On Macquarie Street sits a church plenty of Sydneysiders have walked past without stepping inside. Built in 1937, St Stephen’s Uniting Church is a striking piece of Interwar Gothic architecture with tall stained-glass windows and rich timber panelling that make it well worth a peek inside. This October, those grand interiors will provide the backdrop for Hong Kong’s biggest hits at a ‘Best of Cantonese Pop’ tribute concert.
31 October 2026 18:30
St Stephen's Uniting Church
The best of Cantonese pop inside a historic Sydney church
St Stephen’s Uniting Church brings plenty of drama before the first note, with soaring Gothic arches, sandstone walls and a grand 2,500-pipe organ. Add candlelight and the church’s superb acoustics, and you’ve got an atmospheric setting for Cantopop on strings.
The setlist reads like a greatest-hits playlist from Hong Kong’s golden era and beyond, starting with some heavyweight romantics. Leslie Cheung’s Chase, featured in the film He’s a Woman, She’s a Man, puts love ahead of ambition and worldly success, while Faye Wong’s Promise (1997) is an ode to enduring love, wrapped in her signature wistfulness. Big feelings meet four string players.
The playlist moves into the next generation with Hins Cheung’s Under the Cherry Blossom Tree, from his 2008 album Urban Emotions, and Eason Chan’s Tourbillon (2010), which uses luxury watches as a metaphor for the time we spend chasing status—and the years we can’t buy back.
It’s a rare format. Candlelight usually leans on Western pop, film scores and classical music, so a full hour of Cantopop on strings is something different, especially for anyone who grew up with these songs playing in the car or at family dinners.
Everything you need to know about Candlelight: Best of Cantonese Pop
📍 Venue: St Stephen’s Uniting Church, 197 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
📅 Dates: 9 October, 31 October
⏳ Duration: 60 minutes
👤 Age requirement: 8 years old or older. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Candlelight: Best of Cantonese Pop
31 October 2026 18:30
St Stephen's Uniting Church
