospectuses and application forms are also available at various performance venues of the LCSD and music centres of the Music Office. The deadline for applications is July 25. Oversubscribed courses will be processed by ballot. For courses not fully taken up after the first round of application, places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis from August 28.
 
     For enquiries, please call 3842 7773, 2598 8335 or 2596 0898.

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will hold a dog inoculation campaign at various fishing ports in Hong Kong. Fishermen can have their dogs vaccinated against rabies and microchipped and the licences renewed.
 
     AFCD mobile vaccination teams will visit the following fishing ports according to the schedule below:
 
Sam Mun Tsai      July 5
Sha Tau Kok        July 10
Aberdeen            July 10
Castle Peak         July 12
Shau Kei wan       July 17
Sai Kung             July 23
Cheung Chau       July 24
 
     The half-yearly dog inoculation campaign was launched in 1980 with the aim of providing a licensing renewal and rabies vaccination service for dogs kept by fishermen who work on board fishing vessels most of the time. The vaccination teams will visit the fishing ports from 10am to 3pm. A fee of $80 will be charged for each dog. To date, more than 7 300 vaccinations have been given to dogs on fishing vessels.
 
     An AFCD spokesman said that the service is one of the proactive measures to prevent rabies, a fatal disease that is transmitted to humans from animals. Dogs on board vessels that have visited overseas countries may have come in contact with other animals carrying diseases, making them more susceptible to rabies infection.
 
     "Although Hong Kong has been free from animal rabies since 1987, we must remain vigilant to prevent any possible outbreak," the spokesman said.
 
     Under the Rabies Ordinance, all dogs aged over 5 months must be vaccinated against rabies, licensed and microchipped. Dogs have to be revaccinated against rabies and their licences have to be renewed at intervals not exceeding three years. Dog owners who fail to do so are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

     Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 28) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Golden Beach in Tuen Mun District have been suspended until further notice.

     First aid services will be maintained at the beach.

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 27) seized 324 suspected smuggled mobile phones with an estimated market value of about $600,000 at Lok Ma Chau Control Point.

     Customs officers intercepted an outgoing private car at Lok Ma Chau Control Point for inspection yesterday evening and found the batch of mobile phones in two false compartments inside the centre console and beneath the front passenger seat. 

     The 58-year-old male driver was arrested. Investigation is ongoing. 

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

    

Attention TV/radio announcers:

     Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 28) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Cafeteria New Beach in Tuen Mun District have been suspended until further notice.

     First aid services will be maintained at the beach.