Emma Pritchard

Amidst plenty of laughter and whimsical singing, close to 250 attendees put on their thinking caps and headed to the Grafton District Services Club (GDSC) on June 17 to take part in the Big Music Quiz.

A local fundraiser for the 2023 Junior Jacaranda candidates, who graciously introduced themselves to the crowd during the evening, 28 teams including the humorously named Trivia Newton John, Never Gonna Quiz You Up, and Red Hot Trivia Peppers, put their knowledge to the test across eight categories as they were asked to identify missing lyrics, famous Australian singers and songwriters, album covers, soundtracks, and classical Disney tunes.

Prizes were awarded to the teams with the highest scores at the conclusion of each round, and there was plenty of cheering and applause as several participants let their singing do the talking while they demonstrated their vocal ability and sang along with the music.

While he was tempted to join in the chorus, Jacaranda Festival President and MC Desan Padayachee entertained the crowd with his jokes as he read out the questions and answers.

After achieving perfect scores in six rounds during the night, Fruit Loops were announced as the winning team with 77 points, closely followed by Beyonce Know-Alls, The Berries, and Trivia Newton John, who finished equal second on 74 points.

As he acknowledged the GDSC for hosting the event, and thanked the 2023 Junior Jacaranda Candidate Committee including Rebecca Yager, Jamaica Yager, Robyn Jamieson, Madelaine Schroder, Des Schroder, and the Clarence Valley community for their ongoing support, Jacaranda Festival Manager Mark Blackadder proudly revealed $4217 had been raised during the evening.

The Clarence Valley Independent is looking forward to introducing our readers to the 2023 Junior Jacaranda candidates in upcoming editions.

Make sure you pick up a copy of the paper each week to see their profiles as the 2023 Grafton Jacaranda Festival draws closer.