The Cowichan South Arts Guild may have never held an art and music gathering before but, with the Never Ending Summer Affair on Sunday, Sept. 15, they have served notice that they know how to throw a party.
Even though rain threatened, and finally came down in buckets for part of the time, there was still plenty to see and hear as the superb Elsie Miles Pavilion (opened last year) gave a series of great musicians a dry place to set up and play.
A whole galaxy of artists had displays set up under tents and there was yummy food onsite as well.
Among those performing on stage were Uke’s Misbehavin’ and, later, De La Terra, which was led by Doug Towle.
According to Phil Newns, a member of the trio, and a well-respected Valley musician, “Doug is a highly accomplished musician and educator. He is an award winning performer who has toured widely. As a private instructor for over 20 years, he has taught hundreds of students from beginner to advanced, techniques and theory as well as several master classes and clinics. Doug has performed on, engineered and produced dozens of recording projects. In 2009 Guitar Player Magazine selected Doug Towle from among thousands of hopefuls as a top 10 finalist in their Guitar Superstar Competition, solidifying his reputation as one of the top players not only in Canada but globally. He has performed across North America in such prestigious events as Guitar Player Live in San Francisco, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, The Zihuatenejo Guitar Festival in Mexico, several appearances at the Juan De Fuca Festival and the Harmony Arts Festival among countless other festival and club stages.”
The Pavilion site, located between the community centre and the museum, takes advantage of the old Elsie Miles school field, and is proving itself a great space for community gatherings.
