Thursday 25 April - Anzac Day This Europe tour blog has returned to the hands of the original bloggers - Joshua Clifford and Ally Dunk *** To arrive on time to the Australian National Memorial (ANM), Villers-Bretonneux for our Anzac Day commitment, the Voices of Birralee choristers woke up at 1am, meeting in the foyer... Continue Reading →
Tuesday April 23rd An early breakfast in our Albert hostel led us to the Australian National Memorial for a full day of rehearsals with the army band. These rigorous sessions are run to a tight schedule. Song times are checked and rechecked, sound levels are set and official protocols are rehearsed repeatedly! We were provided... Continue Reading →
Monday 22 April 2019 Today’s blog was written by BBV chorister, Isabel Matthews, and Blokes chorister, Cameron Bryer, to give a fresh perspective on the days events in the lead up to Anzac Day Commemorations. *** We began the day by visiting Lochnagar crater, a large hole left in the country side by a bomb... Continue Reading →
Our choristers woke up to a sunny Paris, ready to hit the road for a day of exploration, reflection and singing, all the while heading north to our next port of accommodation and first concert. (Special thanks to Tony Forbes for the above video) With a delay due to traffic, our plans for the day... Continue Reading →
The countdown is almost over - it is Anzac Day tomorrow! We enjoyed a rest day today (Sunday), where we opted to chill out, or set off and explore more of the region. A number of us took it as an opportunity to discover the Somme. Our first stop was the 1st Australian Division Memorial in Pozières. This is one of... Continue Reading →
So the 'leisure' part is over - the reality of what this trip is actually about is just beginning to set in. Today we checked out of our Paris hotel, heading for Amiens around noon. Passing fields of canola flowers, wind farms and gorgeously French little villages, we arrived in Amiens two hours later. With a... Continue Reading →
Australia’s choral scene has a lot to offer, from the talented composers, to the high quality choirs and the brilliant opportunities for choristers to develop both musically and socially. This month we celebrate Australia Day, so we thought we’d praise the Aussie composers, by highlighting some of Birralee’s favourite songs the ensembles have performed over... Continue Reading →
