Sandra Kerr (born 14 February 1942, Plaistow, Newham, Essex) is an English folk singer.
Kerr sings and plays
English concertina
The English concertina is a member of the concertina family of free-reed musical instruments. Invented in England in 1829, it was the first instrument of what would become the concertina family.
It is a fully chromatic instrument, having buttons ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
,
Appalachian dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer (many variant names; see below) is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings, originally played in the Appalachian region of the United States. The body extends the length of t ...
and
autoharp
An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of t ...
. She was a member of
The Critics Group
The Critics Group, also known as The London Critics Group, was a group of people who met to explore 'how best to apply the techniques of folk-music and drama to the folk revival' under the direction of Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, with some pa ...
from 1963–1972. With John Faulkner, she wrote the music for the television series ''
Bagpuss
''Bagpuss'' is a British animated children's television series which was made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The series of thirteen episodes was first broadcast from 12 February to 7 May 1974. The title c ...
'' and voiced the character of Madeleine (the
rag doll
A rag doll is a doll made from scraps of fabric. They are one of the oldest children's toys in existence. Today, many rag dolls are commercially produced to mimic aspects of the original home-made dolls, such as simple features, soft cloth bodies, ...
). Kerr has been involved in many programmes for
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
Radio including ''The Music Box'' and ''
Listen with Mother
''Listen with Mother'' was a BBC radio programme for children which ran between 16 January 1950 and 10 September 1982. It was originally produced by Freda Lingstrom although for the majority of its run it was produced by George Dixon, and was p ...
''.
She has sung with her daughter
Nancy Kerr
Nancy Kerr (; born 1975) is an English folk musician and songwriter, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is a Principal Lecturer in Folk Music at Newcastle University. She was the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Folk Singer of the Year".
...
(whose father is Ron Elliott, a Northumbrian piper) and in the groups Sisters Unlimited and Voice Union. Her work has developed to include teaching and leading workshops and she is the director of two folk choirs, Wercasfolk and VoiceMale. She was on the staff of
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...
's music department for 17 years until 2017.
Discography
*'A Merry Progress to London' with the Critics Group (Argo ZFB 60 1966)
*'Sweet Thames Flow Softly' with the Critics Group (Argo ZDA 47 1966)
*'Waterloo-Peterloo' with the Critics Group (Argo ZFB 68 1968)
*'The Female Frolic' with the Critics Group (Argo ZDA 82 1968)
*'Bagpuss: the Songs & Music' with John Faulkner (Fellside - Smallfolk SMF1 1999)
*'Yellow Red and Gold' (Fellside FECD152)
*'My Song is My Own' with
Frankie Armstrong
Frankie Armstrong (born 13 January 1941) is an English singer and voice teacher. She has worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement and as a trainer in social and youth work. Her repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to m ...
, Alison McMorland and Kathy Henderson (Plane Label TPL 0001, 1980)
*'Nuclear Power No Thanks' with
Frankie Armstrong
Frankie Armstrong (born 13 January 1941) is an English singer and voice teacher. She has worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement and as a trainer in social and youth work. Her repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to m ...
,
Roy Bailey,
Martin Carthy
Martin Dominic Forbes Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in English folk music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, as well as later ar ...
, Ron Elliott, Howard Evans,
Chris Foster, John Kirkpatrick, Alison McMorland, Brian Pearson, Geoff Pearson, Leon Rosselson & Roger Williams (Plane Label IMP2 LP, 1981)
*'Scalene' with Nancy Kerr & James Fagan (Fellside FECD137)
*'Supermum' children's songs by Sandra Kerr and friends (Pucca Records YOP 05 LP, UK, 1983)
*'We Were There' with the
Oysterband
Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976.
History Early history
The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as ...
(Pucca Records YOP 08 LP, UK, 1987)
*'No Limits' Sisters Unlimited with Janet Russell, Peta Webb and Rosie Davis (1991 Harbour Town)
*'No Bed of Roses' Sisters Unlimited with Janet Russell, Peta Webb and Rosie Davis (Fellside FECD104)
*'Neat and Complete' with
Nancy Kerr
Nancy Kerr (; born 1975) is an English folk musician and songwriter, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is a Principal Lecturer in Folk Music at Newcastle University. She was the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Folk Singer of the Year".
...
(1996 Fellside FECD107)
*'Guess What They're Selling at the Happiness Counter' with
Leon Rosselson
Leon Rosselson (born 22 June 1934, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, i ...
(Fuse Records 1992)
*'Five Little Frogs' with Nancy Kerr, Leon Rosselson, and Kevin Graal
*'Five Little Owls' with Nancy Kerr, Leon Rosselson, and Kevin Graal
*'Voice Union' with Evelyne Girardon and Liliana Bertolo (Fellside FECD119)
Books
*Kathy Henderson,
Frankie Armstrong
Frankie Armstrong (born 13 January 1941) is an English singer and voice teacher. She has worked as a singer in the folk scene and the women's movement and as a trainer in social and youth work. Her repertoire ranges from traditional ballads to m ...
and Sandra Kerr. ''My Song is My Own''. London: Pluto Press, 1979 & / (One hundred traditional and composed women's songs from the British Isles, with select bibliography and discography.)
*
See also
*
Political Song Network
The Political Song Network was a British national network of political singers, songwriters, and musicians founded at a meeting in London in October 1986. Founders included Roy Bailey, Pam Bishop, Ros Kane, Sandra Kerr
Sandra Kerr (born 14 Fe ...
References
External links
Newcastle University staff profileIMDB biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, Sandra
1942 births
Living people
Academics of Newcastle University
English folk singers
Concertina players
People from Plaistow, Newham
Singers from the London Borough of Newham