talk 724

Pui-Ching graduation ceremony
Lau Siu-Wai

2007培正畢業典禮節目表
 培正校歌(Henry Litolff,Concerto Symphonique No.3 4th movement Furioso)

In 1959 we attended our own graduation ceremony, on July 7 2007 I attended the PC commencement a second time. The ceremonies were quite the same even they were 48 years apart. The two songs we sang back in 1959 at the commencement, I sang again yesterday (the school song and a short hymn near the end).
However, there were major differences between the two occasions. The ceremony this time was held in an air-conditioned Hall in the new Mrs. Ho Tim Building. The Hall, also named after a donor, is smaller than the Tai Lai Tong, now being dismantled and rebuilt. In the new acoustically designed Hall, multimedia facility made the viewing of the stage and hymn singing much easier. The PC Marching Band sat in the backstage, playing music for the procession and other functions.
As one can see from the program, the first item was standing up for the National Anthem ( it was not God Save the Queen). This is apparently a new feature of the PC graduation since the reunification.
I looked at the gradating class ( From 5 students), about 200 strong, they looked awfully young. The Form 7 students, about 80 of them, looked equally young. They smiled when receiving the diploma from Prof. KC Ho, supervisor of PC schools. When they smiled, I smiled with them. I applauded with them, with their family and friends. They will treasure their education and the time at PC, as all of us have for the last 48 years.
I know I am many generations senior to the graduating students. However, when we all stood up to sing the school song, to my right stood the graduating class, to my left Chung Kwong-Tuk, vice principal of PCMS, 1976, to his left, Siu Yen-Ding, HKPC Alum Club, 1955, the yeas seemed to disappear. We were all PC students, one time or another. Many have come before us, many will come after us, for Pui-Ching School will never die.

From the PCMS weblink:
校歌簡釋（限第一段，因第二、第三段甚少唱。）
培正培正何光榮純為喚起超激發培正人的精神，有賣花讚花香的意味。
教育生涯慘淡營好像和培正近年來光輝日子不合襯，但由校歌創作當年（２０年代）回想，從６７銀元開辦，歷經１９０５停辦和１９１５又陷困境，故此慘淡營有盯聆反思的味道。
培後進兮其素志說出培正立校宗旨和教育目標。
正軌道兮樹風聲
萬千氣象方蓬勃范仲淹岳陽樓記中句「朝暉夕陰，氣象萬千」形容氣象變化多端，以喻培正２０年代面貌改變得多，因當時黃啟明校長往美洲南洋澳洲等地募捐，在東山校園大興土木，廣建校舍。
鼓鑄群才備請纓像提煉鐵礦般將學子倒入熔爐，燒燃焦碳，產生高溫，將礦砂還原成液體金屬，再倒入沙模，鑄成有用器皿，以喻學子學後成材。請纓見王勃滕王閣序句「請纓無路，等終軍之弱冠。」原來漢詩時終軍以廿歲弱軍之年，很有志氣要求賜下長纓將南越王縛回宮門覆命。所以請纓的意思是指學子學成後，主動請求付任務以報效國家／社會。
愛我培正謨謀遠愛我培正有遠大的計劃和遠大眼光。
永為真理之干城干城，循牌別名，培正以基督立校，所以我們要作基督真理之盾牌。

校歌來源
荷蘭（原英國）作曲家，Henry Litolff（１８１８生），作了一首Concerto Symphonique No.3，其中第四樂章Furioso開始由急促鋼琴和管弦樂競美下，引出管弦樂奏出雄壯培正校歌的旋律，隨後鋼琴用變奏方式將此旋律發揮下去，全部約長七分半鐘，結束時候也非常扣人心弦。

　　原來作者從英國監獄逃了出來，得荷蘭庇護，所以就感激地將荷蘭國歌嵌進這段樂段，算是目前市上能獲得有關校歌完整旋律的唯一音樂。

　　這首國歌是１８１５年的得獎作品，作為紀念１７８１英荷北海海戰，原名為"Wien Neerlands bloed door d'adeeren vloeit"，作者為定居愛姆士特丹德人Johann Wilhelm Wilm（１７７２−１８４７），後來被選為荷蘭國歌，而今被廢。

校歌舊版
在世紀初之時，校歌另有一副面目：愛我培第二家庭，幾費手續經營。養育人材國家之命，興學熱心可敬。
育才首重基道精兵，負芨擔簦兮我來培正，志比鶗鵬奮前程，如紅日之東升。
壯哉壯哉同學少年，敬我培正校旗臨風前。色兼紅藍態何妍，堂堂校旗招展。

Kei-May Lau, class of 1972, sent the recording to me. Our school song, as we know it starts at ~1:23 minutes into the Concerto Symphonique No.3. Our webmaster clipped off the first 1:23 minutes, and once the link is clicked, the must familiar music comes forth.

　