The Hong Kong String Orchestra treated its Sydney audience to a mixed and varied concert to usher in the Year of the Green Wooden Snake.

As part of its Australian debut, the orchestra began with Joseph Koo’s Medley, arranged by Ronald Fu. Listeners who engaged with Hong Kong popular culture from the 1980s enjoyed this trip down memory lane, humming along to the ever-popular Shanghai Tang (Shanghai Bund). This was followed by several other iconic TV drama tunes written by the late godfather of Cantopop, Joseph Koo.

Hong Kong String Orchestra. Image supplied

Murmurs of excitement and surprise accompanied the appearance of a Cantonese opera singer in Cantonese Opera Fantasia. The singer’s sharp nasal timbre melded seamlessly with the canonic cacophony of melodic clusters derived from Cantonese opera; her interaction with soloist Yao Jue was well staged and crafted. Other theatrical effects in this work by eminent composer Ye Guohui include a brief moment of stamping on the floor of the stage.

The fast-moving Serenade for Strings by Swedish composer Dag Wirén (1905-1986) was performed convincingly in its entirety of four contrasting movements....