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 →
Friday 19 April We woke up to a beautiful day in Paris, excited for a day of exploring. We enjoyed a French buffet breakfast of croissants and baguettes, before walking to the Metro. Splitting into groups, our first stop was Montmartre, a beautiful art district, and Sacré-Cœur, an amazing hilltop basilica. In order to get... Continue Reading →
Thursday 18 April EURODISNEY!!! Many of our touring party have been very keenly anticipating this day for quite some time now! Disney has a special place in many peoples' hearts, young and old, and it was brilliant to see so many joyous, euphoric faces throughout the day!! https://www.facebook.com/voicesbirralee/videos/313414006008888/ After breakfast, we boarded our buses to... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 16 April 2019 Today, Birralee woke up to a lovely sunny day in Mestre, and had a filling breakfast at Hotel Russott. At 8:30am we all boarded busses to take us up the road to the Grand Canal ferry terminal where we boarded separate boats to the island of Venice! Our journey towards the... Continue Reading →
Monday 15 April 2019 Today started off bright and early with our last delicious breakfast at Hotel Kristal. We then hastily packed our bags and hopped onto the bus, excited for the next part of our European journey - Venice, Italy! As we left Croatia, we were once again confronted with the awesome natural beauty... Continue Reading →
Saturday 13 April 2019 Today was a great day in Opatija - the weather was clearer and much more welcoming, with sunshine and a cool breeze! After a lovely morning breakfast, we walked down to the Crystal Hall to have a soundcheck and rehearsal for the Friendship Concert later in the evening. A few of... Continue Reading →
Thursday 11 April Today BBV and the Birralee Blokes woke up fresh and early to join with the APs for some Croatian adventures! This began with BBV having the incredible opportunity to sing “Waltzing Matilda” on Croatian TV! https://www.facebook.com/djh.hrt/videos/1171699436324064/ After their moment of fame, they joined with Blokes to bus out of Zagreb to Varaždin,... Continue Reading →
Wednesday 10 April Today, Voices of Birralee were greeted at a local primary school in Zagreb for a morning of cultural exchange. The student ensembles of the Mato Lovrak school and their music teachers and conductors had prepared a few songs to perform for us, commencing with the school’s anthem. Birralee was treated to a... Continue Reading →
Tuesday April 9 Today began on a bittersweet note as BBV and Blokes farwelled our lovely billets from Austria. This was a sad event for all, as each chorister had been so warmly welcomed into each host’s house and family life - many lifelong friendships have been made!! Our Australian choristers gave some memorable gifts... Continue Reading →
Today marked the first of many concert days for our lovely tourers! BBV started the day with a concert at the Bischöfliches Gymnasium, where both groups shared their wonderful music, finishing with a combined finale of “You, Me and the Wide Open Sky.” The concert was live streamed on the Voices of Birralee Facebook page... Continue Reading →
On Sunday, Brisbane Birralee Voices (BBV) and Birralee Blokes woke to a beautiful Graz day and gathered out the front of the Styrian Armoury in the city centre. In small groups, we entered to learn about the military violence of this historic city, and the bloody past of the weapons stored there. This included guns,... Continue Reading →
Hello! We hope you enjoy our 2019 Europe tour blogging journey, brought to you by Ally Dunk, and Joshua Clifford!! Seventy-two choristers and their entourage, have departed on what's going to be an exciting three week journey through Europe, with the first stop, Brisbane International Airport! After checking in and ensuring passports were all accounted... Continue Reading →
There’s many quotes about music and love with likely the most famous, Shakespeare’s “If music be the food of love, play on” written for the Twelfth Night. It’s true, music speaks to the heart and there’s been many inspiring songs performed in choral settings that have stolen our hearts over the years. This Valentine’s Day,... Continue Reading →
Sunday marked the finale of the tour, with the choir waking early to be one of the first groups on the Australian National Memorial site. Every rehearsal in the past week and in the months prior, led to this special event of commemoration; the Centenary of the First World War Armistice. The air was fresh... Continue Reading →
