Founding of the HKMA Orchestra

By Dr. Charles Wong

THE other day, Sandra, wife of Dr. Natalis YUEN, and my wife, Julia, were again as usual doing their regular bashing on the ivory, hammering out a Schubert piano duet. With synchronized clockwork precision I may add. Their togetherness reminds me of the present day HKMA Orchestra, in stark contrast to what we were like when the “band” was first formed.

Conception by Decree

One evening in 1989, Sandra and Nat invited Dr. Patrick HO, my brother Buddy and his wife Dorothy, Julia and me as accompanying luggage, to their home for dinner. We were instructed to bring our musical instruments to play for our supper.

After a wonderful meal of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, personally served by the Yuens, we were asked to play some music together. Patrick of course is a renowned violin virtuoso. Buddy and I last played and performed together as a family string quartet some two decades earlier as medical students but have not played since. With such disparity in proficiency, togetherness was not the essence of the proceedings.

Later, when about to bid the Yuens goodbye, Nat arrested our retreat, and proclaimed the birth of the HKMA Orchestra. I remember this remarkable Yuen characteristic of exceptional executive and organizational skill to this day.

Dr. Natalis Yuen, the harmonica playing ex-president of the HKMA, is the true founding father of the HKMA Orchestra.

Augmented Delivery at Birth

So we advertised in the HKMA Newsletter for players – without audition requirement of course. A bunch of guys and gals turned up at the HKMA Wan Chai club house and had a bash, this being the most accurate description of a chaotic evening.

Neonatal Intensive Care

Horrified and shocked by the individuality of rhythms at the first rehearsal, Catherine (wife of Dr. Charles YAU) who was then working at the Academy of Performing Arts, brought in Mr. K. K. CHIU, a young trumpeter and conductor trained there. For the following decade, this happy, baby face dominated the scene.

Growth and Development

KK, as he is affectionately known, was much younger than members of the orchestra. Jovial and light hearted, he tolerated our torture, tutored without exasperation, and we happily toiled under his baton. Like teaching autistic children, KK’s recursive, repetitive cajoling finally paid off. Old dogs eventually learnt new tricks ...

The other day, I was receiving the customary, weekly oral dose of traditional Hong Kong egg tart. This is the famous “darntart”, with piping hot, runny filling, cupped by the unique fluffy pastry - the only way to make such pastry is with lard.　 Of course the cholesterol content is extreme but what else can I use to lubricate stiff, old coronary arteries?　　

That reminds me of Chris Patten, familiar to us local medics as our governor who had “balloon pulled” through his coronaries. To the lay public, he is affectionately remembered for his love for our darntart. On a recent return visit, he was pictured to be gobbling one, and due to withdrawal symptoms from a deprivation of darntart at the EU Parliament, the darntart did not touch the sides when it went down.

Darntart, balloon through the coronaries, but to us medical musical veterans, Chris Patten is in our archives as the only non-musician soloist of the HKMA Orchestra.　 How did he manage this feat?

The evening after Patten first arrived in Hong Kong, he was guest of honour to our summer charity concert, major event of the year. Before the music, there were the mandatory speeches. The first speaker gave the routine blurb describing the HKMA as caring for the health of the people …………. the audience responded with acute narcolepsy.　

Then it was Patten’s turn. Although not billed nor invited as a soloist on the programme, Patten kicked off by singing a ditty to an unfamiliar tune, or was it unrecognizable? The Orchestra was caught by surprise, and the conductor was not even on stage.

Fortunately the recitative was not a long one. It sounded like “I love me, I love me …..”　 The new governor then explained that, the fact the audience was there to support a charity event, is evidence that Hong Kong people does care for our less privileged brethrens, in contrast to the lyric “I love me” of the song. The audience perked up, because for a change, this speaker was talking to them, about them, relating to them.　　　

Our Orchestra Committee reflects this perspective. Members continue to play what they enjoy playing, and at the same time, the choice of music is moderated by consideration of audience preference. I hope this quality continues.

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