The First Singtao Amateur Singing Contest took place in 1960. Among the thirty finalists was Wong Jum-sum, who had adopted the stage name ‘Wong Jim’ for fear of being embarrassed from losing.

The contest was divided into a Mandarin and a Western pop section, with, rather symptomatically, no Cantonese section. More than a thousand people joined. Their choice of songs reflected closely the musical leanings of the time.

Wong Jum-sum was ousted at the final 15, an event he regretted for life. By contrast his good friend Judy Jim comfortably got the grand prize in the Western pop section, by taking a leaf from the Patti Page songbook.

The winner of the Mandarin section was Cheung Hoi-wan. She received classical music training and sang the ever-popular Liang Le-yin composition ‘The Song about Selling Sweets’ with a tantalizing mix of inflections.

Very soon, singers from both sections would take a big stride forward, stepping into a brave new world we call the 1960s.

教我如何不想她 (1940)

作曲：趙元任
作詞：劉半農
主唱：斯義桂

天上飄著些微雲
地上吹著些微風 啊
微風吹動了我頭髮
教我如何不想他

月光戀愛著海洋
海洋戀愛著月光 啊
這般蜜也似的銀夜
教我如何不想他

水面落花慢慢流
水底魚兒慢慢游 啊
燕子你說些甚麼話
教我如何不想他

枯樹在冷風裡搖
野火在暮色中燒 啊
西天還有些兒殘霞
教我如何不想他