It's a little dark and noisy in the waterfront subway at Tsim Sha Tsui, but that doesn't put off the group of enthusiastic saxophonists. Feet tapping and eyes closed, they immerse themselves in jazz standards. A few businesspeople slow down to listen, curious tourists snap the occasional photo and some elderly passers-by give the group a thumbs-up.
Encouraged, the players blow a little harder, but they don't stay long. Street musicians must adopt guerilla tactics so the seven men never play in one spot for more than 15 minutes. Calling themselves Six Sax & Horn, they are retired and semi-retired amateurs who've discovered the joy of music late in life and are eager to share their pleasure with fellow Hongkongers.
Sydney Chung Sheung-chee, the former dean of medicine at the Chinese University, formed the band with fellow jazz-lovers Yung Tak-wai, Tony Ching Chor-ki, Stanley Tse Min-tat, Fung Kwok-hong, Lai Man-kuen and Wong Ka-sheung - all of whom he met at an instrumental class for those over 50.
And Chung, 54, is delighted they're helping to liven up Hong Kong's streets, which he describes as 'a bit too cold'.
'Playing on the streets is challenging, because you have an audience which hasn't come to see you,' he says. 'Hong Kong people are known for their fast-paced life, but if they are prepared to slow down, listen to us play and applaud, it's a great encouragement.'
Yung, a former police sergeant, had signed up for classes as diverse as yoga and Cantonese opera after retiring 10 years ago, but he found an enduring passion for jazz after joining the instrumental course. Organised by music school Orchestre de Joie, the seniors' course has attracted more than 100 people since it began in 2007.
