Spotlight on the Banquet Lady of the NRSO
As the saying goes, behind every successful man, there is a woman. For the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra, behind every successful concert, there is Jennifer Ferris.
While the NRSO prepares their upcoming concert, a “Banquet of Brahms and Beethoven”, meet the person behind the scenes who prepares a banquet for the orchestra.
Jennifer has been a tireless supporter of the NRSO for over a decade. An avid lover of classical music, she is there at every concert. However, one will rarely see her in the auditorium enjoying the music, for she is always busy in the kitchen preparing afternoon tea for the audience during the interval. “I used to help Lyn (McBurney) serve afternoon tea,” Jennifer explained, “but when Lyn became the orchestra manager, I took over the catering with some of the other ladies. I just happened to last the longest!”
Perhaps even more importantly, she also organises food for our musicians, providing lunch and morning tea during rehearsals to keep the orchestra happy. It is fortunate then, that she is not required on stage as well. “I’m useless at playing music!” she said. But not in the kitchen!
Jennifer is also a member of the NRSO committee, helping to distribute newsletters and selling concert tickets at the box office.