Sandra Kerr
Encyclopedia
Sandra Kerr is an English folk singer.
Sandra Kerr was born in Plaistow, Newham
, London. She was a member of The Critics Group
from 1963 to 1972.
She sings and plays English concertina
, guitar
, appalachian dulcimer
and autoharp
.
Together with John Faulkner she wrote the music for the TV series Bagpuss
in which she was the voice of Madeleine Remnant (the rag doll
) and was involved in many programmes for BBC
School Radio including The Music Box and The Listening Corner.
More recently she has been singing with her daughter Nancy Kerr
, and in the groups Sisters Unlimited and Voice Union. Her work has developed to include teaching and leading workshops and directs two folk choirs, Wercasfolk and VoiceMale.
As a guest:
Sandra Kerr was born in Plaistow, Newham
Plaistow, Newham
Plaistow is a place in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It formed part of the County Borough of West Ham in Essex until 1965.Plaistow is a mainly residential area, including several council estates; the main road is the A112 - Plaistow Road, High Street, Broadway, Greengate Street and...
, London. She was a member of The Critics Group
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 participation from Bert Lloyd and Charles Parker...
from 1963 to 1972.
She sings and plays English concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, appalachian dulcimer
Appalachian dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
and autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
.
Together with John Faulkner she wrote the music for the TV series Bagpuss
Bagpuss
Bagpuss is a 1974 UK children's television series, made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The title character is "an old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams"...
in which she was the voice of Madeleine Remnant (the rag doll
Rag doll
A rag doll is a children's toy. It is a cloth figure, a doll traditionally home-made from spare scraps of material. They are one of the most ancient children's toys in existence; the British Museum has a Roman rag doll, found in a child's grave dating from 300 BC.Rag dolls have featured in a...
) and was involved in many programmes for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
School Radio including The Music Box and The Listening Corner.
More recently she has been singing with her daughter Nancy Kerr
Nancy Kerr
Nancy Kerr is an English folk musician, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is the daughter of London-born singer-songwriter Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott....
, and in the groups Sisters Unlimited and Voice Union. Her work has developed to include teaching and leading workshops and directs two folk choirs, Wercasfolk and VoiceMale.
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)
- 'Female Frolic' with the Critics Group (Argo ZDA 82 1968)
- 'Bagpuss: the Songs & Music' with John Falkner (Fellside - Smallfolk SMF1 1999)
- 'Yellow Red and Gold' (Fellside FECD152)
- 'My Song is My Own' with Frankie ArmstrongFrankie ArmstrongFrankie Armstrong is a 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...
, Alison McMorland and Kathy Henderson (Plane Label TPL 0001, 1980) - 'Nuclear Power No Thanks' with Frankie ArmstrongFrankie ArmstrongFrankie Armstrong is a 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...
, Roy BaileyRoy BaileyRoy Bailey may refer to:*Roy Bailey , Canadian Progressive Conservative politician from Saskatchewan*Roy Bailey , British socialist folk singer...
, Martin CarthyMartin CarthyMartin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
, Ron Elliott, Howard Evans, Chris FosterChris Foster (folk singer)Chris Foster born 1948, is an English singer and guitarist known for his interpretations of traditional and contemporary songs.He was born in Somerset, a county in the west country of England. It is there that he first heard and started singing traditional songs. He trained as an artist at the...
, John Kirkpatrick, Alison MacMorland, 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 OysterbandOysterbandOysterband is a British electric folk or folk rock band formed in Canterbury in or around 1976.-Early history:...
(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 KerrNancy KerrNancy Kerr is an English folk musician, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is the daughter of London-born singer-songwriter Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott....
(1996 Fellside FECD107) - 'Guess What They're Selling at the Happiness Counter' with Leon RosselsonLeon RosselsonLeon Rosselson 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, in the BBC's topical TV programme of the early 1960s, That Was The Week That Was...
(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)
As a guest:
- 'Lost Love Found' - Jim CausleyJim CausleyJim Causley is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician from Whimple, East Devon, England.-Biography:Jim Causley is a folk singer and musician from Devon who specializes in the traditional songs and music of the West Country and Devon in particular...
2007 WildGoose Records