As the sun rose over the Australian War Memorial France on the morning of 25 April 2008, all of the effort by so many people to bring the Villers-Bretonneux Cross to this commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux for Anzac Day and for the St George’s Cathedral Choir to honour the moment with their voices was worthwhile.

The Choir and the Villers-Bretonneux Cross were farewelled on their long journey on Sunday
6 April after months of planning and fundraising. The Cathedral was filled with the Perth community to send them on their way.

The Villers-Bretonneux Cross and its replica made by Martin Colgan, Colgan Industries, were then painstakingly packed for the flight to France.  Special precautions were taken to protect the VB Cross from climatic changes and the replica from the risk of jolting and bumping on the flight and the trip overland by Shand Transport.  They left Perth on the 21 April under the watchful eye of Trefor Lenegan of Qantas Freight.

The Choir, under the firm control of Sue Dimitrijevich, boarded their flight on 16 April.  The Choir comprised a group of 21 choir members with ages ranging from 8 years old to adults.  A well formed representation of the St George’s Cathedral Choir.  The balance of the group of 47 consisted of choir parents and family, chaperones and staff.

Joseph Nolan, the newly appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers had been working the Choir hard to prepare for their role in the Dawn Service, as well as singing in two of the most iconic churches in the world – Amiens Cathedral and the church of St Sulpice in Paris.

What had seemed like insurmountable odds had been overcome to ensure the trip went ahead.  The total cost of the trip including the cost of the replica, the flights, the accommodation and all of the associated costs exceeded $300,000.  For a small cathedral to achieve this was remarkable but thanks to the generosity of the Perth community and support in kind from a huge range of government and corporate bodies these costs were met and paid before the tour left Australian soil.

Joseph Nolan arrived in March to take up his role with the choir – just a month before the tour began and was launched not only into Easter Services but also preparing a relatively new choir for this international tour.  The accolades received for their singing is a testament to his commitment, skill and professionalism.
 
The Tour

The tour consisted of three main components:

I The Choir

a)      Amiens Cathedral – 20 April – 10.30 am Mass and 4.00 pm Recital in the main chapel of the Cathedral.  Pere Dominique Dupree welcomed the Choir and was full of praise.  The Chapel held about 300 people and was full for the service and many more people stayed for a while during the recital.
b)      Anzac Day – Dawn Service 25 April – Australian Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux – the choir lead the hymns and then sang during the wreath laying ceremony.  It was a chilly morning, but the choir sang superbly and was praised by all. The Service was broadcast live across Australia.
c)      Replica Cross – the Choir sang for the presentation of the replica cross in the church of St Jean Baptiste in Villers-Bretonneux – the beautiful church was a fitting setting for the presentation of this lasting reminder of the 51st Battalion in France in World War 1.
d)      Church of St Sulpice, Paris – 27 April 12.00 noon High Mass and 4.00 pm Recital. The choir reached its peak here with the final strains of Zadock the Priest reaching the heights of the huge domes of the church – the standing ovation was a fitting finale to a long and exhausting tour.

II The Villers-Bretonneux Cross

The VB Cross left Perth accompanied by the stone replica cross and Trefor Lenegan from Qantas Freight – it was a long but uneventful trip through Heathrow airport with the cargo arriving in Villers-Bretonneux safely via Shand Transport on the afternoon of 23 April.  There was a small but enthusiastic group ready to receive it.  The Mayor and the deputy Mayors of VB were very excited and enthusiastic.  The Cross was secured and Trefor ensured that it was set up at the Australian Memorial on the morning of the Dawn Service.  

The simple wooden cross took pride of place on the memorial and was photographed by thousands of people as a reminder of the sacrifice and the stoicism of the Australians who served and died on the Western Front.

The Cross was secured after 9.00 am and prepared for the journey home with Trefor, arriving back in Perth on Sunday 27 April, and safely back in St George’s on 28 April.

It was an enormous gesture for St George’s to take the Cross to this Commemoration.  It will be long remembered.
 

III Presentation of the Replica of the Villers-Bretonneux Cross

The stone replica arrived in one piece in Villers-Bretonneux after some concerns about the journey.  The lack of a forklift at the drop off point meant that the Town Hall staff were tested, but it was unloaded and prepared for the ceremony.

St Jean Baptiste church was full of people for the presentation of the replica of the VB Cross  at 11.00 am on Anzac Day – it was a beautiful bi-lingual service lead by the Dean of Perth in a Catholic provincial church in France – with the Mayor of the town and the Premier of Western Australia.  The Choir sang, the great grandson of Chaplain Blackwood presented the memorial book with the story of the cross, Canon Theresa Harvey and members of the choir group participated in the service as well.

It was a very moving and significant ceremony.

The stone cross will be erected in the churchyard of St Jean Baptiste and St George’s will be advised when it has been completed.

The Choir arrived home on Tuesday 29 April, exhausted but secure in the knowledge they had represented their Cathedral and their State well.

The full cost of the tour was covered by fundraising including significant donations from the State and Federal Government, private and corporate gifts and many donations from within the Cathedral and broader Perth community.

The reports from Australia during the tour suggest that there was excellent media coverage for the events surrounding Anzac Day – the media in France were very enthusiastic and the Dean was constantly in demand for television, radio and print media interviews and photos.  The VB Cross and the Choir were of great interest to all of the media outlets.

The tour was very successful in all aspects :

I It was a wonderful opportunity for the Choir to bond and form a strong and trusting relationship with Joseph Nolan.

II It was a vocal challenge that was met with distinction

III The choir group came together in some trying circumstances with everyone meeting the challenges along the way.

IV it put St George’s on the world stage.

V It provided an opportunity for the people of Villers-Bretonneux and the many Australians attending Anzac Day to pay their respects to the men of the 51st Battalion through the VB Cross.

VI It was an opportunity for St George’s to make a lasting gesture to the people of France and of Villers-Bretonneux with the gift of the replica cross in thanks for caring for the memory of the Australians who served and died there.