Bulgarian Picks Strawberries in UK, but His Heart is in Music

Bulgarian migrant worker picks strawberries for S&A Produce but his heart is in music. Photo by Hereford Times

By Paul Broome

Hereford Times

A Bulgarian migrant worker based in Marden is wowing Herefordshire audiences with his fruitful performances.

But it's not the quality of strawberries Plamen Peev picks that is gaining him a glowing reputation.

The 45-year-old is a professional musician with published songs and a career of teaching back home.

He ended up at S&A Produce near Leominster having fallen on hard times due to the global economic crisis but his star talents soon attracted attention.

"We were at the Marden Welcome Club with other migrant workers," said Kath Card, who runs the club for S&A employees.

"People were dancing around when suddenly Plamen went up to the piano and began playing a classical piece by Bach. It was wonderful."

Plamen, who attended the national music school in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, has since been to Three Choirs Festival concerts, describing them as some of the best experiences of his life.

He was also introduced to the county-based Village Voices Choir, singing with them in Llandovery and many other Herefordshire villages.

His latest project just a few days ago was a fundraiser at Leominster Priory, when he conducted the choir in music originally written in the Slavic language.

He said: "Music is my life, I have always been around it. I really enjoyed the event in Leominster."

Plamen's role at S&A Produce is a far cry from life in Bulgaria where he became a choir conductor and music teacher.

He had children's songs published and conducted the Emanuil Manolov Men's Choir.

Plamen's career hit problems in 2007 when the school where he was teaching music closed and the choir stopped performing.

With no jobs in his beloved profession he travelled to Germany but his search was unsuccessful, leading him to the UK and S&A Produce.

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