Members of the CCHK practicing.

In Hong Kong, where people express their opinions through all kinds of public media, the members of a group of young art lovers have found an amusing channel to voice their observations about the city.

The idea of the Complaints Choir of Hong Kong (CCHK) was conceived in August 2008. During her trip to New York, organizer Vangi Fong stumbled across video clips and art of the global complaints choir movement, which has swept across the globe from the United States and Sweden to Singapore.

Beyond musical tirades, Fong saw in the complaint choir a possible venue for cultural reflection among the public. "It struck me as a good vehicle for art education as well," Fong recalled. "Back in Hong Kong I began to do further research on the phenomenon, and got help from fellow designers in launching the project."

After an initial exhibition in January, which attracted over 400 complaints as a base and over 200 applications for membership, CCHK was formed. The choir enlisted support from local musician Ho Shan and lyricist Chow Yiu-fai, who translated public grievances into a catchy theme song.

The musical tirades of CCHK touch on a variety of topics. Social issues, such as the contested use of public space, the impact of popular media, and reflection on the joys and sorrows of everyday life, are infused in lively lyrics. Together they form a light-hearted dialogue on the city's happenings.

As the first of its kind in Hong Kong, the choir had its bumps in capturing audience attention in the early days. Many pedestrians mistook them as a church choir at first, while others were unmoved at the sight of street singers. Having their voices heard amidst the city's noises was another daunting challenge.

"It could be hard for passersby to make out exactly what we were singing," Fong said. "At one point we borrowed a good amplifier from street performers in Mong Kok, and that made a big difference. Gradually more people heard or read about us, and stopped to watch our street shows."

For Franky Yao, member of CCHK and a native Hongkonger, the experience of performing around town put him in touch with the wider public. From the open space of Victoria Park and the crowded streets of Mong Kok, Yao saw the audience relating to the sentiments in their singing.

"Be it love, work or social issues, there's something in our lyrics that speaks to different segments of society," he remarked. "It's so much more fun when complaints come in music. It's a bit unusual that we're a choir too, rather than the handful of street performers you usually see in Hong Kong."

The messages of CCHK have been well-received by its audience. Elena Chow, a design student who saw CCHK's performance in July, was impressed with the choir's blend of observations and humor. The presence of CCHK also puts Hong Kong in a positive light, since the complaint choir is a popular movement in the West.

"Some of my overseas friends have asked if Hong Kong has its complaints choir. Now I can say we have one, and they're a funny and energetic bunch. There're times when I was tempted to join too," she contended. "It's proof that Hong Kong is an open society with a growing and cultural scene."

Members of the CCHK celebrating after a performance; and a poster of the CCHK Exhibition outside the venue. Courtesy of the CCHK

Media coverage has helped put CCHK under the spotlight throughout the summer. Besides news and features in local papers, journalists from Shenzhen came to cover the choir's performance to introduce it to mainland readers. The choir's theme song also hit the airwaves in recent months.

The choir's popularity has been a pleasant surprise for Fong, who conceived it as a fun musical ride and a side-project in art education. Beyond its initial goals, CCHK has stirred conversations on some of the city's hit topics, and has received enthusiastic feedback from many Hongkongers.

"It's had a much bigger impact than I expected." She said. "People left very encouraging messages on our Facebook Group. A number of local columnists and bloggers have made references to our lyrics in their writings. In many ways, a complaints choir illuminates a city's culture."

Despite the public embrace of CCHK, the choir sang its swan song, at least for the time being, at an exhibition at 1a space gallery in Cattle Depot Artist Village last Saturday. The project is being put on hiatus, though the program may be revamped and resuscitated for special occasions in the near future.

"Our project involves a large number of people, so we'll have some co-ordination to do for any upcoming event, like a Christmas performance," Fong explained. "So far our members have been very keen and involved, but it's hard to say how things will pan out in the long run."

Choi Chi-hau, Internet coordinator of the project and singer in the choir, is happy to look back on his participation in the last months. "It's heartening to see so many members join the choir out of passion. They're dedicated to the shows, even though there're no material gains of any kind."

In retrospect, Yao shares and echoes the sentiments of the choir's other members. "It's a nice end to the project for now," he said. "It's been fun visiting different corners of the city to spread our light-hearted messages, and our members have developed good friendships too."

Corina Tsang, a 21-year-old student and supporter of CCHK, looks forward to the choir's reappearance in town. "It'd be a shame if the complaints choir was a one-off movement in Hong Kong, because we need more buzz like that," she said. "It creates more talk, and drives people to express themselves."

The CCHK Exhibition is open at 1a space in Cattle Depot Artist Village until August 30. Details are available at http://hkcomplaintschoir.blogspot.com/.

(HK Edition 08/15/2009 page3)