The Singing Kettle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Singing Kettle
Background information
Origin	Kingskettle, Scotland
Genres	Folk music, Comedy music, Children's songs
Years active	1982–2015, 2019-present
Labels	Kettle Productions
Associated acts	Motormark, FANGS, Funbox
Past members	Cilla Fisher Gary Coupland Jane Fisher Kevin McLeod Anya Scott-Rodgers

The Singing Kettle was a popular music and entertainment group from Scotland. They were famous for performing traditional children's songs and putting on exciting live theatre shows. The group started in the village of Kingskettle in Fife. It was formed by folk singers Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise, who were later joined by musician Gary Coupland.

The Singing Kettle won a BAFTA award for best children's TV show. Cilla Fisher, Artie Trezise, and Gary Coupland were also given MBE awards for their amazing work in entertainment.

The Singing Kettle's Journey

Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise, who are husband and wife, began performing as folk singers in the mid-1970s.

How The Singing Kettle Started

The name "The Singing Kettle" came about in 1982. Their first project under this name was a children's music album. It included traditional Scottish rhymes and songs they learned while touring the USA. Some children, including their daughter Jane, sang backing vocals on the album. They were called the first "Kettle Kids."

Cilla and Artie decided to turn the "Singing Kettle" album into a live show. They wanted to create better children's theatre shows than what was available then. The show toured to primary schools, and the idea was to find clues for songs hidden inside kettles. For this, they asked their friend, musician Gary Coupland, to join them.

Growing into Big Shows

The touring show soon became more like a musical play with a story. They started performing in large theatres across the country. Over the years, The Singing Kettle created many special shows. These included "The Boogie Woogie Zoo," "The Time Machine," and "Pirates." Some shows also taught important lessons, like road safety (in "Busy Road Show") and good dental hygiene (in "Tooth Happy Songs").

Cilla and Artie's daughter, Jane, joined the group for a while. She later left to join the band Motormark. Kevin McLeod, who used to be their stage manager, then joined the group. In 2003, their music reached more people outside the UK when The Singing Kettle: Singalong Songs from Scotland was released.

TV and Royal Performances

Besides their many albums of children's music, The Singing Kettle also released several DVDs. They made five TV series with BBC Scotland and two with ITV. They regularly toured the United Kingdom with their popular stage shows. They even performed for important people like Prince Charles and the royal family of Jordan.

The three main members, Cilla Fisher, Artie Trezise, and Kevin McLeod, were all honored with the MBE award. There was also a Singing Kettle Shop in Kingskettle where fans could buy merchandise.

Changes and New Beginnings

In October 2012, the group announced they were looking for a new member. Later that month, Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise decided to stop performing live. They continued to work on writing and behind-the-scenes tasks. Gary Coupland and Kevin McLeod were then joined by a new performer, Anya Scott-Rodgers.

In September 2014, the group announced that their 'Big Christmas Party' show would be their last tour. They officially broke up in February 2015 after 32 years. Their final show was in Aberdeen on February 15, 2015. Kevin McLeod, Gary Coupland, and Anya Scott-Rodgers continued to work together in a new group called Funbox.

Artie Trezise later returned to touring in 2018 with his own show called 'Artie's Tartan Tales.' He performed songs from The Singing Kettle and told stories. He also started a new YouTube channel in 2020, sharing videos of himself singing songs from home during the pandemic.

Meet the Performers

Cilla Fisher

Cilla Fisher MBE (born September 26, 1952) first sang on BBC Radio Scotland when she was only nine years old. She started performing with Artie Trezise in 1974. In The Singing Kettle shows, Cilla played the character of Maw. She stopped performing with the group in February 2013.

Artie Trezise

Artie Trezise MBE (born April 3, 1947) left his teaching job to become a folk singer in 1974. He performed with Cilla Fisher. In The Singing Kettle shows, Artie played the characters of Willie and Jeremy. He also stopped performing live with the group in February 2013.

