STUDENTS from Brisbane’s All Hallows’ School and St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace, will again combine to be the official Australian choir for the 2013 Anzac Day commemoration services at Gallipoli on Thursday (April 25).
It is the second year of a three-year contract that will see the schools’ combined choir sing at Gallipoli Anzac services.
All Hallows’ director of mission Angela O’Malley said the 29 members were blessed and commissioned for their role in a special service at Gregory Terrace on Monday (April 15) before flying out for Istanbul on Wednesday (April 17).
She said the 14 Gregory Terrace boys and 15 All Hallows’ girls included students from Years 8-12 along with several past pupils, with six choir members making their second visit.
“The students will sing with the Australian Navy Band at all the Gallipoli events which includes a 1am reflective program, the 5.30am Dawn Service, the 8am pre-Lone Pine program and the 10am Lone Pine Service,” Ms O’Malley said.
The Gallipoli Dawn Service will be broadcast in Australia on ABC News 24 and ABC 1 at 12.30pm Australian time and 5pm for the Lone Pine Service.
Ms O’Malley said during the pre-departure commissioning service at Gregory Terrace Chapel, the choir sang a range of items from the repertoire they would be performing during the Gallipoli program.
“The evening was a wonderful way for both schools to acknowledge their particular role and to assure them that they travel with the thoughts and prayers of both communities, being confident that their many hours of rehearsals will ensure a special contribution to these important ceremonies,” she said.
Gregory Terrace director of culture Neil Wharton said the choir would have a higher profile during this year’s ceremonies.
“Last year there was also a community choir but now they know how good we are and what we are prepared to put in, they have really escalated our involvement,” he said.
“It’s a very essential part of the service this time.”
Mr Wharton said students would be up from about 11pm on April 24 through until after the completion of the 10am Lone Pine Service on Anzac Day but were up to the challenge.
The choir will tour the Anzac landing beaches while at Gallipoli – “Anzac Cove, Ari Burnu Cemetery and Beach Cemetery where, among others, is the grave of John Simpson Kirkpatrick, ‘man with the donkey'”.
The choir will also visit the Anzac commemorative site and Shrapnel Valley cemetery for a walk up Plugges Plateau, Lone Pine and the Turkish Memorial overlooking the entrance to the Dardanelles.
All Hallows’ choir members are Lydia Cowan-Dillon, Genevieve Crew, Harriet Cur-ran, Hannah Fuller, Brienna Ginman, Eliza Harrigan, Isabella Harding, Bridie Hoey, Jada Love, Frances-Ellen Peek, Valentina Ribecco, Emma Spina, Sabrina Wall, Keeley Wells and recent past pupil Jane Eadie.
Gregory Terrace students on the tour are Alexander Komarowski, Anthony Hill, Brendan Moran, Daniel Debattista, Declan Markey-Towler, Flinders Apsitis-Lynch, Jac-ob Fuller, Joseph Hampson, Kieran Cook, Matthew O’Meally, Thomas Barlow, Thomas Duke, Tomas Donovan and Benjamin Gowdie.
