Born and raised in Dublin, Niamh (pronounced 'Neeve') was surrounded by music from an early age.

Her music loving parents took Niamh and her sister to a local folk club, to be exposed to songs and singing from the likes of The Johnstons and Sweeney's Men. Recalled Niamh: "My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car — I don't remember a time in my life when I was not singing — I love songs."

To this day she is still on the lookout for songs that speak to her — listening to new albums, scouring the Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, sharing notes with a network of friends and other singers.

Once she discovers a song she likes, Niamh views herself as the vehicle for the music: "For me the song is more important than listening to my voice. I consider myself more a songstress than a singer — a carrier of tradition."

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As a young woman, she came upon a traditional singing session at Dublin's Brazen Head pub, where she expanded her repertoire. Gerry 'Banjo' O'Connor asked her to join the band Killera, with which she sang for three years. In 1989, she was invited by Mike Scott of the Waterboys to sing with him at Dublin's Olympia Theatre. Though working in a full time job, Niamh continued to be invited to sing at various festivals and on National radio and TV.

Here meeting with Belfast musician Dee Moore led to a partnership in both music and life. The songwriter and bass-player found in Niamh a perfect voice for his songs and with their band of top-notch Belfast musicians, the Loose Connections, they were invited to play the Edinburgh Folk Festival. Ian Green of the Celtic label Greentrax heard Niamh sing at the festival and offered her a recording contract on the spot. She has recorded six studio albums and one live album to date. For the last nine years, she has been playing in a duet with Ennis-based Graham Dunne.

Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne will be ate the Rock@Maltby, Wesley Centre, Blyth Road, Maltby, next Friday (April 25). Tonight's guests are Sheffield based band Crucible.

Sheffield date for the guitar man

THE stage of the very first Glastonbury Festival was graced by a young guitar wizard by the name of Keith Christmas. He had been making a name for himself since his debut album, Stimulus, was released the year before, earning him a slot playing acoustic guitar on David Bowie's Space Oddity album.

He went on to release four more albums and support play support for bands like The Who, King Crimson, Ten Years After, Frank Zappa, Roxy Music, Hawkwind, Captain Beefheart and The Kinks.

Now a seasoned performer, he is to appear at Deepcar's Lowood WMC tomorrow evening (19).

LAST in the area with long time musical partner Tom Napper, multi-instrumentalist Tom Bliss is back tomorrow as a solo artist. He is equally at home playing mandocello, guitar, concertina, fiddle and whistle - and a fine singer and storyteller to boot.


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