For space is wide and good friends are too few.
‘Cause she was not the biggest fighter nor one to raise a fuss
But I remember being proud that she was one of us
And we might never stand together in the shield-wall side by side
But because of her I lift my sword with pride
“One of Us” by Heather Dale, with incredible ASL interpretation by Mana Bijandgoodarz.
This is part of a really cool project that Heather Dale is collaborating on with Deaf storytellers. For more videos from the series, check out Heather’s YouTube Channel.
Nineteen young women asleep in their bunks
But one up on deck here with me
She’s watching the stars with the wind in hair
And she tells me her name is Marie
No stranger to laughter, no stranger to joy
And a spirit as wild as the sea
She’ll make a man happy in distant Quebec
But he won’t be a sailor like me
“Fille Du Roy” by Heather Dale, with heartfelt sign language interpretation by Thurga Kanagasekarampillai.
Here’s some historical context from Heather Dale’s note on the video:
Four hundred years ago, the colony [of Quebec] was thriving but pioneering families were few. The French King Louis XIV did something surprisingly progressive: he offered to formally adopt any orphaned French young women of marriageable age (legally making them princesses), provided they were willing to travel to New France and marry whomever they wanted… Over 700 brave young ladies took the plunge, and were treated with huge respect.
This is part of a really cool project that Heather Dale is collaborating on with Deaf storytellers. For more videos from the series, check out Heather’s YouTube Channel.
The Morrigan dreams old dreams of flight
The Morrigan sees with another sight
The Morrigan builds with flesh and bone
And The Morrigan fills an empty throne
“The Morrigan” by Heather Dale, with vibrant ASL interpretation by Tamyka Bullen.
This is part of a really cool project that Heather Dale is working on with a bunch of awesome Deaf storytellers. For more videos from the series, check out Heather’s YouTube Channel.
Damn ‘em all – I create my own perfection
Damn ’em all in the face of their rejection
Damn ’em all – well, this dog will have its day
My garden’s full of pretty men who couldn’t stay away
“Medusa” by Heather Dale, with incredible sign language interpretation by Mana Bijandgoodarz.
This is part of a really neat project that Heather Dale is collaborating on with Deaf storytellers. For more videos from the series, check out Heather’s YouTube Channel.
It’s not done until it’s told,
It’s not told until it’s written,
If I’m brave and if I’m bold,
I can challenge what’s forbidden,
For nobody gets to tell me
That I’ll never be the one.
When they ask you what befell me,
Say my story is not done.
“My Story is not Done” by Seanan McGuire, 2015 Pegasus Award winner for Best Filk Song. It’s performed here by Seanan, Amy McNally, Brenda Sutton, Bill Sutton, Teresa Powell, Dr. Mary Crowell and Judi Miller.
[image text: Is it maybe worth a shoutout to Heather Dale? She’s starting to post captioned ASL videos of some of her songs to her YouTube, and I just… sort of want to call attention to it somehow.]
Oh cool! I haven’t checked out her YouTube channel recently, so thanks for bringing it up!
So here’s a giant shoutout to Heather Dale, for helping to make filk more inclusive and accessible, and for bringing attention to some wonderful Deaf artists. Here’s her YouTube playlist with all her ASL videos, and it will be updating with more videos weekly.
Batya Wittenberg performing her song “Gabriel Gray” in the 2009 Pegasus Awards concert, with sign language interpretation by Judi Miller.
This song is…chilling.
Lyrics available here
“Meat,” by Kathleen Sloan, based on the short story by the same name by Terry Bisson, performed by Kathleen Sloan and somebody whose name I don’t know who has been identified as probably Paul Kwinn by vagabondviolet at the 2014 Pegasus Awards concert, with sign language interpretation by Judi Miller.