Past Performances

Sat, 7 Dec 2024

We've lost count of our appearances at Wakerley Carols – is it 5 or 6? – but this event in front of a massive crowd is always a highlight of our year. Our programme was themed around bells starting with It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas ('soon the bells will ring') and finishing with Jingle-Bell Rock, both with Damian on Lead. Sandwiched between these two was the hauntingly beautiful Carol Of The Bells based on the lovely Ukrainian folk tune 'Shchedryk'. Colin took the high melody and in the second verse the melody gets passed around to all voices. Delighted we could bring this magical arrangement to the Wakerley audience. You can see more photos here.

Sat, 1 Jun 2024

We dressed up in formal black and white for this roving gig at the Eagle Farm Racetrack. Disconcertingly, everyone else dressed up even smarter than us!

Sat, 11 May 2024

The Squirrels had a fun day out with their mates from the River City Clippers down at this event on the Gold Coast. It was an opportunity for lots of different ensembles to strut their stuff on the stage, many in preparation for contest. After we performed our set, we enjoyed some of the other talented groups from around southeast Queensland. Some of us even participated in these ensembles: Nick, Col and Rowe joined up with David Mason to sing in Out of the Blue, a quartet competing for the senior's trophy later on in the year; and Damian, Nick and Col teamed up with 9 other members of the Clippers to perform their Queen Medley. The event was poignantly drawn to a close when Derek Cosburn, Ray Smyth and Paul Roussell, joined by Nick, their latter day baritone, announced that the long-standing quartet Benchmark, grand finalists on Australia's Got Talent 2011, would be retiring. Thanks, Benchmark, for helping to put Aussie barbershop on the map!

Sat, 23 Mar 2024

Sequins and Songs, hosted by Blue Sky Harmony, is one of our favourite events in the calendar. This is where groups can try out their new repertoire in front of a friendly but knowledgeable audience. It’s ideal for quartets preparing for the contest stage. We never miss the opportunity to be part of this event, which has been running for at least five years now. This time we aired our version of The Wellerman, the sea shanty that became a TikTok sensation.

Fri, 26 Jan 2024

In 2022 the River City Clippers were invited to perform at The Village, a very vibrant centre for retired people in Coorparoo near the heart of Brisbane, and we complemented the Clippers’ programme with a separate quartet feature. They must have liked us, as they asked us back for Australia Day 2024! We aired some new numbers at this gig, including the Bublé hit Everything and that timeless classic Loch Lomond. One thing we love about The Village is the great feast they put on afterwards, giving us a chance to chat to the very friendly audience, and maybe sing a few requests too.

Sat, 2 Dec 2023

Nick and Damian shared the lead in this year's show with Damian on lead in It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Nick crooning away in Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Mon, 17 Apr 2023

This was a really fun gig. Up Late host Dominic contacted us a few months before to see if we’d like to sing some Aussie jingles on his show on KIIS FM, and also to sing an a cappella version of Round The Twist, which they were considering as a potential show opener. Fortunately Barbershop Harmony Australia had already published an entire book full of Aussie tunes including the theme from Neighbours, the ABC Radio Fanfare, Aeroplane Jelly and Happy Little Vegemites, so we lost no time brushing up on those. But there was no existing arrangement of Round The Twist, so Nick got out his pencil and manuscript paper and set to writing one.

When we got to the studio Dom served us another curve ball: “We’re calling this segment Barbershop Bangers and we’d like you to compose and perform the sting. Would, say, twenty minutes be long enough for you?” So Nick set down to write the sting and teach it to the others, which we performed twenty minutes later. Have a listen. How do you think we did?

Sat, 3 Dec 2022

We were delighted to be asked back to perform at Wakerley, which now seems to have become a fixture in our calendar. We couldn't resist repeating White Christmas from last year's programme. This might rank is our favourite Christmas song of all time. This arrangement by Deke Sharon, which includes the rarely-heard verse, is such a pleasure to perform, as every part is featured throughout. The vocal lines interweave so beautifully and the chords are to die for.

Sat, 21 May 2022

And what a wonderful birthday celebration this was. Read more about it on our History page.

Sat, 14 May 2022

The River City Clippers chorus have performed quite regularly for the St Gabriel's Anglican Church fundraiser. This was one of the first events for the chorus as we emerged from the pandemic. At that time all of us were part of the chorus, so here we are in our chorus uniform performing The Impossible Dream. The church acoustic meant there was no need for microphones. You can hear part of this performance on the Have a Listen page.

Sat, 4 Dec 2021

After a year's hiatus due to the pandemic, Wakerley Carols resumed in 2021, so this was one of the first gigs we performed post-COVID. We started by telling the Christmas story with Mary's Boy Child. Then we did something a bit different. Three of us had childhoods in northern Europe, and we really miss the snow. (We had to explain to Damian what that is.) What better song to describe this longing than White Christmas? 

Sun, 17 Mar 2019

It was a real privilege for us to be part of this ceremony that recognises the outstanding contributions of people to the community of Griffith, Brisbane. We provided two sets of entertainment of about 20 minutes overall, starting with I'm Sitting On Top of the World – as surely many of these deserving award recipients were feeling. And, speculating that the motivation for such selfless service to the community might be love – for family, community, even humanity – we closed with a song about love: I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby.

Sat, 1 Dec 2018

Nick was unable to make it to this event, so the tenor part was ably filled in by Shane Downey. We performed Diddly Squat with Shane providing the smelly sock (you had to be there). Shane didn't have Squirrels kit, so we dressed up in our chorus gear. This year the event was hosted by Kids TV sensation Agro.

Thu, 22 Feb 2018

Sometimes our audience likes to be hands-on during our gigs. As part of his 10-year celebration, Aidan wanted to get in on the action, do some singing, and maybe get his hair cut at the same time!



 

Sat, 14 Oct 2017

How appropriate for an acappella quartet to have a gig at a barbershop! Sporting our white polo shirts for the first time, we aired our custom version of Under The Boardwalk with added 8-bar instrumental. You can see Nick about to 'play' his violin while Damian 'picks up' the cabasa.