Entertainment
21 May, 2026
River singers delight crowd
A FULL house at the Innisfail Uniting Church was treated to a morning of nostalgia, harmony and heartfelt community spirit as the Johnstone River Singers opened their first performance of the year last month on a high note.
MC Trevor Van Bael welcomed the crowd, describing the group as “unprofessional singers who do their best to provide a morning of enjoyable entertainment,” before introducing the theme of the day, a musical journey through the seasons, which included Australia Day, Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, ANZAC Day and Easter.
The concert opened with a lively bracket of Australian favourites including ‘I Still Call Australia Home’, ‘Turn on the Sun’, ‘Sugarama’, ‘Never Smile at a Crocodile’, ‘Yes, We Do Have Bananas’ and ‘I Am Australian’.
Between sets, long-time pianist Shirley Nayler, now 93 and still playing with the same spark she had at age seven, kept the audience entertained with jokes, stories and a selection of Irish, ANZAC and Helen Steiner-Rice poems.
Solo performances by Paul Smith, Bill Lotaw, Georgina Howard and Graham Whybird added variety to the morning, along with a bracket from the Bramston Beach Buddies, David Berry, Paul Smith, Christine Kane and Marilyn Hazell.
The men’s rendition of ‘Love Me Tender’ and the ladies’ performance of ‘Wooden Heart’ were crowd favourites, followed by a lively Irish set featuring ‘Rosie O’Grady’, ‘Peggy O’Neill’, ‘Gypsy Rover’, ‘With My Shillelagh Under My Arm’ and ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’. Graham Whybird delivered a moving version of ‘Danny Boy’ that drew a lot of applause.
Easter hymns including ‘The Old Rugged Cross’, ‘I’ll Walk with God’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ were followed by an ANZAC medley featuring ‘Brown Slouch Hat’, ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ and ‘Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye’.
The morning concluded with a spirited sing-along of ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’, ‘Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag’, ‘Kiss Me Goodnight Sergeant, Major’, ‘Bless Them All’ and ‘God Bless Australia’, before a closing prayer, ‘Until We Meet Again’ and a delicious morning tea prepared by the ladies.
Formed in 1997 as an offshoot of the Innisfail Choral Society, They were originally known as the Rainbow Singers. They became the Johnstone River Singers in 2008 and have 23 members who entertain residents at OzCare Innisfail and the Babinda respite centre.
Their next Innisfail concerts will be held on 22 June, 14 September, and 4 December from 9.30am at the Uniting Church.
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