Royal Over-Seas League celebrates 65 years of excellence in the arts with a series of celebratory concerts this October. 

It is hard to imagine a Royal Over-Seas League without its Annual Music Competition, a centrepiece of the ROSL ARTS programme and a gathering point for musicians and audiences from around the world. The Competition grew out of a series of concerts inaugurated at Over-Seas House London in 1947 under the banner ‘Festival of Commonwealth Youth’. The Festival became competitive in 1952 and it’s this anniversary we now mark.

ROSL ARTS and BEARSPACE are delighted to launch NO PLACE, an exhibition of emerging artists work examining the theme of finding home at Over-Seas House from Thursday 14 September until January 2018.

Home and travel are two essential elements in our lifestyle – balancing our need to create a strong home identity with the desire to explore and experience adventure and escapism through travel. One element often influences the other.

NO PLACE explores the idea of creating a ‘home away from home’, and is influenced by the Royal Over-Seas League – the members’ club in which it is located. Members’ clubs, especially ROSL, pride themselves on providing the familiar comforts of home within the clubhouse environment. 

But is home a notion or a location? A selection of emerging artists have been invited to explore this theme through a range of mediums and viewpoints; investigating displacement, and a sense of place. The artists who have been invited to exhibit by BEARSPACE and ROSL ARTS are Lucinda Metcalfe, Dominic Bradnum, Chris Hawtin, Natasha Kissell, Nadja Gabriela Plein and Jane Ward. The varied, contemporary art practices offer fresh perspectives in the historic space of Over-Seas House, where the works in NO PLACE will be a welcomed feature of this ‘home from home’ in Central London. 

65th ROSL ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION: Grand Final prize of £20,000 won by James Buckle bass trombone

HRH Princess Alexandra presented the British bass trombonist James Buckle with the prestigious Gold Medal at last night’s 65th ROSL Annual Music Competition Grand Final, held at Cadogan Hall. In a concert of extraordinarily high quality Buckle competed against section finalists Mathilde Milwidsky violin, Dominic Degavino piano and Nicholas Mogg baritone for the top prize.

New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall won the 64th ROSL Annual Music Competition Overseas Award on Tuesday 15 March and was awarded the £3,000 prize.

Five outstanding musicians from overseas were selected from the Section Finals across all categories of the competition. South African soprano Caroline Modiba, New Zealand pianist and accordionist Eddie Giffney, Australian violist Ann Beilby, Maltese saxophonist Philip Attard and New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall all performed spectacularly in their individual categories, and when brought together proved that the calibre of the Annual Music Competition continues to rise and rise.

Jacquin Trio won the 64th ROSL Annual Music Competition Section Final for Ensembles B on Tuesday 8 March and was awarded the £10,000 prize.

Four ensembles were chosen from 24 during the auditions process. The Jacquin Trio, Duo Bayanello, the Pelléas Ensemble and Cavendish Winds all played superlatively in previous rounds in order to gain a place in the final, and delivered sparkling and unique performances throughout the evening. It was an interesting decision for the adjudicators Angela Malsbury, Sarah Field and Leslie Neish, given the variety and range of the instruments and repertoire, but it was the Jacquin Trio who took home the prize, for their remarkable interpretation of Schumann, Bruch, Kurtag and Francaix.

Consone Quartet won the 64th ROSL Annual Music Competition Section Final for Ensembles A on Tuesday 1 March and was awarded the £10,000 prize.

Four ensembles were chosen from 13 during the auditions process. Ruisi Quartet, Lipatti Piano Quartet, Consone Quartet and Maxwell Quartet delivered a delightful evening of soaring music, which was greatly enjoyed by the audience and adjudicators alike.