Back in 1960, there were no full-time orchestra in Hong Kong. Classical music itself was not so popular either. It was at this time when the broadcast of Enchanting Music, hosted by Chan Ho-choi, let the listeners enjoy classical music and get to know it better. As a tribute to Chan Ho-choi, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) Radio 4 co-hosted with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO) two concerts last Friday (15 October) and Sunday (17 October) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.

As a dedicated music promoter, Chan Ho-choi showed his passions to music long time ago. He first worked as a music teacher in several secondary schools and later joined the stream of publicising classical music. In the 1960s, Chan Ho-choi pioneered a series of “Ruby concerts” together with other music lovers. The first related monthly magazine, “Musical Life” (later renamed “HIFI Musical Life”), was then founded, with information on both music and HiFi provided and was well-received by the public. Entered its 50th anniversary, RTHK Radio 4’s Enchanting Music had became a remarkable radio programme in the history of classical music promotions in Hong Kong, while Chan Ho-choi was beloved by many classical music listeners as well. Recognising his contributions to promote classical music in the community, Chan Ho-choi received a number of significant awards. These include Arts Promotion of the Year Award (Individual) by the Hong Kong Artist’s Guild Association (1992), Medal of Honor from the Hong Kong SAR Government (2000) and Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (2007).

In memory of Chan Ho-choi, who passed away several months ago, his favourite pieces of all these years were played live in the two “50 Years of Enchanting Music” concerts. Perry So as the Conductor led the HKPO together with violinist John Harding, pianist Nancy Loo, baritone Albert Lim, and the Hong Kong Children’s Choir (founded by Mr. Chan) performing a wide range of music including Chopin’s Nocturne in C sharp minor, Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 in C major, K. 467 (second movement), Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, and Sibelius’s Finlandia, Op. 26. Also accompanying the concerts, an exhibition in honour of Chan Ho-choi was held from 1 to 17 October at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Foyer. Memorable photos and scripts, programme list of Ruby concert, newspaper clippings and hand-written letters provided by listeners and many more special collected items were exhibited, while the public was also able to listen to archives of Enchanting Music on site.

“50 Years of Enchanting Music” concerts were hosted by RTHK Radio 4’s Kathy Lam and Jonathan Douglas. The first concert was broadcast live on RTHK Radio 4 (FM97.6-98.9) and RTHK website (rthk.hk), with repeat on 6 November at 2:10pm on RTHK Radio 4, RTHK website and TVB Pearl.