You don’t always have to travel far to find what you need most after a difficult week. Perusing the local paper, I unearthed an event that immediately appealed to me. What’s not to like about sipping wine at sunset while listening to a local symphony? Short answer? Nothing!

One of our family’s favorite wineries, Boundary Breaks is six miles from our house! For a number of years, they’ve hosted the Seneca Summer Music Festival Orchestra for a free evening concert, with donations accepted to benefit a local organization.

This year was especially meaningful for the conductor, S. Shade Zajac, who grew up in Seneca County, because the beneficiary was the Ovid LDC .  The group formed to help rebuild Ovid after a fire destroyed a significant part of the village’s downtown area (including the only grocery store) over a year ago.

I wrote a check, set up my favorite lawn chair, and prepared to enjoy some “patriotic pops and light classical music”. 

The whole performance was wonderful, but I had a few favorite selections. Most people associate Leroy Anderson with the December sleigh riding season, not with the heat of summer. However, I was enchanted by the musicians’ rendition of Anderson’s Horse and Buggy, a spritely tune that included the composer’s signature hoofbeats, along with an impromptu whinny at the end! It seemed especially fitting given our county’s many Amish and Mennonite families.

The patriotic portion of the program included The Armed Forces Medley where veterans from each branch of the service stand up to be acknowledged. This never fails to inspire vigorous clapping from the audience and always brings a smile to my face.

As the sun sank over the horizon, the evening concluded with two pieces composed especially for the August concert, Some Small Hope by Laurence Tallman and Zajac’s own composition, Self Evident Truths.

Not every week is as positive or productive as we might wish. But I’ve found that sometimes doing something that will benefit others as well as yourself has a way of turning things around. There are so many fantastic summer fundraising events for worthy causes in this region. Whether you live here or are visiting our area, check one out!