Photo of Rachel Pong, teachers, and students
All the Scholarship Recipients
The Annual Thanksgiving Service for the Lily Pong Organ Scholarship was held at St Paul’s Church on 22 August. The Most Revd Andrew Chan gave the blessing, the Rt Revd Dr Matthias Der presented the graduating certificates, the Revd Canon Dr Lam Chun Wai, Vicar of St Paul’s Church officiated, and Mr Paul Chow Chung Yan represented the graduates in giving the graduation speech.
This year marks the 9th graduation since the inauguration of the Scholarship. Of the students, 4 graduated: Ms Sami Wong of St Paul’s Church, Macau; Ms Wang Yue of St Anne’s Church; Ms Agnes Ma of the Church of the Epiphany; and Mr Paul Chow, also of the Church of the Epiphany.
As daughter of Mrs Lily Pong, Ms Rachel Pong delivered the welcoming speech. In it, she noted how the service fell on the same day as her mother’s birthday, making the day doubly worthy for thanksgiving. In the past 13 years, the Scholarship received 112 applications from 37 parishes, and each year, the applicants were evaluated and vetted by the 3 members of the selection committee: Ms Wong Kin Yu, Mrs Betty Cheng, and Mr Peter Yue.
Rachel Pong continued speech by expressing her sorrow at Peter Yue’s passing earlier this year on 20 May. She praised Peter for being a talented and distinguished pianist, organist, composer, musician, and teacher. Peter graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, and after returning to Hong Kong joined the Music Office under the Education Department. For more than 50 years, Peter served the church by being the organist at St John’s Cathedral, and playing at various provincial events. He retired at age 50, and thereafter spent his time teaching organ and piano, cultivating the next generation of musicians.
Peter Yue penned many hymn tunes, psalm chants, and descants for the province. He was a sincere and humble man, unpretentious and always witty. For years he sang with and accompanied the St John’s Cathedral Choir, making the cathedral his second home. Ever since the founding of this Scholarship, Peter was a member of the selection committee, offering his valuable advice. Last year, when he was already burdened with illness, he still insisted on fulfilling this role. Peter led a life as a loyal servant to God, serving and praising him with music. He lives on in our hearts, and we are thankful for all that he has done.
Wang Yue played ‘Nun danket alle Gott’ from Choral-Improvisationen für orgel,
Op.65 (Sigfrid Karg-Elert)
Training passionate organists to hymn our Lord with praise
Rachel Pong continued that, with this 9th Graduation, the Scholarship would have accumulated 27 graduates over the years, drawing from 18 parishes. The new academic year of 2026-27 will see 9 students undergoing their training. She gave thanks to the teachers for their contribution: Mr Andy Ng, Mr Jonathan Yip, Ms Carol Sou, Ms Jessie Lau, Ms Wong Kin Yu, and Mr Felix Yeung, who is also the director of the scholarship.
That the Scholarship could achieve so much over the years and continue to do so is dependent on the generous support of St Paul’s Church over the years. This goes beyond financial support, as the parish has been central in providing the venue for the selection of candidates, organ practice, rehearsals, and the annual thanksgiving service. Rachel also thanked the bishops for their enthusiastic support, that the Scholarship could run smoothly and systematically train cohort after cohort of organists who are passionate in serving and music making, to the glory of our Heavenly Father.
Special flower arrangement
Each year’s thanksgiving service is graced by Rachel’s flower arrangement, as a memento to her late mother, Mrs Lily Pong. The 2 red laceleaves and 1 white laceleaf at the front symbolises the selection committee, with the white one symbolising our beloved Peter Yue. 5 shoots of bamboo support the right-side back of the arrangement, symbolising the 5 current teachers. In front of the bamboo are 4 birds of paradise, symbolising the 4 graduates. Around them are 5 smaller birds of paradise, symbolising the 5 students who are still undergoing training, and will one day take flight like the past graduates. To the left and back are small branches with many leaves, symbolising the Scholarship branching out to Macau. Yellow dancing-lady orchids dot all over, symbolising Felix Yeung’s organising everything as the scholarship’s director. Two big green leaves support the base, with one symbolising St Paul’s Church, and the other the Province. At the centre is a blossoming lily, symbolising Mrs Lily Pong. Rachel Pong wished that the flower arrangement was pleasing to her late mother and to the late Peter Yue, and that they could participate in the thanksgiving service in spirit.
The service ended with Felix Yeung playing one of the favourite pieces of Peter Yue: JS Bach’s Pièce d’Orgue, BWV 572, as a tribute and memento to the late organist.