East meets West in melodic concert as Hong Kong musician Eric Chan blends suona with organ
Organist Eric Chan will make his Hong Kong debut in a programme that marries the Western pipe organ with the suona, a Chinese woodwind
The pipe organ, with its thousands of whistles and massive wooden lungs, is the quintessential voice of Western sacred music. Yet for Hong Kong organist Eric Chan’s latest cross-cultural project, he shares the stage with the piercing cries of the suona – a traditional Chinese woodwind whose melodies have echoed through rural villages for centuries.
Played in this project by Guo Yazhi and Chrysoberyl Chan – Eric Chan’s partner in life and music – the suona bridges a vast cultural divide, showing that the regal tones of the organ and the fluid vocals of the suona are made for one another.
Fresh off performances in Australia and New Zealand in early May – as part of a wider organ-meets-suona “Pipe Organ Through East and West” programme – Eric Chan has returned to his hometown for a brief respite before leaving for an organ festival in the Czech Republic in August.
While he has achieved international acclaim – he has performed at St Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Albert Hall, both in London – the lack of a Hong Kong debut has been a missing chapter in his career.
“I’m from Hong Kong, so this is the most meaningful performance that I can have,” he says.