Another friend has left us - Kate Townsend. Kate was one part of a wonderful partnership with Dave Clarke and together for many years they ran the Singing Gallery in McLaren Vale, and in more recent years a smaller venue called the Singing Gazebo in Clarendon. Dave and Kate were rare because when they hosted musicians they made you feel like family. They treated musicians with an amazing grace and respect. They might even feed you. They made sure all was to your liking and that you felt OK. Playing at a venue where Dave and Kate were hosts was a special treat. And ogether they created this wonderful sense of community between the people who attended their shows.
I had known Kate for quite a while before I heard her sing and it was a wonderful moment when I did first hear her sing, She had a beautiful singing voice.
The song below is called Kate from the Riverbend. The Singing Gazebo was in Dave and Kate’s home
on a bend in the Onkaparinga River in Clarendon.
It was a place that Aboriginal people used to go to long ago and was regarded
then as a meeting place. Kate used to mention this in her welcomes to country
when you attended gigs at the gazebo. Another lovely little Kate touch was putting
names of those attending on tables with perhaps a little bunch of flowers, a pretty
tablecloth, or some interesting picture. She always made sure that people were
sitting in a place where they could see, where they could hear, and where they
would feel comfortable and able to enjoy the music on offer. So Kate – we’re all
going to really miss the events that you and Dave have put on together over the
years. Thank you so much for making it such a warm and memorable experience. Rest
in peace dear Kate.
