Country Concerto
Every fall, a posh country cabin party unfolds at Spring Creek, Curtis and Kathy Downs’ scenic New Albany estate.
Written by Eugene Stockstill | Photographed by Joe Worthem
There are country parties, and then there are country parties with an orchestra. One night each fall, that’s exactly what Curtis and Kathryn Downs host at Spring Creek, their sprawling 140-acre property off County Road 107 in New Albany.
Since 2019, the annual party has drawn university chancellors, corporate CEOs and at least one professional baseball player. The main attraction is a concert by the Curtis Downs Orchestra, with Downs himself as the lead vocalist (read more about that below). This year’s party took place Oct. 8.
When Downs talks about Spring Creek, though, it’s clear even he can be taken aback by the sheer scale of the place. For all its grandeur, Downs is quick to give credit to someone else for the magic: his wife, Kathy.
“My wife deserves most of the credit,” along with his staff, he said during a relaxed interview on a beautiful, blue-skied September morning at Spring Creek.
We took a quick ride in a Jeep and explored the terrain. The first notable feature is a lush, private nine-hole golf course, Fore Ducks, which will be expanded in size at some point down the road, Downs said.
The property has two ponds, one spring-fed, the other drawn from a well, and several creeks pour out of the ponds and empty into the Tallahatchie River.
At one end of the site sits a big red barn with full-service living quarters, a structure that Downs refers to as the barn-ominium. No one is living inside there right now, but three beautiful horses thrive all around it.
At Spring Creek, there is also a high hill from which, as you might imagine, you can enjoy an overwhelming view of the surrounding area, especially at sunrise or sunset.
The little white house with the green room that sits right at the roadside front of the site?
That’s the house where Downs and his older brother and sister grew up.
So how exactly did this unique property called Spring Creek come about?
Downs, who went to school in Ingomar, worked in the pharmaceutical industry before starting his own financial consulting business in Memphis. It seems fair to say that he did pretty well for himself, since he has another part-time residence in Naples, Florida, as well as a house in Oxford.
When Downs’ mother died, there was talk of building a storage shed to store her furniture. But as often happens, the creative muse took things in a different direction, and a rustic cabin fully stocked with modern conveniences — and memories — came into existence. “The ceiling was the roof of the old barn,” he said.
The idea for a party materialized when a friend, Rex Harrison Brunt, first set foot on the developed acreage. Downs said Brunt “immediately proclaimed, ‘This is a great place for a party. We need to start this year.’ So, we acted accordingly, and it’s been ongoing every year except one when it was rained out.”
The festivities draw around 50 guests from New Albany and Oxford, plus 20 or so musicians, sound techs and catering staff. The event is catered by Tallahatchie Gourmet. The party garners rave reviews from those in attendance.
“I’ve been going to these cabin parties really from the outset,” said longtime friend Patty Lewis, who grew up in Holmes County and now lives in one of the biggest and oldest houses in Oxford, the Neilson-Cully-Lewis House, a two-story Greek revival residence on 11th Street that was built back in 1856.
“Curtis has left no stone unturned,” Lewis said. “There’s not a bad view.”
Cocktails are served as guests arrive. The attendees have a variety of dining spots to choose from, including a nice-sized gazebo near the cabin. Hay bales, pumpkins, chrysanthemums, a waterfall and an automatic food dispenser that drives pond catfish wild. These are the sorts of delights that partygoers get to enjoy during the evening.
“Each year you see something new that has been added or some improvement made in the property,” Lewis said.
Twenty years ago, did Downs think he’d be throwing this kind of posh shindig way out in the country in Union County?
“Absolutely not,” he said. But it’s clear that the hosts and guests alike expect to continue looking forward to it for years to come.
One Man Band
How exactly did the Curtis Downs Orchestra come into being?
Well, Downs was a part of a rockabilly band during his high school days. Then he took a 55-year sabbatical from music. About nine years ago at a party at the University Club in Oxford, he heard a band that really caught his attention, especially the saxophonist.
“When they took a break,” Downs said. “I cornered them and said, ‘I’m going to record an album. I want to use your band.’ One week later, I was in the studio.”
Downs had realized a lifelong ambition.
They recorded 10 songs at a home studio for an LP, “Just for the Hell of It,” that included swing, jazz, Latin tunes — “a little bit of everything,” Downs said.
As a result, he started singing Friday nights with that eight-piece band, Moonstone.
The experience was magical for Downs.
“Exhilaration and disbelief that someone with no musical background could actually be singing in front of a great band,” Downs said. “Can you imagine that?”
Four years ago, Downs connected with Gary Topper, a legendary session musician, conductor and arranger in Memphis who has his own band, Gary Topper and Symmetry. Downs and Topper struck up a partnership that brought in some of Symmetry’s band members, along with three backup singers, and the Curtis Downs Orchestra was born.
Downs said his life’s musical turn astounds him.
“Make no mistake, I had to work hard to feel like I belong with this group,” he said. “I don’t read music, so it takes me about 10 times as long to learn a song as most people.”
The Curtis Downs Orchestra plays at the Spring Creek cabin party, corporate events and occasional benefits in the Oxford area. They’ve cut several LPs.
Listen to the most recent, “From Us to You,” at curtisdowns.com.
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