Objective

Unique Opportunities and Experiences Provided to Members

BYC has been performing for over 30 years and is well known within the choral communities within Australia and internationally. Mrs Valerie Broad OAM, Founder and Artistic Director, is well connected within this community.

Valerie receives invitations for the choir to perform in events, competitions, workshops and festivals within Australia and internationally. The reputation of the choir has evolved across time and was again reinforced within that global community when it competed at the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati, USA.

The choir was awarded three silver medals – a medal for each of the choral categories it entered – a truly amazing effort from this small community choir.

International Tours:

The Choir has travelled to Western Samoa in 1996, to Canada in 2004, to the Prague Advent Festival, incorporating a tour to Salzburg in 2008 and to the World Choir Games held in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in 2012.

The World Choir Games is the equivalent within the global choral community to the Olympic Games. These games drew 326 choirs in 23 musical categories with 15,000 participants from 64 different nations over a two-week period. With nearly every ticketed concert, ceremony or competition sold out it drew more than 208,000 spectators at some 200 different events.

The choir represented Australia in three of the Championship Sections. On return, the choir were guests of the City of Greater Bendigo at a civic reception with the choristers presented with replica medals by the Premier Ted Ballieu.

Interstate Tours:

• Newcastle in 2003 for the International Kodaly Symposium, receiving high acclaim.
• Sydney Opera House to participate in the 2009 Australia’s International Choral Festival receiving a special letter of thanks and congratulations – the only choir to receive such a letter.
• Brisbane in 2006 to work with the Biralees, one of Australia’s most outstanding and successful choral groups.
• Hobart, in 2010 to participate in the Tasmanian Festival of Voices. Where it sang alongside one of Australia’s premier choirs – Gondwana Voices.
• Canberra in 2015 to perform at the Australian Parliament House and Australian War Memorial.

Victorian Performances:

• The BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne with the Australian Children’s Choir to support victims of the 2009 bushfires
• Etihad Stadium for Days in the Diocese – World Youth Day
• The Rod Laver Arena for the Prime Minister’s Memorial Service for Bushfire victims
• The Exhibition Buildings for the Canonisation of St. Mary McKillop
• Government House, Melbourne, for the Governor of Victoria at the Australia Day public open day (4 years running)
• Parliament House, Melbourne, where it was announced that they are the only choir in living memory to have sung from the Minstrel’s Gallery
• The Iwaki Auditorium with the Alaskan Children’s Chorus
• Federation Square, Melbourne, for the Welcome Home to our 2012 Olympians
• The Melbourne Town Hall for the Melbourne Festival of Children’s Voices in 2001.

Performances in the Bendigo Region:

• City of Greater Bendigo Citizenship ceremonies and Order of Australia ceremonies being noted for providing high quality choral and solo performances
• RSL ANZAC Day dawn and 11am services and special ceremonies
• Rotary Club of Bendigo’s annual Carols by Candlelight Christmas celebration
• Y’s Service International Club international and national gatherings and anniversary Celebrations
• Lions Club entertainment for drought-stricken farmers at Speed with the Police Show Band
• Kiwanis fundraising concerts
• Patrons at the Capital Theatre, providing singers for Karin Sharpe and Katie Noonan
• The sitting of the Victorian Parliament in Bendigo
• Perform the National Anthem at the opening of major events such as Athletics, Netball, Rotary, RSL etc

These are some examples but there are many more each with particular experiences for the choir members.