Sandra Kerr (mother of Nancy Kerr) has a long and distinguished career in English folk music which began with her training in the famous Critic’s Group (1963-72 ), under the guidance of Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. London-born multi-instrumentalist and songwriter John Faulkner also fell under their guidance before being introduced to the world of British and Irish folk music. Faulkner went on to play with some of the best, including West Clare fiddler Bobby Casey, piper Tom McCarthy, and Sligo flautist Rodger Sherlock.
Despite their history, most of us probably first heard them on the TV as Madeleine the Rag Doll and Gabriel the Toad on a children’s TV series which opened to these words…
Once upon a time, not so long ago,
there was a little girl and her name was Emily,
and she had a shop.
There it is.
It was rather an unusual shop because it didn’t sell anything
You see, everything in that shop window was a thing that somebody had once lost
And Emily had found
And brought home to Bagpuss
Emily’s cat Bagpuss
The most Important,
The most Beautiful,
The most Magical,
Saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world.
The unforgettable opening intro to the children’s TV series “Bagpuss”. On 12th of February, 1974, and for an audience of small children at 1:45pm, a life irrevocably coloured by the wayward wonderings of one saggy cloth cat.
Sandra co-wrote with John Faulkner the songs and music for the series. In Oliver Postgate’s autobiography (the creator of Bagpuss) titled ‘Seeing Things’ he had this to say about Sandra and John:
“Between them they could play every sort of instrument from a mountain dulcimer to an Irish fiddle. They knew and could sing every tune in the world and didn’t bother with written music, except as a last resort. They were exactly suited to be Gabriel the Toad and Madeleine the Rag Doll and in those roles were happy to play whatever music and sing whatever songs would be needed.”
Between the three of them, they provided all the voices, including those high pitched mice for which they used a variable-speed spindle on a tape recorder. Postgate recalled
“we all sang for the mice at the slow speed but in high voices. This, when played back at normal speed, finally produced the elegant fluting tones for which they became famous. (Incidentally, the mouse singing out-of-tune was me.)”
Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss
Old fat furry cat-puss
Wake up and look at this thing that I bring
Wake up, be bright
Be golden and light
Bagpuss, Oh hear what I sing
In 2014, when we interviewed Sandra for a series on memories of Sidmouth Folk Festival she recalled one of her fondest festival memories being a Bagpuss Show at The Manor Pavilion at which she was joined by John Faulkner along with Nancy Kerr and James Fagan. “Seeing all those families (the theatre was packed) with the children wearing their mouse masks (some of the parents, too!)”.
For those wanting to relive and share those rich memories…Some 44 years later Earth Recordings will open the door to Bagpuss & Co. once again, revealing for the first time the original music in all its newly-mastered splendour.
The 32 tracks that make up the main body of the compositions are – like all good folk music – a patchwork of traditional pieces, half-remembered tunes and pure improvisation. It’s a testament to Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner’s musicianship that the recordings work so well, not only within the context of the television episodes but as an album in its own right.
Those songs manifested themselves as reworkings of familiar tunes (‘I Saw A Ship’; ‘Row Your Boat’; ‘Bucket’s Burning’), takes on traditional ballads (‘Brian O’Lynn’; ‘The Frog Princess’; ‘Weaving Song’; ‘The Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket’) and delicious flights of fancy (‘The Bony King of Nowhere’; ‘Turtle Calypso’; ‘Uncle Feedle’). The counterpart to Madeleine and Gabriel’s more polished ditties are the interludes from the mice; a raggle-taggle chorus that accompanies the creatures’ efforts of help (with the mice once famously going on strike when they were not permitted sang as they worked). Again, Postgate muses: “Once I had worked out a few episodes I would make a very rough list of the bits where I though music would be appropriate. I would send it to [Sandra and John] to think about. Then we would borrow a fairly silent room in a remote house and, taking the various articles that we intended to celebrate with us, would spend a happy day with a tape recorder, thinking up and recording whatever songs and tunes came to mind.”
The outtakes provide an intimate – and often very humorous – insight into the trio’s work ethic if it can be called such a thing. (By all accounts they sound as though they’re having a very jolly time indeed.) Highlights include alternative opening words and end music, as well as Postgate sound-checking in character as Bagpuss. This never-before-heard audio provides a real treat for fans (and indeed those new to the Smallfilms stable) – affirmation again to the enduring quality of these special recordings, and the beloved programme that inspired them.
“An accidental classic of the folk-roots underground that we never dared hope we’d hear with such clarity.” -Stewart Lee
‘The Music From Bagpuss’ Original Soundtrack by Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner
Out 16th November 2018 on Earth Recordings