Wong Jum-sum loved music of all kinds, and had a particularly deep-seated passion for Western classical music.

In the 1950s, both Wong and classical music were finding their feet in Hong Kong society. The best they could do was to openly embrace the unknown.

To embrace the unknown, one needs support from all directions.

Thanks to Radio Hong Kong, Wong was able to listen to enticing music all day everyday, in that process learning to appreciate simultaneously the distinctive worlds of Shankar and Schubert.

Thanks to Leung Yat-chiu, he knew classical music held no special mystical aura. Whatever sounded good was good music.

Thanks to Wong Jum-sum himself, he learnt to read and absorb the principles and practices of making music, no matter whether they came from Bach or Beethoven.

Thanks to Hong Kong of the 1950s, he encountered a succession of visiting maestros, extending immensely his ideas about music and life.

Debussy: Clair de Lune (1946)

Larry Adler was a giant figure in the world of harmonica playing, putting the unassuming musical instrument onto the map of classical music performance.

Between 1955 and 1969, Adler visited Hong Kong four times. Wong was there every time and was overwhelmed by a unique music magician at work.

Here one can listen to Adler playing Debussy’s Clair de Lune. One will understand why Wong said good music is music that touches the heart.

Composer: Claude Debussy

Performer: Larry Adler (Harmonica)