“O Master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled, as to console, to be understood, as to understand, to be loved, as to love with all my soul…”
Thanks to Mr Robert Shum, Independent Director of the Welfare Council Board of Directors, for bringing the Vitalia Academy for Life Long Learning and Ms Ming Lie, Barrister-at-law, together. With the support of Ms Lie, who is also a fundraising committee member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Fundraising Concert 2017, the Central Choir of the academy got a chance to perform the Council’s song, “St. Francis’ Prayer”, for a thousand of guests at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Fundraising Concert 2017, with the orchestral accompaniment, at the night of 25th March, 2017.
Through multiple trainings and activities, the academy’s Central Choir has cultivated senior citizens’ interest and skills in singing, sending joy to people round the corner with beautiful songs. The Central Choir has been formed since 2004, which includes 20 members from 13 elderly centres of the Welfare Council. Although the Central Choir has rich performing experiences and is widely recognized, it truly treasured the once-in-a-lifetime chance given by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Ms Lie. The valuable experience did not only push members of the Central Choir to learn their weaknesses and keep improving but also helped promote the importance of lifelong learning, which is in line with the mission of the academy: empowering retirees through incomparable learning experiences.