The Kettles on SATB Version - When We Collide

When We CollideA British Songbook

About the Songbook

When We Collide is a songbook written by the people of the United Kingdom about our collective

identity in the wake of the EU referendum. This historic moment has forced the British nation to re-

evaluate how we defne ourselves, how we distribute power, our place within the EU and our

relationship with the rest of the world.

This songbook moves away from traditional notions of Britishness and uncovers what is actually

important to this nation; what we care about, what we fear, and what we love. We are no longer a

nation characterised by patriotism and a stif upper lip. The movement of people and ideas around the

UK and the world has signalled an enormous shift in our national character.

In order to start untangling this complex personality, we spoke to people in schools and community

choirs across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. 24 groups and over 600 people took part

in these storytelling workshops including fshermen from Yorkshire, teenagers in Grimsby, a cross

community choir just outside of Belfast, and a police choir in Edinburgh. We talked about the moments

that defned us personally, the moments that defned our communities, and the moments that have

defned our nation. There were tears and laughter – stories that brought us closer together, and stories

that showed us how quickly this nation is changing.

This songbook has been written using the words spoken to us. Every word, every phrase and every

story was told in our workshops. Some of the songs focus on specifc groups or places, others bring

together themes and ideas which resonated across the country. Each song represents a moment, a

pattern or an idea which describes a signifcant facet of modern British identity. Altogether, the

songbook gives a snapshot of the character of Britain at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history.

When We Collide was commissioned by Sky Arts as part of Art 50 and created with support from Arts

Council England.

The Kettle's On

Rehearsal Notes

• Each verse of this song (fgures A, C & E) tells an individual story. The melody is slightly

fragmented so it is worth reading through the lyrics of each verse in advance of singing it, so

that the whole picture is revealed and a greater continuity can be created between melodic

fragments.

The Kettle's On

Words by The Include Choir, Poplar Singers

& The Choir With No Name Liverpool

Lyrics by Rebecca Hanbury

Music by Alex Groves

In the midst of a housing crisis, it was little surprise to discover that fnding a home was a seminal

moment in the lives of many of the people we spoke to. This song contains three stories of people

fnding sanctuary. The frst shows a family escaping inner-city life in Liverpool. The second came from a

man being ofered a dilapidated fat in Poplar after months of homelessness - he was mesmerised by

the light streaming in through the windows, and told me that ‘Nearly all the good things in [his] life

spread out from that moment.’ The fnal verse comes from The Include Choir, a Makaton choir for

people with speaking and communication difculties. Many of these singers had exceeded the

expectations of those around them by managing to live independently.

The morning light,

The morning light.

Our old house when we were kids,

Walking alive with bugs and mank,

Just bleak – a pit with mi Ma so sick.

Then on mi fourteenth birthday,

Went to a house with apple trees,

Dad walks around the back and says to me:

“Come on, the kettle’s on”

Standing in the empty room

The morning light is coming in.

Rundown block, no coat of paint,

A slice of London, quite unsafe.

In nineteen seventy-six there was space;

No lifts, no heating but light,

Windows facing south.

Landed there by a roll of the dice.




When I moved into the fat,

My friend helped me to unpack.

Then she left and the door swung shut.

On my own and that was that.

I’ll never forget, nor should you

Everything they said I couldn’t do.




The morning light,

The morning light.

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The Kettles on SATB Version - When We Collide