On 15^th June 2008, our orchestra completed the Mahler cycle with a performance of his 9^th Symphony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre to raise funds for The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council.  This is a great achievement for any orchestra and a first for Hong Kong.    We did it in a little over 6 years.

Like all Mahler Symphonies, the 9^th is both technically and musically a huge challenge.    Musically and emotionally it carried on from Das Lied Von Der Erde (Chronologically his 9^th Symphony).

Our members all knew this performance was very special and rose to the occasion magnificently as the forth coming CD and DVD will show.

To really complete the cycle we should go on and play the one movement that Mahler wrote for his 10^th Symphony (unfinished).  This is planned for the not too distant future.

We wish to thank everyone who has contributed to this massive symphonic cycle.  In particular our long suffering Conductor, K.K. Chiu, who nursed us throughout the cycle and our Concertmaster and Chairman, Y.S. Liu, for his musical and administrative skills.

Should we do it all over again?!

13th April 2008  City Hall, Concert Hall
The concert was for Silver Power Intergeneration Volunteer Alliances 

Max Bruch            Violin Concerto in G minor     Danwen Jiang, violin
Gustav Mahler      Das Lied von der Erde           Zhu Qiuling, mezzo    
                                                                   Oliver Lo, tenor                                                

We were happy and fortunate to have Danwen Jiang playing with us again. This time in one of the most popular and romantic of all violin concerti. Her technical prowess was beautifully displayed and the tender moments were truly romantic.  The audience showed their appreciation with prolonged applause.    Her encore, Bach's Gigue from the 3rd Partita for solo violin, demonstrated she is equally at home with baroque.

After the intermission we have another "Romantic" work but in a totally different way.   We were fortunate to have 2 superb singers. Hong Kong’s very own Oliver Lo and Zhu Qiuling from Shanghai.

Each has 3 songs alternating in sequence.

Oliver Lo's 3 songs were superbly sung.    His first, Das Trinklied Vom Jammer Der Erde--Drinking Song of the Sorrow of the Earth, a real menace to all tenors, was no trouble to him at all.   His second (3rd in sequence), Von Der Jugend--of Youth, had just the appropriate lightness.     His third (5th in sequence), Der Trunkene Im Fruhling--The Drunk in Spring Time, was well drunk and happy !    Lo has a wonderful voice with both words and music beautifully delivered.

Mahler called this work "Symphony for Alto and Tenor with large orchestra".

The alto (or mezzo) has by far the largest share and the last song was as long as the other 5 songs combined.

Zhu's first song (2nd in sequence), Der Einsamme im Herbst--the Lonely One in Autumn, is indeed a tone poem depicting autumn and loneliness.   Her second (4th in sequence), Von Der Schonheit--of Beauty, compliments the tenor's song on young love. It is, of course, the third mezzo song (6th in sequence) that is the heart of the Symphony.    Many Mahler "experts" and Mahler lovers consider this, Der Abschied--The Farewell, as the composer's greatest work as well as a summation of his art and his life.   The beauty of Mahler's tone painting of Nature is extraordinary but it is his gradual deepening atmosphere of the inevitable, death, that is heart breaking.   Towards the end of the symphony, the repeated "Ewig--Forever" simply gradually fade away completely in stark contradiction to his Second Symphony "Resurrection".    This was Zhu's first

performance of this work, but to this writer it ranks amongst the best in his experience of 50 years of listening to many recordings and live

performances. The lovely voice was well controlled to let the music through.     Her Ewig was shattering in quietly fading into nothing. Fortunately, our KK managed to hold off the applause for many seconds to protect the magic atmosphere.

This was one of the finest performances since the formation of the SAR Philharmonic Orchestra.