THE group travelled to the Isle of Man to compete in the prestigious Festival of Choirs competition. Thirty-two singers and 15 supporters were on the trip.

At the welcome buffet attended by competitors and supporters the Rivertones gave an exhilarating performance of ‘Amarillo’ as their party piece.

The competition on the Saturday included some of the best and most famous choirs in the UK, ladies voice, male voice and mixed voice groups. The festival adjudicator was Stanley Roocroft, the distinguished musician and conductor.

After a nerve-wracking wait the Rivertones performed their four songs, ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’, ‘Love Me’, ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ and ‘Country Roads’ – and were rewarded with a great ovation from the capacity audience.

At the end of the competition they were placed third in their section and narrowly missed out on a place in the grand final which was disappointing but quite an achievement considering the high standard of the other groups.

The Rivertones finished in fifth place overall and were awarded one highly commended mark and three distinctions for their singing, which was a great achievement. The adjudicator made many positive comments about their singing, as did fellow competitors and members of the audience. The Rivertones have since been invited back to the Isle of Man to perform a series of joint concerts.

Chorus director Peter Gover did a brilliant job throughout the competition and over the last several months. Trip organiser Graham Blight did an outstanding job, too.

The Rivertones are always seeking new singers, particularly tenors. For more information visit the website, www.therivertones.org.uk