Nancy Kerr (born 1975) is an English folk musician and songwriter, speciali… Read Full Bio ↴Nancy Kerr (born 1975) is an English folk musician and songwriter, specialising in the fiddle and singing. Born in London, she now lives in Sheffield[1]. She is the daughter of London-born singer-songwriter Sandra Kerr[2] and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott[3]. She was the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Folk Singer of the Year"[4].

Kerr came to prominence in the early 1990s via a musical partnership with fellow fiddle player Eliza Carthy. The duo produced two albums – Eliza Carthy & Nancy Kerr (1993)[5] and Shape of Scrape (1995)[6] – before ceasing to work together. A retrospective collection of their work (plus three previously unreleased tracks) – On Reflection – was released in 2002[7].[6]

Kerr and her mother released an album together – Neat and Complete – in 1996.[8]

Since 1995 Kerr has mostly worked in a duo with Australian bouzouki player and singer James Fagan,[9] whom she married in 2007. The duo won the Horizon Award at the inaugural BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2000, and Best Duo at the same awards in both 2003 and 2011[10] Between 1997 and 2008 they released six albums on the Fellside label – "Starry Gazy Pie" (1997), "Scalene" (with Sandra Kerr) (1998), "Steely Water" (1999), "Between The Dark and Light" (2002), "Strands of Gold" (2006) and "Station House" (with Robert Harbron) (2008).[11] 2010 saw the production their first completely original collection of songs – "Twice Reflected Sun", released 9 August 2010 on Navigator Records (NAV0041). First track of the album, Queen of Waters, was nominated for the Best Original Song category at the BBC Folk Awards in 2011.

In 2008 the duo joined forces with concertina player Robert Harbron to form the trio Kerr Fagan Harbron, recording and touring the album Station House (Fellside CD 211).

Kerr has also worked with folk/pop group Epona, Australian folk family band The Fagans and the Tim van Eyken band, amongst others.

In 2010 she joined James Fagan, Richard Arrowsmith and Jess Arrowsmith to form "Melrose Quartet" in her new home city of Sheffield. They released a live EP in 2011 called "Live at Cheltenham" and a studio album "Fifty Verses" in 2013.

2013 saw Kerr make up part of Fay Hield's "The Full English" band to promote the on-line publication of the folk collections of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in Cecil Sharp House. The collective won "Best Group" at the 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and their CD "The Full English" won "Best Album" at the same ceremony.

In 2014 Kerr was one of the key songwriters in "The Elizabethan Session", a concert, CD and film[12] commissioned by Folk By The Oak and The English Folk Dance and Song Society creating new music about the Elizabethan era.

2014 saw Kerr release her first CD of original songs under her own name. Sweet Visitor was released on her own label Little Dish Records on 21 July 2014. A UK tour with "The Sweet Visitor Band" (James Fagan, Rowan Rheingans, Tom Wright and Tim Yates) started on 18 November 2014. James Fagan now shares his role in the band with Greg Russell.

Nancy Kerr won "Folk Singer of the Year" at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

2015 saw the launch of "Simpson Cutting Kerr", a trio with Kerr, Martin Simpson and Andy Cutting. Their debut CD "Murmurs" was released on Topic Records on 8 June 2015.

In November 2015, Kerr was one of four songwriters commissioned by Folk By The Oak and The English Folk Dance and Song Society to write and tour a production called "Sweet Liberties" looking at the history of British parliament and democracy. Their CD "Sweet Liberties" was released in 2016.[13]

2016 saw the production of Kerr's second album of original songs with The Sweet Visitor Band on Little Dish Records. The album, entitled "Instar", was produced by Tom Wright and was released on 16 September 2016.

