The SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School Alumni Choir, a group of alumni reunited through singing, recently won the highest honor, the "Kobe Choir Prize," in the Adult Category at the "Sing from Kobe 2026" international choir competition held in Kobe, Japan.
This alumni choir started its preparations in August last year. Eventually, 40 alumni carved out time from their demanding work and personal schedules to rehearse together every Saturday evening for 18 consecutive weeks.
Wilson Lau, the convenor of this choir project, was responsible for everything from recruitment to administrative arrangements. "Our choir is project-based. We only recruit members when there's a performance or concert; each time is a short-term gathering." The idea for this project came from a thought during the summer: after some summer activities, someone suggested participating in an international competition.
"Even though we graduated years ago, we still can do this. Then, why not give it a try?"
The members span 30 cohorts of alumni, from the youngest at 18 to the oldest nearly 50, yet there is no generation gap. "The senior members don't act condescendingly, and the younger ones respect their seniors. Everyone works hard on the music from the same foundation, so the results turn out well."
Most alumni are not music professionals; they work in fields like finance, IT, medicine, and education, but this doesn't diminish their dedication and passion.
In mid-January, the Choir travelled to Kobe, Japan, to participate in "Sing from Kobe 2026," which combines exchange and competition. The Choir performed four pieces in the preliminary round of their category and advanced to the finals, where they sang two more pieces. During the competition, they were also invited to perform at the opening ceremony and a friendship concert. One piece, "From the Chrysalis," was sung repeatedly in various settings and different states of being. With lyrics by Chan Cheuk-fung, the song reflects on life and death, telling a story of rebirth and urging listeners to cherish life and transform hardship into freedom and brilliance.
For conductor Theresa Lam (Class of 2014), who led "From the Chrysalis," each performance felt different. "Honestly, every line of the lyrics brings many images to my mind."
She thought of the opening line, "I am a butterfly in the chrysalis. Was I too impulsive when I was a caterpillar? Is that why I'm trapped in it, unable to move anymore?" During rehearsals, she had to express the layers-the conflicting feelings of struggle and stagnation- through the voice while also dealing with the members' states, emotions, and other factors beyond her complete control.
Not everyone experiences standing at the forefront, facing such uncertainties. Another conductor of the Choir, Gigi Wong, has been active in the music scene for a long time and is familiar with the responsibilities of conducting and leading. Her full-time job is in public relations, and on weekends, she teaches children singing and dancing; music has always held a place in her life. For her, the most significant change was the shift in role from a choir member to a conductor.
"When you're singing, you follow; when you're conducting, you first have to be clear about what the song is about," she described it as a transition from follower to leader, concerning not just beat and pitch, but first forming an interpretation in her mind, then conveying that vision to the members. Despite this, she strived to maintain an egalitarian atmosphere during rehearsals, ensuring every member could take away wonderful memories, not just the competition result.
Returning to the pre-competition rehearsals, this sense of "holding together" became especially tangible in the later stages of preparation. At the end of December, the weather suddenly turned cold, and many members fell ill. Some lost their voices temporarily, some others couldn't hit the high notes, yet they still showed up at the rehearsal room as usual, jotting down the conductor's instructions. Wong herself could barely speak during that period, taking medicine while worrying if she might lose her voice, but the rehearsals didn't stop.
Beyond rehearsals and competition, singing back at their alma mater was also a form of reconnection for the members. Choir member Shirley recalls that singing as a student felt like a routine after-school activity. Now, singing the same songs means rushing over after work to reconnect and blend with alumni from different years.
"That was like singing old songs to make new friends," she said. For her, it's a feeling of connecting with people through music, gradually aligning harmonies, and continuing to experience the power of choral singing together with like-minded individuals.
Connecting through music and revisiting old songs, the Choir's competition repertoire also included "Amor de mi Alma," a piece filled with memories. This piece is based on a 16th-century Spanish love poem, with lyrics meaning "You are the love of my soul." Its smooth melody and interweaving harmonies convey a confession from the depths of the soul. The song had previously won a gold medal when the school's student choir participated in the World Choir Games in 2012, creating precious memories. The piece exists in a version with piano accompaniment, but for their trip to Kobe this year, the alumni choir chose to perform it a cappella, relying entirely on voices to showcase the nuances of harmony and emotional flow.
"Although we've sung it before, each interpretation is different. Even if the articulation or vocal details vary, we still return to the composer's original intention, understanding the growth context of the poem and the melody," said Wong.
On the day of the interview, the members performed this song again in the school hall. Dressed in their navy blue hoodie uniforms, the moment their voices rose, they seemed to transform back into their secondary school selves on stage. The hall's natural reverberation wasn't as rich as a concert hall's, but the precise blend of voices unexpectedly created an illusion of resonance.
"We carry the original aspiration from our student days, and we also carry those memories," Wong noted.
(Source: Ta Kung Pao; Journalist: Annie Guo)
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