Hello Lovely Friends,
Music has always been my way of exploring the stories that deserve to be remembered. Through songs, I bring together history, literature, Polish heritage, remarkable people and the extraordinary experiences that shape our understanding of the world.
This October marks six years since the release of my album PROVIDENCE. I’m also preparing new digital releases, looking back at some of the stories behind my songs, remembering a very special encounter with a centenarian Polish veteran, and looking ahead to some exciting musical projects for 2027.
Thank you for continuing to follow my musical journey. There is plenty to share!
SIX YEARS OF PROVIDENCE
A new chapter for the album — and a song waiting to be heard
On 30 October 2020, I released my album PROVIDENCE in physical form. Six years later, I’m beginning a new chapter for the record by preparing to release its individual songs as digital singles.
One song in particular that I am looking forward to sharing is ‘Hero to Zero’. Although the song has been available on the physical album, it has never officially been released online as a digital single. I’m hoping to make it available digitally very soon.
The song is a dystopian salute to Orwell’s 1984 and explores the complicated relationship between artists, creativity and the institutions that are supposed to support culture. It asks questions about how artists are treated, how creative work is valued, and what happens when the people who make culture find themselves at odds with the structures around them.
I have always believed that culture is created by people not by institutions.
There is also a literary connection here with the great Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz and his extraordinary novel Trans-Atlantyk, which challenges convention, expectations and the pressures placed upon the individual.
If you haven’t yet heard PROVIDENCE, this is a lovely opportunity to discover the album in its original physical form. You can hear ‘Hero to Zero’ on the CD before its forthcoming digital release.
Buy your copy of PROVIDENCE here:
THE STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS
MIRACLE ON THE VISTULA
Remembering the events of 1920
Cud nad Wisłą (Miracle on the Vistula) by Jerzy Kossak.
The story behind ‘Miracle on the Vistula’ reaches back to August 1920, when Polish forces halted the advance of the Bolshevik Red Army in one of the defining moments of Polish history.
The song also has a deeply personal inspiration. It draws upon the story of a Polish Home Army veteran who, during the communist era, experienced a moment of profound despair. He told me how a vision of the Virgin Mary stopped him from taking his own life.
For me, this song brings together history, faith, survival and the extraordinary strength of the human spirit.
Watch ‘Miracle on the Vistula’ here:
MY BELOVED GENERAL
A tribute to General Stanisław Maczek
General Stanisław Maczek, 1944. Photograph: Marian Walentynowicz / Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe. Public domain.
General Stanisław Maczek was one of the great Polish commanders of the Second World War. His armoured division played an important role in the liberation of Europe, including the campaign in Normandy.
Yet after the war, Maczek was unable to return to a free Poland. He settled in Edinburgh, where he worked as a barman and his soldiers would salute him and click their heels as he served them a drink.
His story is a reminder of the sacrifices made by Polish servicemen and women, many of whom fought for the freedom of other countries while being unable to return to their own.
I wrote ‘My Beloved General’ as a tribute to Maczek and to all those Polish men and women whose courage deserves to be remembered.
Watch ‘My Beloved General’ here:
A HUNDRED YEARS OF COURAGE
Singing with a Polish veteran
One of the highlights of this year was the opportunity to perform alongside a remarkable 100-year-old Polish veteran at a concert in Checkendon.
Ches Black’s (born Czeslaw Blachucki) life story is extraordinary. During the Second World War, he endured German persecution and forced labour, including being kidnapped by the Germans in 1944 and forced to work as a slave laborer digging Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker in Berlin.
To share a musical moment with someone who has lived through so much history was a real privilege.
I believe that those who have endured war, occupation and unimaginable hardship deserve dignity and respect, wherever they are and whoever is welcoming them.
I am particularly grateful to the Checkendon community for the warmth with which they welcomed us, for honouring this remarkable veteran and for valuing my own contribution to the occasion.
It was a reminder of why I continue to make music about history: because behind every historical event are real people, real lives and stories that should never be forgotten.
MUSIC, LITERATURE & IMAGINATION
Literature has always been an important source of inspiration for my songwriting.
My song ‘A Beautiful Song For You’ was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s beautiful and bittersweet fairy tale The Nightingale and the Rose.
Other songs have taken me into the worlds of historical figures and powerful women. ‘Boadicea’ explores the story of the ancient British queen, while ‘The Virgin Queene’ takes inspiration from Elizabeth I.
I love the way music can bring these characters and stories into a new light, allowing us to encounter familiar history from a different perspective.
LOOKING AHEAD: PASZPORT — 15 YEARS IN 2027
PASZPORT — original album cover, reproduced from Katy Carr’s official website.
In 2027, my album PASZPORT celebrates its 15th anniversary.
Originally released in 2012, PASZPORT was a deeply personal and important record for me. It marked a major chapter in my journey of discovering my Polish roots and exploring the experiences of Poland during the Second World War.
The album was inspired by remarkable individuals and stories, including Kazik Piechowski, whose extraordinary escape from Auschwitz changed my life and helped shape my musical journey.
To celebrate this milestone, I’m planning a special re-release of PASZPORT.
I am also planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign, which will include the opportunity to pre-order the re-release and support the project.
If you would love to own a copy, or would like to be part of bringing this album back to life, please keep an eye on my website and future newsletters. I’ll be sharing the crowdfunding link and pre-order details very soon.
If you’re interested in getting involved, please do get in touch.
LOOKING AHEAD: WILLIAM BLAKE — 2027
Blake’s London: A City of Innocence and Experience
William Blake, profile portrait associated with Songs of Innocence and of Experience, 1794. Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
Another major creative project taking shape is my William Blake project, Blake’s London: A City of Innocence and Experience.
Since 2022, I have composed around 50 musical settings of Blake’s poems, exploring his extraordinary imagination, poetry and vision of London.
2027 marks 200 years since Blake’s death, and I am looking forward to developing this project through performances, collaborations and recordings.
Blake’s writing continues to fascinate me: his mixture of innocence and experience, his social observations, his spiritual imagination and his ability to see the extraordinary within everyday life.
I hope to share more about the project and its musical developments in the coming months.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE JOURNEY
Thank you for listening, reading, coming to concerts, supporting independent music and helping keep these stories alive.
As I begin releasing songs from PROVIDENCE digitally, prepare for the 15th anniversary of PASZPORT, and develop new music inspired by William Blake, I look forward to sharing the next chapter with you.
If you haven’t yet discovered PROVIDENCE, you can order the physical album here:
And do keep an ear out for ‘Hero to Zero’ — a song that has been waiting patiently for its digital debut!
With warmest wishes,
Katy Carr
Website: https://katycarr.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/KatyCarrMusicChannel
IMAGE SOURCES & CREDITS (EDITOR’S REFERENCE)
The album covers are linked to image files hosted on Katy Carr’s official website. Historical images are linked from Wikimedia Commons file pages that identify them as public domain. Please verify image permissions and credit requirements before commercial publication, and replace externally linked images with embedded copies if your newsletter platform requires uploaded image files.
PROVIDENCE cover: https://katycarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/album-providence.jpg
PASZPORT cover: https://katycarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/album-paszport.jpg
General Stanisław Maczek portrait: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stanislaw_Maczek.jpg
William Blake portrait: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Blake.jpg