by Anthony Yao, BC Canada
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IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THE AUTHOR

The author does not feel comfortable a web vender used this web page without permission as an endorsement of a used harmonica for sale. The author does not endorse any products, period.

Warning to a self proclaimed HarmonicaWhey in YOUTUBE

This very bad guy steals pictures/images from this web page. Very sad to see this person who claims to be a high school music teacher and he does not respect intellectual properties and plagarizing to make profit for showing off - SHAME ! SHAME ! SHAME !
 

This article is available in Chinese [ Enter ]


Mr. Leung's picture on a VOCO brand ditonic harmonica circa 1960.
YC LEUNG 4
Mr. Leung's photo circa 1996.
YC LEUNG 3
Mr. Leung performed in Pui Ying Middle School 1969.
all for music
Quotations of Mr. Leung
YC LEUNG

Mr YC Leung (left) 1922-1999

harmonica c csharp

Pair of tremolo harmonicas to play chromatic notes, note the C instrument at the bottom and the C# instrument at the top.

1960 style harmonica ensamble

A 1960 style harmonica ensamble, reenacted by former students of Mr. Leung 2004
From Left: (unknown), Anthony Yao, Chi-Wan Yam, Ricko Wong,Chi-Chung Wan

This page is still under construction

DUE TO PHOTOS AND IMAGES THEFT FROM THIS WEBPAGE, ALL VITAL IMAGES HAVE BEEN REMOVED, SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCES

A PERSON IN YOUTUBE KNOWN AS HARMONICAWHEY STOLE PICTURES FROM THIS WEB SITE TO DISPLAY IN HIS VIDEO, SHAME !   SHAME!   SHAME !


This article is available in Chinese [ Enter ]

Mr. Yat-Chiu Leung alias Peter Leung, native of the Guangdong Province, music teacher, spent his earlier years in Shanghai, China.
He participated "The Shanghai-Sino Harmonica Society", and he became a popular performer on local radio stations.

In 1947 he moved to Hong Kong, set up the "Musaphone Harmonica Society", taught in schools, organized harmonica bands and promoting music in radio and TV stations, and issued his brand of Harmonica under the brand name "VOCO". He promoted all kinds of harmonicas, the traditional (also known as the "Tremolo" harmonica) type, chromatic type as well as melodicas.

He organized "Leung Yat Chiu's Big Band" with his friends and family members and making his debut in the initial brocasting of the TV station in 1957.
In the early 1960's he hosted a popular radio program "Harmonica Music" in Hong Kong on Sunday mornings. He had also served numerous times as judges in music contests in Hong Kong and China.

Mr. Leung had been my harmonica instructor. I was very impressed by his "Music for All, All for Music" attitude.

Mr. Leung had taught many schools between 1955 thru the last day of his life.
In the 1960's he taught about 20 schools together with his music assistant John Lee.
A few schools/organizations I recall included (by alphabetical order)
La Salle College
Pui Ying Middle School
St. Joseph's College
Sam Yuk Secondary School *
Sum Shing Center for the Blind *
Tak Ming Middle School *
Tak Nga Secondary School
Wing Hong Middle School *
Unity College *

* Schools/organizations are defunct at the time of writing

There are quite a few recordings which have credited him as an accompanist with a few famous artists of the time under the Pathé label(78/45 rpms).

Most of the recordings have been reissued under the "Regal" (LPs) or remastered under the "EMI" label (CDs)

Mr. Leung composed a few titles specially for the harmonica, including "The Farmers Delight".

One of the 1957 Hong Kong motion picture recently reissued as DVD, "Mambo Girl" performed by actress/singer Grace Chang, Mr. Leung accompanied her solo in one of the hit music "the young boys and girls", he did pushed the tremolo harmonica to its limit.

Mr. Leung had taught thousands of students, Mr. Leung did mentioned about some of his brightest students in the 1960's thru out 1990's, I did meet some of them, not to mention that Mr. Leung's philosophy did influence the equality of boys and girls in music in the midst of general education for girls were discouraged, much less in music, much much less for the grassroot families in the 1950's Hong Kong.

 
Mr. Y.C. Leung conducting the Pui Ying Middle School Harmonica Band in 1960.
Playing J.S. Zamecnik's "Desert Caravan".
The Pui Ying Middle School Harmonica Band playing selections from Reval's Bolero, Mr. Lam Wu Kuk, conductor, Miss Lee Min Hay at the piano, Miss May-Fung Wong, hand drum. (file photo 1966)
Mr. Leung and the members of the Musaphone Harmonica Society 1957 (file photo)
Mr. Leung and his band members in RTV grand open ceremony 1957 (file photo)

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  • Special Thanks to Mr. Anthony Leung (Mr. Leung's brother), Miss Mary Leung (Mr. Leung's sister) offered interviews and photos to make this web page possible.