The Bunting and the Crown
Nancy Kerr Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Great British tribes and traders all the sovereign state declares
Go back across your border wall and count remaining wares
For we did trade whilst kings were made, exalting in our union
But now is gentle autumn sent for respite and communion

So lay away your livery
Forsake and cut them down
The colours of our rivalry

The bunting and the crown

The great and strong we muse upon in legend and libation
The proud and fond who court beyond the boundaries of nations
Now history does welcome thee, take leave to be a lover
And [cleave?] the sea in unity with sister and with brother

Now china′s maid does stitch and braid with torchlight in her eye
And babes from bow to bangalore from deprivation cry
See how our greed with mortal speed does build the poor a pyre
We might have forged the world anew in gold olympic fire

The white and black and the union jack may be to some a saviour
But dreams are laid in every shade, I pray to fortune's favour

If what we had did make us glad when we did race together
Let stories run in every tongue and love shall live forever

Overall Meaning

Nancy Kerr's "The Bunting and the Crown" is a call to unity and togetherness as a nation, encouraging the audience to put aside their differences and come together. The song acknowledges the historical rivalries within Britain's borders, both between Great British tribes and traders, as well as across nations, reflected in the lines "The great and strong we muse upon in legend and libation, The proud and fond who court beyond the boundaries of nations." Despite this, Kerr argues it is time to move beyond these differences and work together in harmony, with the gentle autumn acting as a time for respite and communion.

The song's title alludes to the symbols of patriotism that have traditionally been used in Britain - the colourful bunting and the crown. However, the lyrics call for these symbols to be laid aside in favour of a more unified outlook, asking us to "Lay away your livery, Forsake and cut them down, The colours of our rivalry, The bunting and the crown." The song ends on an optimistic note, expressing a hope that the legacy of past unity will be remembered and celebrated, "If what we had did make us glad when we did race together, Let stories run in every tongue and love shall live forever."

Line by Line Meaning

Great British tribes and traders all the sovereign state declares
The British nation is made up of different groups of people, including merchants and indigenous tribes, all of whom are recognized by the government as part of the country.

Go back across your border wall and count remaining wares
If you want to build walls and borders, go back to your own side and see what you have left, because true wealth lies in collaboration and trade between nations.

For we did trade whilst kings were made, exalting in our union
In the past, we benefited from international trade and cooperation, even as we also had kings and royalty that symbolized national pride and identity.

But now is gentle autumn sent for respite and communion
Now it is time for a period of rest and reflection, a time to come together in harmony and peace, like the season of autumn.

So lay away your livery
Put away your military or royal uniforms and symbols of power.

Forsake and cut them down
Abandon these symbols and let them be forgotten or destroyed.

The colours of our rivalry
The colors and symbols that have divided us in the past, the things that have made us compete with each other.

The bunting and the crown
The flags and regalia that have represented our national pride and identity, but that have also been a source of conflict and animosity.

The great and strong we muse upon in legend and libation
We often celebrate and glorify powerful leaders or heroes in stories and ceremonies.

The proud and fond who court beyond the boundaries of nations
The people who are proud of their country and culture, but who also appreciate and embrace other cultures and people.

Now history does welcome thee, take leave to be a lover
Now is the time to learn from history and appreciate the beauty and diversity of the world, to be open to love and connection with others.

And [cleave?] the sea in unity with sister and with brother
Join together across oceans and borders to create a sense of unity and solidarity, like siblings in a family.

Now china′s maid does stitch and braid with torchlight in her eye
Even in faraway places like China, people are working hard and with determination to create beautiful things, like embroiderers or weavers with passion for their craft.

And babes from bow to bangalore from deprivation cry
Children all over the world are suffering and crying out for help and support, from places as diverse as Bow in London and Bangalore in India.

See how our greed with mortal speed does build the poor a pyre
We can see how our selfish desire for wealth and power is destroying the lives of the poor and vulnerable, like a funeral pyre.

We might have forged the world anew in gold olympic fire
If we had used our resources and talents to work together towards a common goal, like the Olympic ideals of excellence and cooperation, we could have built a better world.

The white and black and the union jack may be to some a saviour
The traditional symbols of British identity, like the flag and colors, may be important to some people's sense of belonging and security.

But dreams are laid in every shade, I pray to fortune's favour
But people of all races and backgrounds have their own hopes and aspirations, and we should respect and support each other in achieving them.

If what we had did make us glad when we did race together
If our past achievements and sense of national pride brought us joy when we worked together with others.

Let stories run in every tongue and love shall live forever
Then let us share our stories and experiences in every language and culture, so that we can learn from each other and build a future filled with love and understanding.

Writer(s): Nancy Kerr

Contributed by Carson S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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