PERSONA |
MAGIC WAND Tung Chung clarinettist, composer and conductor Colin Touchin discusses a life in music with Elizabeth Kerr P H O T OS CO U R T E S Y O F C o l i n To u ch i n
T
he theme to Jurassic Park, argues Lantau resident Colin Touchin, is not very good.
How’s that for a hot take? The instantly recognisable strings from one of the biggest box office hits of all time are mundane and repetitive, and not a strong musical construction according to the composer and City Chamber Orchestra Hong Kong (CCOHK) conductor. Admittedly that’s unfair clickbait from a rambling conversation about music, its history, its place in the world and in the SAR, but it’s also an indicator of how Colin’s musical brain works. “How do you get better than dinosaurs?” Colin explains with a laugh that titanic composer John Williams’ score doesn’t have to be ‘good’ in this context. It just has to be right. “The music simply has to have a catch and find the perfect motifs that carry you all the way through. Williams absolutely knows what he’s doing. He’s one of the best.” Colin pauses. “I think he might agree with me on this one.”
A MUSICAL BENT At the risk of sounding trite, Colin, who just turned 69, comes through the computer monitor as jolly, approachable, and every bit as precise as when he’s conducting the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir (HKWMVC), one of his many ensembles. All business, with a side of irreverence that never loses respect for the music he’s been writing and conducting since he was just 12. Born in Liverpool – “apparently not far from the house where John Lennon lived, but I don’t think there’s a plaque” – Colin relocated to Manchester aged two, with his musically supportive parents. “There was a piano in the house. I was sent off to do lessons aged eight or nine, though I can’t say I really enjoyed it. Now I’m glad I did it of course. It led me to composing.” 18 LIFE ON L ANTAU | APRIL / MAY 2022