Storyteller (Darkover and Pern filks)

Filk Songbook
Title:	Storyteller
Publisher:	Off Centaur Publications
Editor(s):
Date(s):	1985
Medium:	print
Subject:	Dragonriders of Pern & Darkover
External Links:	Anne Prather's Storyteller album Index Page, Archived version
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front cover

Storyteller is a 63-page Darkover and Dragonriders of Pern collection of filks by Anne Harlan Prather.

While the lyrics to the Pern filks are attributed to Anne McCaffrey, this is because they are lifted from the "Teaching Songs" in the books themselves, and not contributed directly to this filk collection.

Prather used the McCaffrey's words for the Pern filks, and wrote the words for the Darkover filks. Prather sang all of them.

A tape cassette and later a CD was released under the same title with Anne Prather's songs.

• "Alarm Chorus" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Seas Boil..." Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Wheel and Turn..." Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Weyrwoman's Song" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Question Song" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist, Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Fire Lizard Song" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Brekke's Lament" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "Storyteller" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Running Song" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Moreta" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Petiron's Song" Anne McCaffrey (lyricist), Anne Harlan Prather (composer)
• "First Fall" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Speak Softly" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Crystal, Silver, Blue and Gold" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Hawkmistress" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Stormqueen" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Leavetaking Eve" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "The Pledge" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Keeper's Lament" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Fires of Her Vengeance'" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Cleindori's Lament'" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)
• "Midsummer Song" Anne Harlan Prather (lyricist, composer)

Fan Comments

T "Storyteller", by Anne Harlan Prather, takes its inspiration from two fictional planets, Pern and Darkover. One side one are all the songs from Harper Hall, and what a delight it is to hear the Teaching Songs actually sung. Of course, Anne McCaffrey's words have been used and I would be interested to know if any of the music is collaborated, bearing in mind Anne McCaffrey's musical background and interests.

As for Anne Prather, her voice might be that of Killashendra; the nunciation is crystal clear and perfectly in tune. Here is a singer who, if she has not had professional teaching, is a remarkably gifted amateur. As for the songs, "Moreta", "Brekke's Lament" and "Weyrwoman's Song" are beautifully sung with all the emotion of their subjects.

The "Running Song" literally trips delicately off Anne's lips whilst my favourite of the Pern section, "Speak Softly" must surely become a classic, capturing as it does the relationship between Manolly and her fire-lizards.

Side two of the cassette has no less than 11 songs based on Marion Ziinmer Bradley's Darkover series. The later novels have improved immeasurably from the early 1960's stories, and the songs are the equal of the current novels. Since the only British Darkover Council The Council of the Isles, was registered by myself, you'll appreciate that I have quite an interest in these songs too. (The Council, by the way, is still alive, but not publicly active - wait for the time and the interest). "Keeper's Lament" captures perfectly the sadness of choice for entrance in the Towers, while "Crystal, Silver, Blue Gold" is equally superb. This whole cassette is superb, made so by the beautiful singing voice of Anne Harlan Prather, a name I hope to see again on a filksong album.