The Silent ANZAC European Tour Fundraising Launch

The Footscray-Yarraville City Band - with the assistance and support of Victorian High Commissioner, Ken Ryan AM and James Hancock of the Tait Foundation - will be travelling to Europe in November to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice.

With this in mind, today we launch the band's fundraising appeal.  This is an opportunity for our family, friends and the greater Australian and New Zealand community to be involved in this once in a lifetime event. 

Performances of our critically acclaimed show, The Silent ANZAC will be the cornerstone of the tour with performances at Amiens Cathedral, Australia House, and Southwark Cathedral. The Silent ANZAC intertwines tells the story of  the Australian submarine, The AE2 with other stories of love and loss from The Great War. 

We will also be performing at the ‘Last Post Ceremony’ at Menin Gate which will be live-streamed back to Australia. 

A wreath laying ceremony will be held at the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux.  The band will play Abide with Me and The Last Post whilst wreaths are laid. If you, your family or workplace wish to have a wreath laid on your behalf please contact Lorraine Wright, our Fundraising Coordinator, on 9578 3113 or 0415 138 148.  This ceremony will be live-streamed back to Australia and posted to the internet for later viewing. 

Our new CD, The Endless Silence, tells The Silent ANZAC story, featuring William McInnes as the Poet, Margaret Haggart as the Mother, Danielle Matthews as the Girl, Joe Stanley as the Soldier and Jamie Lawson as the Bandsman. It is available through our website for $20 plus $5 p/h. 

Next week will see our Crowdfunding kick off with a campaign to pay for our WWI bass drum and four soloists to travel to Europe for the tour. 

Tax deductible donations toward the band can be made through the VBL ROCO account (put "Footscray Yarraville City Band" in the recipient's description):

Account Name: Victorian Bands League Inc Public Account

BSB: 013-481

Account Number: 2527-64584

Smaller donations can be made by clicking the donate button at the bottom of the page.

You can also support the band by attending our show The Silent ANZAC.

It's such a fantastic time to be a part of this wonderful band and we really hope you'll join us on this once in a century opportunity.

The Silent Anzac to be performed at Exhibition Hall, Australia House, London

We are currently arranging with officials in London to put on a performance of The Silent Anzac at Australia House on Remembrance Day, 11/11/18. This performance will take place in the famous Exhibition Hall which was used for the set of the Gringotts Bank in the Harry Potter movies. The 160 foot hall is decorated with 1200 tons of intricately patterned Australia Marble. Mr Ken Ryan AM, Agent-General for Victoria to the UK, is supporting the band in this endeavour and we are also receiving assistance from Ms Claire Thomas, Business Manager for Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Victorian State Government, in making arrangements for the concert. It is fantastic that the Silent Anzac tour is receiving this kind of support and we would like to acknowledge and thank these people.

Lions Club Project Partners

We are pleased to announce that the Lions Club has come on board as Silent Anzac project partners with a generous donation of $2,000. Many thanks to the Lions Club and also to our Fundraising Coordinator Lorraine Wright whose diligent work is paying dividends for the project. Our fundraising goal of $50k is achievable with the support of everyone. Be sure to get involved. A new social media fundraising campaign is set to be announced soon so get ready to spread the word.

Become a part of The Silent ANZAC Project

Footscray-Yarraville City Band is looking for enthusiastic friends of the band to be involved this important project. We are looking for assistance in all areas such as:• Publicity and marketing• Sponsorship• Fundraising• Project management• Administration• Graphic design• Logistics• Social media management• Tour management• Business Development• Sales• Client Relationship Management• International Relations• Travel arrangements, visa requirementsYou don’t have to be an expert in any of these areas, just have an interest and willingness to get involved. No one will be refused and time commitment is up to you. Indicate your interest by emailing contact@fycb.com.au with your area of interest and any specific skills you think may be relevant.

The Silent ANZAC production a huge success at Box Hill Town Hall

For the third time, The Silent ANZAC production was performed by Footscray-Yarraville City Band at the Box Hill Town Hall on Saturday 28th April. A near capacity audience experienced the untold stories of war told through music and poetry. The concert was hailed a great success, with the evening concluding with a rapturous standing ovation.A special thanks to our guest artists William McInnes, Margaret Haggart, Danielle Matthews and Joe Stanley as well as our Musical Director Phillipa Edwards. Also a special mention to our Principal Cornet Jamie Lawson whose superb solo playing put the icing on the cake. Special guests in attendance at the show were Cr Andrew Davenport (Mayor of Whitehorse), Cr Prue Cutts, Lyn Thurnham of the Catfish Foundation, Simon Abney-Hastings (Earl of Loudoun) and Graham Gibson, Secretary Rats of Tobruk Association.Footscray-Yarraville City Band is working with various organisations to put on the show again in Melbourne before taking it to Europe in early November.

Catfish Foundation Sponsors “The Silent Anzac” Project

We are pleased to announce that the Catfish Foundation has come on board as a sponsor of The Silent Anzac Project. The Catfish Foundation was created to celebrate and support storytelling and creative endeavour. Lyn Thurnham of the Catfish Foundation flew down from Sydney to attend The Silent Anzac show at the Box Hill Town Hall last Saturday night. “I was extremely impressed with the show and I am pleased that we are able to support the project” said Lyn. Colin Harrison, Project Manager, said “We are delighted to welcome the Catfish Foundation on board as a major sponsor and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship”.The Catfish Foundation joins our other project sponsors, The Pratt Foundation and Geoffrey Haggard (son of Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Haggard , 2nd in command of the AE2).If you or an organisation you are a part of are interested in sponsoring this important project, please get in touch with us.