[CityUHK Student ArtFest 2025] CityUHK Choir Concert: Musical Fever lights up the stage
With hundreds of guests eagerly waiting outside, the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) Choir gathers on stage to warm up and rehearse one more time before the doors open for “Choir Concert: Musical Fever”, a prominent event within the CityUHK Student ArtFest 2025 programme.
Half an hour later, there were no signs of nerves remaining as they kicked off with a lively rendition of Disney’s “Be Our Guest”. Filling Wong Cheung Lo Hui Yuet Hall with the soothing cadences of a harmonious choir, they delivered a perfect performance to a full house of supportive friends, family, and members of the CityUHK community.
The CityUHK Choir put on a perfect performance on 15 October, filling Wong Cheung Lo Hui Yuet Hall with harmony and song.Outside of academics, CityUHK offers a plethora of opportunities for students to thrive and flourish beyond the classroom. Founded in 1990, the CityUHK Choir is made up of a group of students, alumni, and staff who are passionate about choral music. Through their various annual performances, the CityUHK Choir enrich the vibrant cultural and artistic life of the CityUHK community.
Janice Chen Fei-tak, a Year 2 student from the College of Business, took on the role as President of the CityUHK Choir in 2025, leading practices for the 65-member Choir. She shares that this year’s choir performance was different from the others, as all songs as taken from famous musicals and musical films, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the CityUHK Musical. She praised the hard work and dedication of her fellow members, noting that the Choir has a good atmosphere that was filled with laughter even outside of practice, which allowed them to perform as a cohesive unit on stage.
Ahead of the performance, the CityUHK Choir underwent extra practice and rehearsals besides the regular twice-a-week practices. “We meet in our vocal divisions every Tuesday, and have a full practice with the whole choir to practice together on Saturdays,” Janice explained.
Lucas Tong Ho-yiu, a 2025 graduate from the College of Business, was selected as one of the soloists for this year’s performance, expressing his excitement for the opportunity. “I decided to audition for the role to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone,” he said, joining Year 2 Psychology student Aahmes Ma Siu-fung as Cogsworth and Lumière in musical number “Be Our Guest” from the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast.
Besides the CityUHK Choir, 10 alumni cast members from the CityUHK Musical returned for a special performance, presenting a medley arrangement of songs from the nine previous musicals. Stepping onto the stage where many of their musical careers began once more, they brought the audience on an immersive journey with their incredible vocals and jubilant energy.
Now working as a professional musical actress with the theatre group Musical Trio, Alumna Hailey Mak Hiu-lam studied College of Business at CityUHK before pursuing a Musical Theatre degree from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. At CityUHK, she participated in the productions of Chicago and Rent, and was honoured to perform recently in Highlights: The Memories of Charles Kao, an original musical by the East Kowloon Cultural Centre.
“Being part of the CityUHK Musical during my university years gave me the training and preparation I needed to enter the professional musical theatre field,” she said. Hailey continued to contribute to her alma mater and returned to the CityUHK Musical as an Assistant Singing Coach for the 2024 production of Legally Blonde.
The CityUHK Student ArtFest first began in 2015, comprising concerts, musicals, and various performing arts performances. Connecting passionate students with professional artists, ArtFest not only gives CityUHK performers a platform to shine and show off their full talents, but also connects the wider CityUHK community through a united love for arts and culture, bringing much joy and colour to campus life.