Gary Coupland

Gary Coupland MBE (born March 26, 1964) was the main musician for The Singing Kettle. He joined Cilla and Artie for a tour of Scotland, which led to the start of The Singing Kettle. Gary is known as The Singing Kettle's "Music Man" and received an MBE in 1999. He is also a supporter of Down Syndrome Scotland.

Jane Fisher

Jane Fisher (born around 1973) is the daughter of Cilla and Artie. She sang backing vocals on some of The Singing Kettle's albums before joining the group as a main performer in 1995. Jane left the band in 2002 to join the band Motormark.

Kevin Macleod

Kevin Macleod (born March 9, 1969) worked as The Singing Kettle's stage manager for many years before joining the group. He first appeared in the 2001 Christmas tour. Kevin was a member of the group until 2015. He played the characters of Bonzo, Henry, and Jock in the shows.

Anya Scott-Rodgers

Anya Scott-Rodgers (born October 7, 1987) joined The Singing Kettle when Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise retired from performing. Anya was chosen from many people who auditioned from all over the world. She became a new face of The Singing Kettle.

Fun Characters from the Shows

Willie, Henry, and Maw

Willie (played by Artie Trezise) and Maw (played by Cilla Fisher) first appeared in special scenes during the late 1980s. They were popular parts of The Singing Kettle's tours. After a change in the group in 2002, Willie's "long lost brother" Henry (played by Kevin Macleod) arrived, and Maw was no longer in the shows. Willie and Henry last appeared in the 2009/10 Christmas show.

Bonzo the Dog

Bonzo the Dog (played by Kevin Macleod) is the group's "pet." He first appeared in "The Homemade Band Show" as a grumpy neighbor. Bonzo became very popular with fans and appeared in all later shows. You could even buy a Bonzo toy, which was a bestseller! Bonzo still appears in the new group Funbox.

Jock and Jeremy

Jock and Jeremy (also played by Artie Trezise and Kevin Macleod) took over from Willie and Henry for the "Boogie Woogie Zoo" tour. They played two chefs. After Artie retired, Kevin continued to play Jock until the final tour in 2015.

The Singing Kettle on TV

The BBC Scotland decided to create a TV series about The Singing Kettle after seeing them perform in 1988.

The BBC made five series of The Singing Kettle between 1989 and 1993. These shows featured the original members: Cilla Fisher, Artie Trezise, and Gary Coupland. These series were shown again on BBC Schools programming from 1994 to 1996.

In 1995, the group starred in "The Singing Kettle News" for ITV's Scottish Television channel. This was followed by 'The Singing Kettle Show' in 2000. These two series also included Jane Fisher, along with the original three members.

"Spout, handle, lid of metal..."

The famous rhyme, "Spout, handle, lid of metal, What's inside the Singing Kettle?" was created by Cilla Fisher in 1988. It was made just before the BBC came to see the group perform. This rhyme has been used in most of their shows to find clues for songs.

Sometimes, they changed the rhyme a little. For example, in a 1991 Christmas show, they chanted, "Well, there's only one way for us to find out, so as loud as you can... everyone shout... crack the cracker!" to find clues in giant crackers.

Music and Videos

The Singing Kettle released many albums, videos, and DVDs over the years. They created a total of 39 CDs!

Albums

• 1979 - Cilla and Artie Topic
• 1982 - The Singing Kettle
• 1985 - The Singing Kettle 2
• 1987 - The Singing Kettle 3
• 1989 - The Singing Kettle 4

Videos

• 1990 - The Singing Kettle (BBC Video)
• 1991 - The Singing Kettle 2 (BBC Video)
• 1992 - The Singing Kettle 3 (BBC Video)
• 1992 - The Singing Kettle Christmas Crackers (BBC Video)
• 1993 - Adventures in Kettle Land (BBC Video)

DVDs

• Christmas Party
• Silly Circus
• Homemade Band
• Jungle Party
• Toytown

Live Shows Through the Years

The Singing Kettle performed many different live shows. Here are some of them: