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Spotlight
Gabriel Ma was the first boy soprano who sang in the CCOHK's Hong Kong debut of The Snowman in 2003. We described him as having a name and a voice of an angel! Every Christmas Gabriel remembers his “Snowman” experience and writes to us or appears in person at one of our Christmas performances. We saw him at the show this year and took a moment to interview him to find out where his voice is going…. How old are you and which school do you attend? I am turning 18 soon in January and I currently attend South Island School. Tell us about your first experience singing solo with an orchestra. I was extremely excited to be chosen to sing "Walking in the Air" with the CCOHK back in 2003. As a choir boy at the time, I was overwhelmed by the opportunity of singing as a soloist with orchestra in a major public performance. Did you encounter any major difficulties along the way? I recovered from the flu only a day prior to the impending concert date which made me quite anxious. I was worried of ruining the concert if I sung poorly. Thankfully, everything turned out well and I felt like I was flying in the air as I sang. Singing with the orchestra was a very memorable moment for me. How did you go about preparing your "Walking in the Air" solo from The Snowman? During my childhood my mother exposed me to "The Snowman" film and the music to "Walking in the Air". Thus I was brought up knowing the storyline and the song "Walking in the Air" off by heart, even before the auditions took place. I got into a more detailed study of the song by having coaching sessions with Grace Hur, the CCOHK's pianist at that time and by practising rigorously at home. The most challenging part was perhaps getting the diction right, rolling my “r's” and being able to pronounce the words with a British accent. What effect did this experience have on you? This experience not only inspired me to continue singing, but ignited a desire to sing with passion and soul. It also broadened my horizons in the area of vocal music. I found that the approach to choral and solo singing is very different. What career plans do you have? I am planning to do a degree in voice in the United States and have just been accepted for audition at Indiana University. Should all go well I hope to pursue a career as an opera singer and a part time songwriter.
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