50 Entertainment Ken Parsons at Cellar Bards


selection of his harp and folk music. And it is always a pleasure to listen to work of our talented local writers on the open mic. All are made welcome and we provide the opportunity for writers of all ages and styles to come and read or perform their work in a friendly and relaxed environment.” Ken Parsons is an experienced


producer and performer and runs several comedy nights in Amsterdam, where he lives. He recorded his latest Celtic Harp CD with Paul Rayner Brown (executive producer for Sarah Brightman, producer Jools Holland Late). His first Celtic Harp CD, ‘Home


Is Where the Harp Is’, was recorded in collaboration with Paul Meader, then of the Django Reinhardt style gypsy-swing band The Robin Nolan Trio, noted for their many shows for George Harrison. Ken has played support for Fairport


Ken Parsons: Special guest at January’s Cellar Bards MULTI-TALENTED performer


Ken Parsons will be taking to the stage during this month’s Cellar Bards event, next Friday evening (Jan 27) at the Castle Cafe Cellar Bar in Cardigan. Cellar Bards are kicking off their


2017 programme with a special guest for their first event of the year. Ken Parsons is a poet, comedian and musician based in Amsterdam and he’ll be bringing a great mix of his creative work to the stage next week. Ken will deliver a selection of his


witty straight-to-the-heart poetry and some of his beautiful Celtic harp tunes. He may also sing a folk song or three.


Open mic spots are available for


writers of poetry, short stories, micro- fiction and novels. Just put your name down at the door for a five minute slot if you want to read. Alternatively, you can just go along to listen to a great variety of spoken word performances. Everybody is welcome to next


Friday’s event, with doors opening at 7.30pm and the event starting at 8pm. Entry is £3. The new organisers and hosts of The


Cellar Bards are Jackie Biggs and Dave Urwin. A lively performance poet, Dave will compere the evening. He said: “We are looking forward to hearing Ken’s witty poetry and a


Convention and has also supported, played with and collaborated with artists such as Gary Howard (Flying Pickets), Attila the Stockbroker, TV Smith (The Adverts), acclaimed Breton folk musician Dom Duff and played as guest harpist for Mad Dog Mcrea. He is the host and initiator of The


Folk Fusion Festival at Amsterdam’s famous Paradiso and was named in the top 50 ‘Power Amsterdammers’ by Time Out.


He has been recognised ‘an


established star of the musical comedy circuit’ by the Musical Comedy Awards, London. He was special guest artist for them in 2011 and was guest artist for the Bardic Gorsedh in Glastonbury Assembly Rooms 2012.


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 20 2017


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Siân James hosts Santes Dwynwen show


Siân James: Performing at The National Library of Wales HELD in Welsh, Siân James


will be hosting an evening of folk and original songs in celebration of Santes Dwynwen. Accompanied by her harp and


piano, the talented and versatile Siân James will be performing at The National Library of Wales next Friday (Jan 27). To date, Siân James has released


nine albums of her work – four albums on Sain Records, ‘Birdman’ for BBC Worldwide, ‘Pur’ (Pure), ‘Y Ferch o Bedlam’ (The Girl from Bedlam), and ‘Adar ac Anifeiliaid’ (Birds and Animals). Speaking about her love for


music, she said: “Music has always been an inextricable part of my life. I was surrounded by music from a very


early age and soon began learning the piano, violin and harp. “I began composing and


creating my own arrangements of traditional songs, and discovered that improvising and creating at the piano and harp brought me enormous enjoyment.” She added: “My love of


traditional music has now become an integral part of my very being and even though I have a great love of all kinds of music, traditional songs have become a wondrous force from which I cannot escape. “The songs and music of my


country are my haven from the bedlam of life!” Tickets are £7 and there will be a bar available on the night.


Poignant show discusses loneliness THROUGH song and discussion,


two men will share the social effects of loneliness at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday, February 11. About a year ago, author and


journalist George Monbiot wrote an article for the Guardian on the personal and social effects of loneliness. It quickly went viral. His first inclination, to write a


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book on the subject, soon gave way to the idea that the topic might be better conveyed through song. With this in mind, he approached folk singer and songwriter Ewan McLennan and suggested a collaboration. They began to send back and forth


narrative sketches that touched on the themes and stories behind loneliness and social isolation, the politics that underpin it and the ways people and communities overcome it. From these sketches, Ewan began to craft lyrics, melodies and finally, as the end goal, songs.


The project, entitled ‘Breaking


the Spell of Loneliness’, saw Ewan arranging and recording an album of original songs that grew out of the


George Monbiot and Ewan McLennan: ‘Breaking the Spell of Loneliness’


initial sketches and was released in October 2016. The recording goes hand in hand with notes from George that describe the stories and themes behind the songs and discuss the topic in general. To coincide with the release of


the album, George Monbiot and Ewan McLennan will be performing a limited number of live dates, in which together they will showcase the various facets of the project. Singing ‘a cappella’ and accompanying himself on guitar and banjo, Ewan will perform each of the songs that appear on the album, which


will be interspersed with George’s depiction of the human stories behind the songs and discussion of the broader subject. With The Guardian labelling the


show as ‘powerful and poignant’, expect a unique and one-off interplay of songs and stories that will be at once thought-provoking and rousing. ‘Breaking the Spell of Loneliness’


will be at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday, February 11. Tickets are available from the Arts Centre Box Office on 01970 623232 or online at www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk.


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