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I’m sure there are many thousands of Londoners who’ve never heard of Dave Southen.

Until recently, you could count me among them.

I’m also sure there are an equal number of Londoners whose lives have been touched by Southen and his wife, lawyer Susan Carlyle, but didn’t know it.

Count me among them.

That’s how it is with angels, the real ones, the ones for whom doing good is an end in itself, no thanks or recognition required.

So, it was ironic to be sitting with Southen in the Dave Southen Lounge at Aeolian Hall talking about his philanthropy.

“I find it embarrassing,” said Southen, not for the first time in our conversation, about the lounge that was quietly and defiantly given his name by the hall’s board after one of his large cash donations.

“I do feel honoured, but it’s not about me.”

Southen and Carlyle were outed by the Blyth Festival a week ago when it announced they and an anonymous donor had pledged to match all donations up to a maximum of $100,000 to support the Canadian theatre company.

It was Blyth’s artistic director Gil Garratt who spilled the beans, he being among the few who are aware of Southen and Carlyle’s generosity in support of the arts, which also has touched the Grand Theatre, London Health Sciences Foundation and a few other causes dear to their hearts.

“He’s one of those lovers of culture, not just for himself, but everyone,” Garratt said.

“He sees and understands what these institutions mean to our communities. He doesn’t want his name attached to the donations. He’s just an incredibly generous man who wants to see Canadian culture thrive and he knows the duress we’re all under right now due to the pandemic.”

But none of those cultural institutions speak louder to Southen and Carlyle than Aeolian Hall, which doesn’t just provide a venue for great artists who can’t fill arenas, but is also home to El Sistema, a program that puts musical instruments into the hands and hearts of school children who wouldn’t normally have the means to learn them.

“I look at the Aeolian Hall as being an unmatched social program in this city, a program that is transformative,” said Southen, who recently donated 27 guitars and has another dozen or so he’ll be handing over — one signed by the late, great blues artist Johnny Winter — to Aeolian for sale online to raise funds for the hall and El Sistema.

“This program helps level the playing field for these kids between the haves and the have-nots. And it has made some of these kids into leaders. We hear from them how it changed their lives. Our future is tied to the opportunities we give to young people.”

Clark Bryan, a concert pianist who bought Aeolian Hall in 2004 to serve as a teaching conservatory and performance venue before transferring ownership to a not-for-profit organization, did not mince words about the importance of donations from supporters like Southen and Carlyle.

“It could not have come at a better time,” said Bryan, who said the couple also is donating $50,000 in the coming weeks to support the Aeolian.

“This is critical to our survival.”

Southen, who owns rental properties, is a private lender and has served on the Aeolian board. He said he and Carlyle made a decision years ago to set aside a portion of their income to donate to charities and causes mostly related to the arts, especially music.

“Yes, I could be driving a Mercedes or a buy some other expensive car, but that’s not who I am,” said Southen, who has donated more than 300 guitars during the years.

Many of the guitars were signed by artists he’s met or seen perform at Aeolian. Many of the donated guitars are considered high-end models, bearing names such as Gretsch, Karol and Baden, while others have been inexpensive, entry-level guitars signed by artists. One $100 guitar signed by Sarnia astronaut Chris Hadfield, who performed David Bowie’s Space Oddity on the International Space Station, was auctioned off for thousands of dollars in support of London Health Sciences Foundation.

“You need to have the arts in your life, whether it’s fine art, theatre or music,” said Southen. “It’s the one thing that distinguishes us from other species, the one thing that is unique to human beings. For me it’s all about the music. I think a life without music in it is a life unlived.”

And a life or a community without angels, such as Southen and Carlyle, is a life and community not quite as rich.