Entertainment
24 December, 2025
Carols provide festive cheer
THE Johnstone River Singers finished the year on a festive note at their special Christmas concert.
The event, earlier this month at the Innisfail Uniting Church, drew a large crowd from Innisfail, Mission Beach, Bramston Beach and Brisbane.
The lively audience gathered and joined in the spirit, singing along to popular carols, which included the Aussie version of ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Little Drummer Boy’, ‘O Christmas Tree’, ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas’ and ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’.
In between song brackets, Shirley Nayler kept the audience entertained with a selection of jokes, stories and poems.
To keep the real meaning of Christmas alive, the traditional songs of ‘Away In A Manger’, ‘Mary’s Boy Child’, ‘Silent Night’, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’ were part of the program.
The morning included solo performances by Georgie Howard, Graham Whybird and Mike Keating, as well as entertainment by members of the Bramston Beach Buddies, the men and the ladies.
A highlight of the morning was when Shirley Nayler’s daughter Tania Pascoe and her two grandchildren Alexandra and James from Brisbane, performed ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ and ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’.
The morning was capped off with the singing of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, ‘The First Noel’, ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’, followed by morning tea.
The singing group, which was an off shoot of the Innisfail Choral Society, started in May 1997 and were known as the Rainbow Singers.
Shirley Nayler, aged 93 who has been playing the piano since the age of seven, has been the group’s pianist since late 1997.
Residents from Warrina, Villanova, Tully and Babinda aged care homes attended Morning Melodies concerts at the Con Theatre from 1997 until 2006, when Cyclone Larry severely damaged the theatre.
For a year or two, while under the choral society, clients from Endeavour Foundation took part in drama and helped organise the programs.
In 1999, the choral society asked the Innisfail Uniting Church to take over the group and in 2008 were renamed the Johnstone River Singers.
In May 2006, the group found a new home and for the next two years held concerts at senior citizens’ hall where they had to bring their own stage, instruments and prepare morning teas.
Throughout the year, the Johnstone River Singers provided uplifting musical entertainment to residents at Oz Care Innisfail aged care facility and Babinda respite centre.
Read More: Innisfail