Category: News

3BBR recently recorded the 140th Anniversary Celebration Concert at WGAC, and you can re-live it on Gippsland Live in early December. The concert was the result of many months of rehearsals and volunteer planning, as well as marking 140 years of continuous service to our community, even through world wars and pandemics.

The Warragul Municipal Band concert under the musical direction of Geoff Coote included tributes to past and present Members with MC Mark Ford OAM guiding us through a night of popular tunes, classic and brass band favourites.

Notably the audience was treated to the premiere performance of the march “Warragul – Blue Gum Country” specially composed and conducted for the occasion by Nat Pollard. Other highlights included the band’s longest serving continuous member, trombonist Tim Armstrong treating us to “Stardust”, guest piano soloist Darryl Coote performing Handel, Schubert and Benjamin, with the second half opening with a few short pieces by the Training Band, likely future players in the Warragul Municipal Band.

Join us on 3BBR for Gippsland Live to re-live this concert celebration.

• Part 1: Wednesday 3rd Dec 2025 from 8:00pm (replayed Friday 5th Dec 2:00pm)
• Part 2: Wednesday 10th Dec 2025 from 8:00pm (replayed Friday 12th Dec 2:00pm)

Missed the broadcast? Audio-on-demand is available for 8 weeks after broadcast.

3BBR — Supporting live music and volunteering in our community.

Sadly we’re saying goodbye to Toby’s Arrhythmia on Fri 19th Dec at 8pm, with huge thanks for a night of great music on 3BBR.  Best wishes Toby, who’s off to do some travelling.

In its place, Jessielea is set to break out of Monday Breakfast and present a grittier second show…

• FRIDAY 8:00pm -10:00pm / PUSH THE ENVELOPE — Jessielea brings you a combination of heavy, electronic and fusion music to get your Friday night started, beginning BOXING DAY DEC 26.

Tuesday afternoon shuffle from January 6:

• John Fromhold’s MORE THAN A GAME moves later to Tues 3:00pm – 6:00pm.  John will cover a wider range of sport news with interviews live from Studio 2.  The new time gives him better access to key players in local sports.  Great music from the 70s and 80s is standard fare too.
• 45RPM moves earlier to 12 noon Tuesday with everyone’s favourite vinyl tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
• IT’S TIME with William and Barry (5:00pm Tues) will drop off our schedule for now.

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Our full schedule is at https://3bbrfm.org.au/guide
Download a PDF copy of the new schedule to keep or print.

As always, if you have feedback about our programming, please get in touch.  Visit our contact page for the many ways you can do that. 

Has your FM reception improved?
Let us know by leaving a message on (03) 5625 1103.

Thanks to the Community Broadcasting Foundation, earlier this year 3BBR was granted substantial funds to buy a brand new transmitter, and it’s now on air as of Wednesday 5th November 2025.

This gives us the opportunity to retire some very old equipment we knew was beginning to decline with age, and we now have a reliable backup in case lightning strikes (both literally and figuratively). Your faithful volunteers still have more work to do to complete this upgrade project, and we hope to avoid any further on-air disruption.

We also hope that FM reception on the fringes of our broadcast area will be a little more robust e.g the hills behind Leongatha, central Pakenham and Moe.

Our next urgent project is to replace the broadcast mixing desk in our main studio. Argghh!

On Sunday 28th July at 2:00pm, the 3BBR-FM Concert Hall presents the exclusive 3BBR recording of the NZ Trio during their Australian tour.

Three exceptionally talented musicians, pianist Somi Kim, violinist Amalia Hall and her brother Callum Hall as guest cellist thrilled the audience with a ravishing and exciting program of NEW and not so old works.

• Joachin Turina — Circulo Op.91
• Chen Yi – Tibetan Tunes
• John Psathas – Angelus (Australian premiere of a new NZ Trio commission)
• César Franck – Piano Trio No. in F sharp

The Australian premiere of ‘Angelus’ by Greek/New Zealand composer John Psathas was a sparkling chamber composition of dazzling proportions, in a spellbinding performance by the NZ Trio.

Also ‘Tibetan Tunes’ by Chinese female composer, Chen Yi, was an inspiration of the East meeting West, in the use of the oriental sound colour with use of the traditional piano, violin and cello.

