The Hong Kong Brass Band is looking forward to celebrating its first anniversary next month.
Although conceived by founding conductor Tak Chun Lai in early 2020, the intervention of Covid-19 thwarted attempts of progress until November 2022, when following a further Facebook plea over 30 brass and percussion players attended two open rehearsals in early December.
First official rehearsal
In February 2023 the first official rehearsal was held, followed soon after by an inaugural concert. Since then, progress has been maintained and recently the band gave an acclaimed concert which featured as its centrepiece, Nigel Clarke's evocative 'Earthrise'.
"I can't quite believe just how far we have come,"Tak Chun Lai told 4BR. "I had my first brass band experience as a student in Melbourne in Australia, and it blew me away.
Then in 2015 I moved to New Zealand to become the principal tuba with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and was lucky enough to play with Wellington Brass followed by becoming the Music Director of Auckland City Brass."
He added: "When I moved back to Hong Kong in 2020 I just wanted to set up a brass band more than anything else, and although Covid-19 intervened it didn't stop me. Finally, things eased, and that Facebook request saw our first two open rehearsals in December 2022."
Acceleration
From then on things accelerated — with an inaugural concert entitled 'This is our Brass Band' where they played easy listening concert music to a packed audience.
"The momentum since that concert has been incredible,"Tak Chun Lai. "In August we performed Oliver Waespi's 'The Raid' at the Hong Kong International Band Fair and then worked on 'Earthrise' as well as items such as 'Fire in the Blood' and Philip Harper's 'In Love for Me' for our second concert, which was also sold out!"
That event also saw the band accompany orchestral stars Chris Moyse and Aaron Albert, from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra as well as premiere a new brass band arrangement of 'Diamond Hands' by Ricardo Molla.
Supportive
Tak Chun Lai added: "Musicians such as Nigel Clarke have been hugely supportive and can see that we are all so passionate as brass players and playing brass band music.
We rehearse every Friday night using brass band instruments. The most challenging part is finding people to play tenor horn, but once the French horn players have a go they are hooked — it's a brilliant instrument. Now the challenge is to get our professional tuba players to swap from C and F tubas to Eb and Bb instruments.
There is a great future for brass band music making in Hong Kong and we are determined to lead the way at home and abroadTak Chun Lai
Future aims
As for the future?
"All this and we are hoping to raise enough money to travel to New Zealand next July to take part in the New Zealand Brass Band Championships," he added.
"There is a great future for brass band music making in Hong Kong and we are determined to lead the way at home and abroad."
Find out more
To find out more go to:
https://www.facebook.com/hongkongbrassband/
https://www.instagram.com/hongkongbrassband
