The Footscray-Yarraville City Band from Melbourne will be heading to Europe later this year to pay their musical respects to those who fell in service to the Australian nation thousands of miles from their homeland during the First World War.

The Silent ANZAC

The tour forms part of a larger project, 'The Silent ANZAC', which has been inspired by the discovery of five inscriptions written by soldiers on the inside of a bass drum that had been stored for nearly 100 years in their bandroom.

These indicated that the instrument was used at the Australian training camps at Fovant and Sutton Veny on Salisbury Plain during the Great War, with further research showing that the men all then served on the Western Front. One of their number, 2133 Alexander Lambert, was killed in action on 30th August 1917.

A special 'The Silent Anzac' composition has already been commissioned, based on the exploits of the Australian submarine AE2 which was the first vessel to penetrate the Dardanelles on the morning of the 25th April 1915.

Emotive commemoration

The band has also developed a road show that provides an emotive commemoration of the Australian's who made the ultimate sacrifice, and has produced a CD recording which will be released to coincide with their tour which starts on November 3rd.

The tour will take stops in France, Belgium and the UK to commemorate the centenary of Great War armistice and to perform the 'The Silent Anzac' show for communities where Australian servicemen fought and died.

These will include performances in Paris, Amiens Cathedral, the Australian National Memorial, the Menin Gate and the Reninghelst New Military Cemetery in Belgium, as well as in London, York and Leicester.

The band has a public programme to lay wreaths and poppies on behalf of groups and individuals at the Australian National Memorial near Villers Bretonneux, France MD, Phillipa Edwards

Public programme

MD, Phillipa Edwards told 4BR: "The band has a public programme to lay wreaths and poppies on behalf of groups and individuals at the Australian National Memorial near Villers Bretonneux, France.

Wreaths may also be laid at Menin Gate Belgium and these important ceremonies will be recorded for schools and our communities at home."

Contest appearance

Phillipa also revealed that the band will hopefully be taking part in the popular Leicester Open Contest on their trip before they make the long trip back home to Melbourne on 21st November.