HONG KONG (SE): As Christmas approaches, the Hong Kong Hymnos Festival is offering a series of events to spread joy and unity through music. The festival starts with a choral evensong service and includes two talks at different churches in Hong Kong, culminating in a five-hour Christmas carol marathon at New Town Plaza in Shatin on December 7.
The open Christmas concert in Shatin, themed “Universal Happiness,” aims to promote musical unity and shared joy across cultural and religious boundaries.
The carol marathon will showcase a diverse range of performers, including community choirs from Hong Kong, sign language groups, Japanese choirs, and students from various schools. Father Matthew Chan Hung-kee SDB will also sing hymns in Latin. The concert will be live-streamed on YouTube for wider accessibility.
Laura Ho, a member of the event’s executive committee, stated that the festival seeks to highlight the relationship between music and life during the Christmas season, a time celebrated by all. “We have a mission to evangelise, but those without religious backgrounds should also find peace and joy through music,” she said.
This year’s festival introduces a new key visual design featuring a heart icon with a music note, symbolising “Music for the Soul” and the belief that music fosters spiritual growth with a rhythm akin to a heartbeat. The visual also includes Chinese calligraphy by Father Joseph Tham, “樂活心靈” [music nourishes our souls], to resonate with Chinese speakers.
Other festival events include a choral evensong at Holy Trinity Cathedral on November 24 and two talks about Mozart’s Missa Brevis IV and Salesiana Cantat at Christ the King Chapel on November 30 and St. Anthony’s Church on December 1, respectively. These events offer free admission with prior registration due to limited seating.
In addition, the festival will extend its reach by performing in Vietnamese churches next year, featuring a Vietnamese bamboo instrument player, to share the universal joy of music.
This festive season, the Hong Kong Hymnos Festival is set to bring communities together through the universal language of music.
