Royal Overseas League Chamber Music Soiree

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.

Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the evening (Sign)

May I specifically greet you: Roderick Lakin, Director of Arts for the Royal Over-seas League; Lyn Milne, New Zealand Director; Euan Murdoch, Chief Executive of Chamber Music New Zealand; Emeritus Professor Peter Walls, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; Your Excellencies, Penny Reedie and John Dauth, High Commissioners of Canada and Australia respectively, Current and former scholarship winners; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.

As Patron of the Royal Over-Seas League, it is a matter of great pleasure for my wife Susan and I to welcome you to Government House in Wellington this evening for this ROSL Arts Chamber Music Soire.

Tonight we will hear music performed by the St James Trio, consisting of clarinettist Timothy Orpen, cellist John Myerscough and pianist Alasdair Beatson.  We are lucky this evening to hear this trio perform works by Beethoven and Stravinsky, among others, as the Royal Over-seas League gold medal winners from Britain. Despite their relative youth, all have won awards or scholarships and performed in a number of parts of the world and it will be a great pleasure to hear you perform this evening. 

Earlier this week, the trio also had the more invidious task of adjudicating eight New Zealand ensembles to choose the annual Pettman/ROSL Arts Chamber Music Scholarship.  In this task they were joined by Euan Murdoch, Emeritus Professor Peter Walls and Roderick Lakin. 

The lucky ensemble will win a scholarship that allows them to spend a month in London, not only performing but also the opportunity to attend master classes and meet some of top ensemble performers in Britain.  It is a signal opportunity to gain insights into the life and work of top instrumental players.

I wish to congratulate the League, and in particular its arts division, ROSL Arts, on its ongoing support for young artists and musicians.  For more than 50 years, ROSL Arts has developed a diverse range of activities and projects devoted to promoting the careers of young professional artists and musicians from Britain and the Commonwealth.  The organisation has a membership of more than 20,000 worldwide, with about 1000 in New Zealand. I am advised that ROSL Arts Commonwealth Music Scholarships valued at 45,000 will this year support musicians from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.

Susan and I recently hosted at Government House in Auckland a concert by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Young Achievers.  At that event, I quoted my predecessor Lord Cobham, who spoke of the value of supporting young artists, and with your leave, it is worth repeating.  In a speech to the Wellington Competitions Society in 1960 he said:

"There is an old saying: 'Take care of the apprentices, and the master-craftsmen will take care of themselves.' This is true of everything but particularly true of music and painting.  An apprentice is one who is learning—and the humble artist is always learning.  The great Monet painted a haystack eighty-three times before he was satisfied. Giardini, asked how long he took to learn the violin said: 'Twelve hours a day for 20 years.'"

Learning is something that never ends and perfection is more the result of hard work than innate talent.  Echoing Giardini's comments, the famous Spanish violinist and composer Pablo Sarasate of the Romantic era once said in response to a visiting critic who proclaimed him to be a genius:

 "A genius! For thirty-seven years I've practiced for fourteen hours a day, and now they call me a genius!" 

ROSL Arts' work in nurturing future generations of "apprentices" should ensure a healthy crop of "master-craftsmen" in the future.  I also congratulate the families and friends for the support they have provided our young musicians. 

To conclude, on behalf of my wife Susan and myself, welcome again to Government House in Wellington.  I trust you enjoy this evening's performance.

I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages.  May I close by speaking in Maori issuing greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.