Hundred-cello event gives young players a chance to enjoy music

Having more than 100 cellists play together can be a stirring spectacle. For Charis Chan-ching, a first-year medical student at Chinese University, it was even more thrilling because she was part of it.

"It was amazing. I was thrilled to play alongside the professionals. I have only performed in some school competitions and with smaller groups. It was nothing like this," 18-year-old Chan says of the Celebrating Cello event, which marked the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong International Cello Association.

The concert at the Cultural Centre on October 23 was intended to be inclusive - there were just 20 professionals among the 104 cellists, whose ages ranged from 10 to 85 years of age. Even so, enthusiasts like Chan were anxious to deliver a smooth performance.

"You learn a lot by playing with the professionals," says Mak Chung-sze, a 37-year-old primary school teacher who picked up the cello 15 years ago.

"You can see how they control their volume and their bowing techniques. You're also motivated to practise much harder because you don't want to be too bad when you're playing with them."

That's part of the mission of the association, set up by a group of young cellists in 2005 as a platform for all who love playing the cello.