The Chinese Culture Promotion Office (CCPO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) held the "Lingnan Harmony: Guangdong Music, Cantonese, and Nanyin" concert at the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Science Museum today (October 21), interactively presenting enchanting Lingnan music, including Guangdong music, Chaozhou music and nanyin. A group of musicians led by the veteran Cantonese opera performing artist, Yuen Siu-fai, introduced and demonstrated the characteristics of Lingnan music, enhancing the public's understanding of Chinese culture.
Nanyin or "southern tunes", a narrative song art presented in the Cantonese vernacular, is an item of the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. Nanyin now is essentially blended into Cantonese opera and Cantonese operatic songs as part of their singing elements. This activity combines elements of chanting, a music performance and interaction with the audience. Yuen chanted the nanyin piece, "The Fable of the Ungrateful Wolf", with soulful rhythms, accompanied by the Executive Director of the Centre for Chinese Music Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and dongxiao artist, Dr Chan Chi-chun; guzheng artist Alison Lau; and visually impaired huqin artist Yang En-hua, and introduced the rich history and unique traits of Lingnan music through the lens of traditional Chinese music appreciation. Creative Director of the One Table Two Chairs Charitable Foundation, Ms Musette Tsang, employed a lively and interactive introduction to guide the audience through the nanyin and explore the close connection of Lingnan culture to contemporary life. With role playing and interactive question-and-answer sessions, the audience was invited to exchange ideas with artists up close to understand Lingnan culture in a relaxed and light-hearted atmosphere.
The CCPO will roll out more performances targeting members of the public and students from special schools, and launch activities in primary and secondary schools starting from the end of this year, bringing Lingnan music into the community and school classes, and allowing audiences to experience the essence of Chinese culture. All activities are free of charge. Details will be announced later.
Presented by the CCPO of the LCSD, in collaboration with the Centre for Chinese Music Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the One Table Two Chairs Charitable Foundation, this programme is one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.
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