![]() Haletone Harmonica Orchestra was established in 1971, formerly being one of the interest groups of the Wong Tai Sin Community Centre Workgroups (now called Wong Tai Sin Family Support and Resources Centre) of Social Welfare Department. In the beginning, the Harmonica Orchestra was founded by several young harmonica enthusiasts in the form of small ensemble.
To promote the art of harmonica music and culture, in addition to taking part in cultural activities, performing voluntary performances and taking in new team members in the local community, the Harmonica Orchestra participated in TV performance programmes on invitation. The Harmonica Orchestra focused on playing pop music at the time of inception.
Since 1976, the Harmonica Orchestra has been organising concerts more frequently to provide team members with more performing and practising opportunities, such as performing in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. As a result, a number of members were awarded prizes in the competitions of the Music Festival. Because of turnover of team members, the Harmonica Orchestra often kept on organizing harmonica training classes and training new members to maintain the size of the orchestra growing steadily.
![]() Consequent to this performance, the Harmonica Orchestra began to be recognized by the music world. In 1980, in addition to chromatic harmonicas, the Harmonica Orchestra further introduced the timpani and other orchestra instruments, such as flute, oboe, bassoon, cello and double bass to enrich the Orchestra's performance standard. Such development represented a milestone for the Orchestra. The Harmonica Orchestra continued to organize performance concerts in 1980 and 1982.
In order to enhance training of the harmonica classes , it published the first chromatic harmonica learning book in Hong Kong in 1985. After a lengthy test-run, in 1987 the first edition of the learning book for the harmonica classes was officially released. Apart from promoting music art, the Harmonica Orchestra also frequently arranged leisure activities for members to foster team member's relationship . Moreover, it frequently participated in voluntary performances, as a contribution back to the society. The level of performance technique of the Harmonica Orchestra cannot be compared with professional orchestras because of its amateur nature.
Lately, the Harmonica Orchestra also organized harmonica certificate classes, in order to let people in the community gradually recognize the art of harmonica music.
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