The two older works were equally pleasing to a very appreciative audience listening to ‘Circulo’ by the Spanish composer Joachin Turina, and the final work, a rare outing of the Piano Trio No. 1 by the Belgian/French composer, César Franck composed when he was just 19.

This concert added to the ongoing highlights of Fine Music offered in our region and was recorded exclusively for the 3BBR-FM Concert Hall by our experienced volunteer recording engineer, Garry Havrillay.

Missed the broadcast? Listen back via our radio-on-demand service before 23 Nov 2025.

3BBR FM… proudly supports local Fine Music Concerts and new Australian compositions.

On Sept 24 & 26, 3BBR is excited to replay our exclusive recent concert recording of local Drouin singer/songwriter/guitarist Ethan Calway, recorded at 3BBR’s Last Friday Music Club  in May.  He deservedly created a lot of excitement on stage during The Voice  competition on TV.

Ethan writes thoughtful original tunes with a country flavour. His brother Seth Calway adds soaring harmonies playing bass too, with Jonothan Bishop on drums and backing vocals. The captivated audience at our Last Friday Music Club  absolutely loved it!

We will encore this top performance on Gippsland Live at 8:00pm Wednesday 24th September 2025, replayed on Friday afternoon 26th at 2:00pm and to be available as audio-on-demand until November 19.

Live sound, recording and mixdown by volunteer Garry Havrillay, made exclusively for 3BBR.

On Sunday 24th Aug 2025 at 2:00pm the 3BBR-FM Concert Hall featured a highlight concert from the Wesley of Warragul 20th Anniversary Season with the welcome return of the highly acclaimed cellist Zoe Knighton and brilliant international pianist Amir Farid.

• Mark SUMMER – Julie-O
• BEETHOVEN – Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 69
• Clara SCHUMANN – Six Lieder Op.13
• BRAHMS – Cello Sonata Op. 38

This edition of the 3BBR FM Concert Hall ended with 2 new releases. From the CD ‘Lumina’, 3 songs sung by the amazing voice of the Venezuelan male soprano Samuel Marino. Plus the welcome new release ‘Radiante’ by the Seraphim Trio, and an early Piano Trio by the French composer Germaine Tailleferre who was the only female member of Les Six in the early 1900’s.

3BBR FM proudly supporting local fine music with exclusive concert recordings in West Gippsland, and new releases in the 3BBR FM Concert Hall Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm.

Missed the broadcast? Listen back before 19th Oct 2024 via our radio-on-demand service.

Listen back to Gippsland Live and this recent fabulous performance at 3BBR’s Last Friday Music Club in Drouin.

In the two years since embarking on his solo career and the release of his debut album Passing Strangers, Phillip Island troubadour Mark Howard has cemented his place as a captivating force in the music world.  Mark delighted the audience showing his wealth of stage and songwriting experience.

This excellent concert was heard on Gippsland Live on Wed 20th Aug at 8:00pm (replayed Fri 22nd 2:00pm). Listen on demand before 15th October 2025.

Also, join us at the next The Last Friday Music Club on the 29th August at the Drouin Community Hub for Hazel Ray and Billie Spokes.

3BBR proudly supporting local live music.

Listen back to a recent recital by the remarkably versatile and exciting young pianist Joshua Hooke heard in the 3BBR Concert Hall on Sun 10 Aug from 2:00pm.

Originally from regional Victoria, Josh completed his PhD in Music Performance at Melbourne University and has studied in Vienna with the late Paul Badura-Skoda and in London with Imogen Cooper.  Josh has many awards to his name from Australian and International institutions. He’s a regular performer both at home and in Europe.  He recently completed a Victorian Regional tour which included this recent recital at Wesley of Warragul recorded by 3BBR FM on 29 June 2025.

• MOZART – Fantasia in D minor
• BEETHOVEN – Sonata No.13 in E-flat major Op.27 No.1
• BEETHOVEN – Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor Op.27 No.2 ‘Moonlight’
• RACHMANINOFF
  • Élégie in E-flat minor, Op.3 No.1
  • Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op.3 No.2
  • Prelude Op.32 No.5 in G major
  • Prelude Op.32 No.12 in G-sharp minor
  • Prelude Op.23 No.2 in B-flat major
• Encore – SCARLATTI – Sonata in G major K13

Missed the broadcast? Listen back before 5 Oct 2024 via our radio-on-demand service.

3BBR-FM… proudly supporting local fine music with exclusive concert recordings in West Gippsland.