Bonners Ferry Community Orchestra performing folk festival May 19

As conductor and music director for the Bonners Ferry Community Orchestra, I’d like to share with you the inspiration for our upcoming concert on Sunday, May 19. 

As far back as I can remember, I have loved maps and geography. Growing up as the daughter of an Air Force officer, I spent my first birthday on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Spain, where my father helped open a base in Zaragoza. My mother told me I learned to speak English and Spanish at the same time while there. From Spain, we moved to Florida, Alaska, and Illinois. 

My dad was on the Inspector General team for four years of his career and traveled all over the world inspecting Air Force bases. He would always bring home special treasures from each country he worked — the Philippines, Panama, Japan, and others. I still have my international doll collection from those trips. He also brought back foods unique to each country, which whetted my appetite for adventurous eating. This past year when my mother passed away, I inherited one third of her collection of German Hummel figurines, along with her set of china from Japan. 

As an adult, I have traveled to Germany, Austria, Uganda, Thailand, and Mexico. Each of these experiences has enriched my life, touched my heart, and broadened my perspective of the world we live in. There are beautiful and wonderful people everywhere, and I love interacting with them, eating their foods, and learning some of their languages and cultures.

After my first husband passed away, I studied to earn a teaching certification in English as a Foreign Language because I had hoped to travel abroad. This did not materialize, but my desire has always been to know and appreciate other cultures. Prior to moving to Bonners Ferry in 2015, I had the privilege of teaching students from 18 different ethnicities in the metropolitan area where I lived. What an honor to get to know this amazing variety of people and to call them “friends.”

It was with this mindset that I chose “International Folk Festival” as the theme for the current Bonners Ferry Community Orchestra season. We will perform folk music from around the world, sharing music that reflects the history and culture of countries from Korea to Israel; from the Slavic peoples in eastern Europe to Saudi Arabia in the Middle East; and from Ireland to Italy. A couple of the pieces feature musicians playing folk instruments such as accordion and pan flute. Of course, we will also play an American folk music medley based on well-loved themes by Stephen Foster and George Gershwin.

Our performance is at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, at Bonners Ferry High School’s Becker Auditorium. The concert promises to be colorful and full of musical contrasts. Admission is free but donations will be accepted and are greatly appreciated. Be sure to mark this exciting performance on your calendar.

The Bonners Ferry Community Orchestra was founded in October 1973. It provides an opportunity for musicians of all ages and skills to play together, from school age to retirement. Currently, the orchestra includes more than 40 musicians from as far away as Troy and Libby, Montana, as well as players from all over Bonner and Boundary counties here in Idaho. It is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that brings music enrichment to this region. If you play an orchestral instrument and are looking for a local group of musicians to join, please express your interest to our director, Glenda Novinger, via email (novingerpiano@gmail.com) or phone her at 208-597-1118.