The CLA Fund Contributed to Wah Yan College Kowloon
On November 22, 2012
The Concert
On November 22, 2012, a concert took place at the Students’ Activity Centre in Wah Yan Kowloon at 1:00 p.m. The Centre, with 100 seats, was filled to capacity on that occasion. The performers featured were a violinist, Dr. Chun Chim (David) Leung, Associate Professor of Violin at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Music Department Director of Saint Mary’s Chamber Orchestra, and a pianist, Dr. Ned Kirk, who performed and held master classes in many parts of the world, now serving as Artistic and Managing Director of the Minnesota Beethoven Festival.
The Program featured Beethoven’s Sonata No. 7 in C minor for violin and piano Op. 30, No. 2; Nikolai Medtner ‘s Fairy Tale, Op. 20, No. 1; Max Reger’s Humoresques, Op. 20; Fritz Kreisler’s Liebesleid for violin and piano and Praeludium and Allegro for violin and piano; Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 2 for violin and piano and Hungarian Dance No. 5 for violin and piano.
The concert was also the occasion on which some alumni of the Class of ’61, members of the self-formed Classical Music Lovers Association from 1957 to about 1966, presented a cheque of HK$ 52,000 to the school to set up a CLA Fund for three years dedicated to the purpose of further promoting classical music in the school.
The following information about the fund and the donors is taken from the program notes:
“The Classical Music Lovers’ Association (CLA) Fund
Prompted by interest induced by music teachers Mr. Alexander Wong Chuen (黄銓) and Mr. Wilson Hsueh Wei-Shiang (薛偉祥) back in 1956, (and Fr. Tom O’Neill in 1958), a group of students got together to listen to classical music starting in 1957. The core members were Joseph Chan Chi-Kong (陳至剛), Chan Yiu-Man (陳耀民), York Chen York-Loon (陳若龍), Bobby Chen Chia-Hwa (陳嘉華), Jacob Chow Chue (周柱), Anthony Chow Cheong (周錩), Richard Li King-Hang (李景行), Andrew Man Chung-Keung (文仲强), Jerome Shih Yen-Chung (史仁仲) and Wong Hin-Shing (王顯誠). The group went further to organize themselves into the The Classical Music Lovers Association (CLA) in 1959. Associate members included Yondani Butt Chak-Cheung (畢澤翔), Chan Yiu-Kwok (陳耀國), Wu Homun (胡可滿) Albert Lam Kwong-Yu (林光宇), Michael Lee Sai-Cheung (李世昌) , Philip Yu Fong-Lun (余舫麟), Yu Fong-Ying (余晃英) and others who joined occasionally. Fr. Anthony Farren (Principal from 1960-1966), was the sponsor adviser and Fr. Joseph Mallin (F3D Form-master at the time and a flute player) the adviser sponsor.
It is an interesting fact that football-playing brought the majority of the group together. Then classical music bonded it.
Members celebrated the birth of the Association on February 2, 19578, the birthday of the legendary Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler. An inaugural issue of the Association’s bulletin was published. Weekly listening sessions were held at members’ homes. There were discussions, demonstrations, ensemble, and much laughter. Activities like festival celebrations and outings were also organized, joined by others. The Association survived till about 1966, when many key members had left for education overseas.
We consider it important to strengthen the interest in classical music in school because of the intrinsic value of classical music, its educational and spiritual impact on the listeners, and the friendship fostered. We believe good music the understanding of structure, theme, shape, timbre, instruments, orchestration, etc., together with concentration will work to elevate the moral values for the good of the student. The appreciation of a world culture will broaden the mind.
The Golden Jubilee Reunion of the Class of 61 Grads in 2011 stimulated the formation of the CLA Fund is ato mark of our appreciation of how WYK provided for inspired and nurtured our musical education. The Fund aims to sponsor worthwhile student musical events. We hope it would make classical music an even more significant part in the education of WYK students.
(Text provided by Members of the CLA)”
Report on the Concert
Richard Li (’61 grad) gave a brief eye-witness account of the occasion to other members of the CLA, as follows:
“The Concert and cheque presentation took place at 1 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 22. Lung and his wife Terry, Man, Narn and I attended. Butt was recording in London and won't return until today and hence was not there.
Before the performance, Principal Dr. John Tan made the introductory remark and Kong represented the CLA to present the cheque of HK$ 52,000 to him. I said a few words to introduce ourselves and thanked the school for availing ourselves of the opportunity to sponsor good music for students. I did not count how many students were present. I reckon it would be over a hundred. The room, located in a new building near our primary 6 classrooms and non-existent in our Wah Yan days, was jam-packed. Mr. Leslie Chan, Head of the Music Department, MC'ed the event.
It was a very good and stimulating concert. The performers are of very high calibre who have wide experiences in performing and teaching around the world, as you can see from the program notes, on which the CLA Synopsis is also printed. Violinist David is also a WYK graduate of the year 1995, if I heard correctly, and he did make very useful and interesting comments before each piece he played, including Beethoven's 7th VS (last 2 movements), one variation from Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, Kreisler's Praeludium and Allegro for V and P, and Brahms' Hungarian Dance #2. The audience was thoroughly captivated and some even gave the performers a standing ovation at the end. I was deeply touched by the entire event and I am very pleased to see CLA still making such a good impact today, over 50 years after today, over 50 years after its birth. At the end, David encouraged the students to upkeep the Wah Yan spirit to work hard, and never to take things for granted. He promised to come back again.
The Agreement signing took place in the Principal's office after the performance. It was a great "deal," contributed by all of you, very well concluded. I only wish more of you were there to witness what and how we could contribute our small share as "feedback" to our beloved school.”
END
(For more information about the CLA and music in WYK from around 1952 to 1964, please see “A Life-Long Love Of Music” in the Features section of WYKAAO.)