Byford’s annual carols event drew about 800 people last Saturday, filling the town with festive cheer, music and dancing.
Among the performers was the Heritage Country Choir, a long-standing fixture of the celebration.
Byford Carols president and choir member Frances David described the joy of performing in front of the community.
“Every year is different, but it’s great to see the people out there in front of us,” she said.
“We’re there for a while and we get to see the people trickling in.
“Sometimes we think, ‘Gosh, it’s nearly time and there’s not many people’.
“But all of a sudden, there’s heaps of families and the kids are all dancing in front of us.”
Performers brought energy and festive spirit to the stage, with some of the highlights being a young girl’s solo performance and Woodland Grove Primary School’s group number.
One change this year was the introduction of a $1 price mark for the sausage sizzles.
“Last year, we noticed some sausages being chucked, so we thought this year we would add $1 to make people think before buying it,” Mrs David said.
“Our idea is that families can come and be part of a family-friendly event without having to spend money.
“There are always people who are struggling so we just want them to come, enjoy entertainment and hear the story of Christmas.”
Heritage Country Choir president Eileen Davis said she was proud of their performance.
“We sang all through the night, and at the end, people congratulated us and complimented our stage outfits,” she said.
“Our uniform is red anyway but this year, we had Christmas leggings on.
“Everybody commented on them and said we looked really great up there.”
Ms Davis said the choir was looking forward to their upcoming performance at Armadale Hospital on Saturday, December 13.
“That’s another tradition we’ve been doing for more than 20 years,” she said.
“The hospital is one of the most rewarding performances we do all year.
“There are probably people there who are in the hospital over Christmas and we hope to bring that little bit of joy to them.”
Photographs – Richard Polden.
