Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1995

Theresearchers have collectedmostof theo r i g i n a l manuscriptsbyDomingLam, a well- known localcomposer whopioneered new techniques f or composingChinesemusic. • Hong Kong composers collection: There are over 1,200 musical scores written by about 80 Hong Kong composers, collected with the permission of the composers. Some of these are original manuscripts. The music collected is mostly of a serious nature, covering various kinds of musical styles. • Information on musical activities: This consists of records on activities conducted by various music organizations throughout the 40 years, including photocopies and noted extracts of concert brochures published by organizations such as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Inherent Academic Value Although the aim of this project is to collect only musical materials relevant to the 40 years between 1950 and 1990, its implications are more far ranging, and its impact is manifold. It points directly to the cultural identity of Hong Kong which embraces the essence of both the East and the West. It results in a collection which is unprecedented in both its historical depth and comprehensive scope. The research shows that music workers of Hong Kong on the one hand try to preserve the traditional genres and on the other, strive to establish a modern musical culture with new compositions. The findings of this project enable scholars to understand the musical development of Hong Kong from a new perspective. All the materials collected by the researchers form an important research basis and enable the setting up of aHong KongMusic Archive which can be used by local and international scholars to conduct further research in music analysis, ethnomusicology, anthropology, sociology and all branches of Sinology. The project has already facilitated a number of publications and important international presentations by members of the CUHK Music Department. Exampes are separately listed in table I. An Ongoing Project The pool of musical data are currently kept in the Music Department, and are easily accessible to staff From left:Drs.ChanWing-wah,HarrisonRyker, ]. LawrenceWitzleben, DanielLawandChan Wai-kwong Research 22