A GUITARIST who used to busk on the streets of Chepstow is to travel to China to teach English.

Emmanuel Kempton, 21, recently bid farewell to his family and friends with an acoustic performance at the Drill Hall Chepstow. 

Emmanuel is a former Chepstow Comprehensive School pupil: and recent graduate of the University of York, with a BA Degree in Politics.

Emmanuel performed to raise money to support his next adventure and this is a year-long visit to the city of Chongqing in China to teach English to 12 and 13-year old Chinese schoolchildren. 

Chongqing is a sprawling municipality at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in South-western China. Emmanuel is aiming to start the trip in September.

Emmanuel was encouraged to spend the last 12 years playing the guitar by many different people including his former primary school teacher and by his musical family. 

He played a mixture of classical and modern music with his own interpretations on acoustic guitar. Emmanuel played while busking on the streets of Chepstow and York and also performed at small venues and at weddings.

Emmanuel said: “I concluded the performance with a recently composed original entitled ‘Candlelight’ which was written while I was a university student. 

It was written while I was alone thinking about how fortunate I have been so far in life and to have the support of my friends and family. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to travel and to teach others about the UK and to help them to speak better English.”

Emmanuel is taking part in the English First Language Programme. EF English First, a division of EF Education First is the world’s leading privately owned education company. Founded in 1965, EF operates in over 50 countries around the world.