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University Anthem
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With the attainment of its university status and title, Hong Kong Baptist University adopted its new anthem in November 1994.
The University anthem consists of two stanzas, with the first adopted from the lyrics of the College anthem written by Prof. N. Zia, former Professor of Chinese, in 1957 and the second written by Dr. Daniel Tse, President & Vice-Chancellor, in 1993. Music for the University anthem was also composed by Dr. Tse, while the harmonisation was provided by Dr. Gene Cho, former reader of the Department of Music and Fine Arts.
According to Prof. Zia, the line "Where East and West unite the best" contains the "distinctive feature and flavour of the then Hong Kong Baptist College", had its roots in the close working relationship between Baptist churches in Hong Kong and the Southern Baptist Convention, which together founded the then Baptist College. Not only did the two Baptist communities work closely with each other during those initial years, but they have also maintained continual co-operation and communication over the years through faculty and student exchange programmes, a precious opportunity for cultural and academic exchange, to ensure that the University community get the best of two worlds. In fact, the author of the English lyrics of the anthem, Dr. Christine Fall, was the first exchange faculty member from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, US.
The opening line of the anthem, "O Southern Sea, O Lion Hill, Home of our College Hall", on the other hand, can be traced back to the time when the anthem was first composed. Although the campus was then still located within Pui Ching Middle School, the Government had already granted a piece of land at the foot of the Lion Rock Mountain for the construction of the present University campus. The opening line is thus a description of the event and has the intention of reminding the University community of the hardships the founders of the University experienced in those initial years.
The third line, "With all our hearts and all our minds, we God and man will serve", reiterates the Institution's commitment to uphold Christian principles in the pursuit of knowledge and to integrate these with that of Confucianism in educating the whole person. The phrase "with all our hearts and all our minds" is derived especially from the biblical verse, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all you soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) which is by far the greatest commandment of all.
And finally, as the last line points out, the goals and ideals of the Institution cannot be achieved overnight by just a few people. Rather, only through continual education and co-operation of all members of the University community could the mission of "building a better world" be achieved.
Work on a new anthem for the institution started in late 1993 as part of the preparations for university status and title. It was written for the purpose of reflecting the achievement of attaining university status and title, and to further highlight the mission of Hong Kong Baptist University.
The Lyrics
O Southern Sea O Lion Hill Home of our College Hall
Where East and West unite their best, For greater good of all
With all our hearts and all our minds we God and man will serve
Our glorious past our mission new will build a better world
Through winding path and thorny trail the trophy proud attained
O Baptist U, our founders' dream, our faith and hope maintained
In the boundless sea of learning deep, a beacon bright of truth
In kindness and in thoughtfulness, nurture the hopes of youth
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