One California high school orchestra has a new song in their repertoire, and it’s a tune we’re more than familiar with on this side of the world.
Students at Amador Valley High School, about 40 miles east of San Francisco, have been hard at work practicing “Glory to Hong Kong” under the guidance of their music teacher, Mark Aubel.
In an interview with Stand News published this week, Aubel said that he wanted his students to play the song as part of a “songs of protest” program, which he was inspired to design as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in the US in late May.
Aubel also had his students research about the Hong Kong protests and write a report about the movement. It was his students, not him, he said, who suggested performing “Glory to Hong Kong.”
“The wonderful aspect for my students and me is that we have connected with the people of Hong Kong through music,” Aubel, who has been teaching for 34 years, said. He explained that his wife is from Hong Kong, and that together, they have been following the political developments in the city closely.
The video of the students’ virtual winter concert, which was published on YouTube earlier this month, has attracted more than 117,000 views.
More than 50 students recorded themselves playing their instruments—from the violin to drums to the double bass—separately at their homes due to COVID-19. Aubel then edited the clips together, adding scenes of the Hong Kong protests to the video.
According to Stand News, Aubel and his students were extremely touched by comments left by Hongkongers thousands of miles away, who thanked them for raising awareness about the movement.
Read more: ‘Glory to Hong Kong’: The new anthem embraced by protesters
Living in a democratic country, Aubel said that he values what Hongkongers are fighting for. He added that the protests in both places have many similarities with each other, such as the use of violence at the hands of police.
“Glory to Hong Kong” was written by a composer who went by the pseudonym “Thomas dgx yhl” during the protests last year. The song quickly gained popularity and was often sung by protesters during demonstrations. After the national security law was enacted, authorities said singing the songs at school could violate the new legislation.
In June, a teacher at a secondary school in Kowloon Tong had her license revoked for reportedly allowing students to sing “Glory to Hong Kong” for their music exams.
Asked how he feels about the case, Abel said: “If teachers can’t teach students to think critically, that would be a problem.”
Reader Interactions