Hong kong Inter-School Choir
The Hong Kong Inter-School Choir (HKISC) was established in 2021 as an extension programme of HKICF Plus. HKISC aims to train the next generation of choral leaders by enhancing students’ musical knowledge and singing ability, increasing students’ confidence, honing leadership skills, and building a collaborative team spirit, all while providing young people with opportunities to give back to society and serve the community. HKISC is divided into primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary groups. Members of HKISC are nominated by their respective schools as student representatives and are chosen through a series of auditions. All selected members are awarded a full choral scholarship, allowing them to participate in valuable choral training for one academic year free of charge.
Under the leadership of Mr. Kelvin Lau, Mr. Jason Liu, Ms. Dorothy Hui, and Mr. Felix Shuen, HKISC frequently participates in various performances. For instance, in 2023, HKISC was invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to perform at the “Hong Kong WinterFest 2023 – Christmas Town” in the West Kowloon Cultural District. In 2024, HKISC performed “The Lion King” musical at their annual concert, providing students with comprehensive training in choral singing, drama, and dance. The annual concert is also an opportunity for HKISC members to showcase their hard work and learning outcomes throughout the year. Additionally, HKISC actively participates in charity performances, collaborating with various organisations such as the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Cancer Foundation, the Hong Kong Society for the Aged, the Child Development Matching Fund, and the New Sight, encouraging students to serve the community.
HKISC plays several important roles in various activities of the HKICF. They served as the demonstration choir in multiple Workshops for Music Teacher/Conductors, including workshops by Mr. Warren Lee, Music Director of St. Paul’s Co-educational College; Mr. Apollo Wong, Music Director of The Learners Chorus; and Mrs. Robyn Reeves Lana, Founder, Managing Artistic Director, and Conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Choir. In the Guest Choir of the Year programme, HKISC hosted the Defrost Youth Choir from Norway, offering beneficial choral exchanges and training with overseas choirs. HKISC has also premiered several commissioned works for the Choral Festival, such as “今天一起唱的歌” by Mr. Leon Ko, “未得住未曾住（未有iPhone的童年）” by Dr. Steve Ho, “一起再唱” by Mr. Jason Liu, and “同一抹朗月” by Mr. Ernest Hui.
Conductors
Assistant conductors
Frequently Asked Questions
The Hong Kong Inter-School Choir and the school choir differ primarily in their goals and scope of activities. The Inter-School Choir focuses on cultivating a new generation of choral leaders who can bring their learning back to their own schools to support teachers in managing school choirs. As a result, the activities of the Inter-School Choir are more diverse. In addition to regular choral training, students often engage in performances at renowned venues in Hong Kong, gaining valuable stage experience. They are also given the opportunity to give world premiere performances of commissioned works. The choir also serves as a “demonstration choir” in music teacher and conductor workshops in the Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival, receiving guidance from local and international experts and learning through practical experience. Through the unique “Buddy Program,” students have the opportunity to meet and perform with choirs from around the world, broadening their international perspectives. Furthermore, the Inter-School Choir actively participates in charity performances, allowing students to enhance their skills while contributing to society through their music.
Teachers only need to fill in their nominated students’ basic information on the official website of the Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival and notify parents to fill in the online application form during the registration period to nominate potential students. We encourage school teachers to let selected students play a leadership role in the school choir to give them an opportunity to apply what they have learnt. In addition, we will also regularly invite school teachers to watch the choir’s performances and witness the growth of their students.
Since the students will represent their schools in HKISC and potentially assume a leadership role in the school choir in the future, teachers should consider various factors, including the students’ musical knowledge, singing ability, learning attitude, when recommending suitable representatives. Schools without a choir are also encouraged to nominate students, providing them with an opportunity to sing in a choir.
Students who successfully pass the audition will receive a full scholarship to take part in the activities of HKISC for one academic year, and there is no charge during the registration process. In other words, the programme is completely free with no additional costs.
The choir’s regular practice will be from September to October 2024 to end of May 2025, lasting for approximately 8 months. On top of regular rehearsals, the choir may also hold additional rehearsals before the performances. Choir members must also reserve the Easter holiday to stay in Hong Kong for additional rehearsals and performances.
HKISC members will receive a recommendation letter and participation certificate after completing the entire programme with satisfactory performance. This serves as important proof of their hard work throughout the year.
The “Buddy Programme” is an exchange programme between the HKISC and overseas choirs. For instance, in HKICF2024, Defrost Youth Choir (DYC), the guest choir from Norway, had a video meet-up to get to know HKISC members before coming to Hong Kong. During DYC’s stay in Hong Kong, they met with the HKISC members and had a glimpse of the vibrant city. The two choirs not only learned from each other musically; the choir members also played the role of hosts, showing DYC members around the streets of Hong Kong, visiting popular tourist attractions, tasting various local cuisines, and exchanging souvenirs. This is the power of friendship that we advocate through the choir and the Buddy Exchange Programme.
Important notice
Each school can nominate up to 5 students for the same division, meaning primary schools can nominate up to 5 students, while secondary schools can nominate up to 10 students (5 students who will be in Form 1 to Form 3 in 2024 – 2025, and 5 students who will be in Form 4 to Form 6 in 2024 – 2025).
We understand that music teachers need more time to get to know the new Form 1 students, so the nomination and registration deadline for the new Form 1 students in 2024 – 2025 will be set on September 30. Successful applicants will join the choir in October. Attendance will be counted from the day of the first rehearsal.
Former members of the Hong Kong Inter-School Choir (2022-2023 / 2023-2024) will need to reapply and pass the audition process to join the choir in 2024-2025. If the former member is studying at the same school, his/her previous school nomination will remain valid, and the school does not need to renominate them. However, if the student has transferred to another school or advanced to secondary school, his/her new school will need to renominate them. The Inter-School Choir retains the right to consider participants’ previous attendance and rehearsal performance as criteria for reselection.
When filling in the “Registration Form”, parents must also submit a recording of the applicant singing a song of his/her choice (either an excerpt or the full song) for the first round of video auditions. The recording can be either with accompaniment or a cappella, and should be approximately 2 to 4 minutes long. Students can record the video at home, but the video must clearly show the student’s face and the singing must be audible. Students who pass the first round of video auditions will be invited to participate in the second round of auditions.
Students who pass the audition must participate in all rehearsals and performances. They are not allowed to withdraw from the programme unless they have obtained approval from their school principal and the Artistic Director of HKICF.
During the 8-month rehearsal period, each student can apply for up to 4 personal leave and 2 exam leave. If a student’s attendance is not up to standard or asked to leave the choir due to conduct issues, the choir reserves the right to cancel the full scholarship, and parents will be required to pay a tuition fee of HKD $10,000.
Schedule
In addition to regular rehearsals, the choir may hold additional practices to prepare for performances. Furthermore, choir members must reserve their Easter holiday to stay in Hong Kong for rehearsals and performances.
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