Everlasting Cantonese Music: Inheriting in the Digital Age

Cantonese music emerges in a variety of styles as the genre always echoes to the social context of the changing times. This project aims at exploring the creative environment for Cantonese music in the digital age. With a series of talks and demonstration, a showcase for new works, online concerts and music videos, the project inherits the essence of traditional Cantonese music by promoting new compositions by Hong Kong composers on the digital platform and constructing “future tradition” of Cantonese music.

Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble

Founded in 2003, the Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble is a professional Chinese chamber music ensemble. Its central mission is to develop Chinese music culture in Hong Kong and to deliver the unique charm of Chinese ensemble music, known for being “small but elegant, and simple but refined”. The ensemble’s configuration follows the sizhu (“strings and winds”) tradition. Such instrumentation covers Cantonese, Chiuchow and Hakka musical genres of southern China. The musicians are versatile and flexible in their interpretation of both traditional and modern musical works. Premiering more than 50 works by Hong Kong composers, the ensemble has given over 60 subscription concerts and over 600 educational outreach concerts, collaborating with numerous international and local maestros. The group has also toured to more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, North America and Europe for performances and cultural exchanges.

Promoting the Heritage and Future of Cantonese Music via Digital Platform

Bringing together various scholars, composers of Cantonese music, the Windpipe Ensemble hopes to promote contemporary Cantonese music compositions, as well as the education of Cantonese music through an array of initiatives, including demonstration workshops, composition showcase, online concerts and education resources, as well as the making of music movies.

1. Workshop/Demonstration/Showcase of Selected Works in Cantonese Music

There will be altogether three workshops, to be conducted in venue and streamed online in recorded format. The first two are hosted by veteran Cantonese music scholars Prof. YU Siu-wah and Tsui Ying-fai on the stylistic features of traditional Cantonese music and configuration of the Cantonese music ensemble respectively. The events also feature a demonstration and discussion on “Speeding Across the Sky” (1999) and “A Leaf Out of Autumn” (2006), curated by the two works’ composers Dr. Joshua Chan and Prof. Clarence Mak. The final workshop is a showcase of 8 compositions including the world premiere of 5 works by the Windpipe Cantonese Music Quintet. The works featured are as follows:

．Richard TSANG: Dai-Lok-Tin (Heavenly Bliss) (1999)

．Joshua CHAN: Speeding Across the Sky (1999)

．Clarence MAK: A Leaf out of Autumn (2006)

．TSE Chun-yan: Autumn Thoughts in a Moonlit Night^ (2020)

．HUI Cheung-wai: Soar Against the Wind*^ (2020)

．KO Yun-hung: Memories of Willow Embankment*^ (2020)

．CHAN Nga-man: Winter Comes and Summer Goes*^ (2020)

．LUK Wai-chun: Lan Kwai Tang Fong*^ (2020)

*Commissioned Works | ^World Premiered

Demonstration Talk 1

(With Chinese subtitle)

Demonstration Talk 2

(With Chinese subtitle)

Demonstration Talk 3

(With Chinese subtitle)

2. Education Resources in Cantonese Music

Chinese Musical Instruments Educational Videos

Introduce 20 significant Cantonese musical instruments and performance technique.

Interactive Cantonese Music Quiz

Allows the audience to learn more about a Cantonese music.

Publication of Selected Musicals Scores

Includes the ensemble’s existing repertoire, commissioned works and new arrangements made available to the public.

3. Online Concerts and Guided Appreciation

Feature 15 contemporary Cantonese music works by Hong Kong composers, performed by Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble in 5 episodes.

Online Concert 1

(With Chinese subtitle)

Online Concert 2

(With Chinese subtitle)

Online Concert 3

(With Chinese subtitle)

Online Concert 4

(With Chinese subtitle)

Online Concert 5

(With Chinese subtitle)

4. Collaborative Music Videos

Creation of 3 music videos on selected commissioned works, supplemented by videos and photos submitted by audience.

Everlasting Cantonese Music: Inheriting in the Digital Age