Born in Chaoyang, Guangdong, Cheung Muk Chun was the youngest son of Cheung Hip-duen, who founded the Sun Tin Choi shadow-puppet troupe in the late Qing. Cheung and his fourth brother Cheung Muk-sang grew up in the troupe and inherited it; in 1945 the family moved to Hong Kong, and in the early 1950s the puppet company became a full Teochew opera troupe under his management, taking the name Sun Tin Choi and training many later-famous artists, including Fong Hau Yuk, Chan Chor-wai and Cheng Chor-heung. From 1960, when Teochew opera films flourished, Sun Tin Choi made its first such film, A Stepmother's Heart (1960), for the Chaolian company, followed by work for the To Ying and, from 1961, the Wai Sing company. Cheung directed the music for virtually all of the troupe's films, composed most of them, and served as producer on Hong Zeong Lit Ma (1963) and Hai Rui Ba Guan (1967). Trained by the composer Lam Yu-lit and a skilled drummer, he blended traditional Teochew music with adapted Cantonese tunes. He led the troupe on tours of Thailand, Singapore and Malaya, and later served the Hong Kong Chor-wai Teochew Opera Troupe as honorary director and artistic adviser. He died in 1995.
The Sun Tin Choi troupe under Cheung Muk Chun was one of the two pillars of Hong Kong's Teochew opera film. He directed the music for almost all of its pictures, translating between Teochew music and Cantonese tunes to give the films greater variety. He also trained leading artists such as Fong Hau Yuk and Chan Chor-wai.
Achievements
- 1960 · Led the Sun Tin Choi troupe in making its first Teochew opera film, A Stepmother's Heart, as music director.
- 1961 · Sun Tin Choi made Sweeping the Window for Wai Sing, thereafter working with the company for a long period.
- 1963 · Served as producer on Hong Zeong Lit Ma while composing and music-directing most of the troupe's films.