AN acclaimed Celtic harper is appearing in St Leonards this month.
Ken Parsons has been celebrated for his beautiful songs, deadly witty short poems and crafted, thought-provoking original songs.
He was born in Plymouth on April 30 1968, Bealtaine's Eve, year of the monkey, the figure eight round the moon and th
e month of revolutionary student activity in France - it was probably written in the stars that Parsons would develop some talent out of the ordinary.
His father was born on Plymouth's Bretonside and, fittingly again, it was the music of the legendary Breton, Alan Stivell, that inspired Ken to take up Celtic Harp.
He now regularly appears as a guest of the storytellers at the famous Interceltic Festival in Lorient, Brittany.
Ken has performed thousands of shows at venues and festivals big and small all across the UK, Europe and Ireland.
He also employs his music in social projects for children, the bereaved, the handicapped and disabled.
He is a trained linguist and so you can expect beautiful lyricism alongside cutting delivery in his songs, poems and stories.
He is no stranger to the professional comedy scene and although music remains his first passion he has been known to have a laugh or two up his sleeve.
For many years he honed his talents and accrued his tales and jokes as rock musician, busker and entertainer in pubs and clubs in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Spain and Ireland.
These days he prefers to perform harp music, his stories and his own songs in nearly every musical style but he may surprise you with a few old faves from his extensive and eclectic repertoire of covers and evergreens.
