Career
Husband and wife Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise started touring as a folk singing duo in the mid 1970s.
The group name "The Singing Kettle" came about in 1982. Their first venture under this title was a children's album, featuring everything from traditional Scottish rhymes to songs learned on their folk tour of the states. For certain tracks, real children were used, including their daughter Jane, creating the first set of "Kettle Kids".
The idea came of turning "The Singing Kettle" album into a show, as they were unimpressed by other, few, children's theatre shows at the time. The show toured to primary schools, with the idea of clues for songs found inside kettles, and for this they recruited their friend, musician Gary Coupland. The touring show eventually developed into a more plot-led piece of musical theatre and they began performing in large scale theatres across the country. Over the years the Singing Kettle have presented their own specially written shows including The Boogie Woogie Zoo, The Time Machine, Pirates, Wild West Show, Busy Road Show, World Tour, Funny Farm, and Homemade Band.
During some point in the show, there is show within a show called Willie and his Maw whereby Artie would dress up as schoolboy Willie and Cilla would be his Maw (Scottish dialect for 'mother'). Songs Willie and his Maw performed would be about everyday challenges, e.g. homework, sibling rivalry and baking a cake (then later eating it all).
They were joined for a time by Cilla and Artie's daughter, Jane, who left to be in the electro band Motormark, replaced by Kevin McLeod – the former company stage manager. In 2003 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released The Singing Kettle: Singalong Songs from Scotland, the group's first recording to be widely distributed outside the United Kingdom.
Alongside being performers, The Singing Kettle sang the theme song to a Scottish TV series for children, cartoon programme Meeow!, which ran from 2000–2002. Meeow! was latterly shown on wknd@stv in 2009.
Aside from their several albums of traditional children's music, The Singing Kettle has also released several DVDs and made five television series with BBC Scotland. They also tour regularly throughout the United Kingdom, performing their highly successful stage show. They have performed command performances before both Prince Charles and Jordan's royal family. The three founding members of The Singing Kettle (Cilla, Artie, and Gary) have each been honored with the MBE. There is a Singing Kettle Shop in Kingskettle.
The group announced in October 2012 that they are auditioning for a new permanent member. Later that month they announced that Cilla and Artie were retiring from performing and will continue to work on writing and behind the scenes. Gary and Kevin will be joined by Anya Scott-Rodgers.
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