Sign Singers perform Silent Night

1981 •

The Sign Singers perform the famous carol 'Silent Night' for the Stars on Sunday programme.

The Sign Singers perform the song ‘Silent Night’ for the Stars on Sunday programme. This ‘Silent Night’ performance was filmed on February 25 1981 at Highwic in Newmarket, Auckland, and screened on TVNZ on September 13, 1981. ‘Silent Night’ had repeat screenings on December 20, 1981, and on December 19, 1982. This song, ‘Silent Night’ was one of the group’s most popular songs. They first performed it at their first show on September 20, 1980 at a charity concert in Homai, Manurewa.

Can you help?

NZSL story – Taonga source: Susie Ovens

Switching Between Modes: Total Communication on Stage, NZSL Off

Susie Ovens shares her memories of the well-known Deaf Sign Singers group founded by Dulcie McKie, which used a Total Communication approach. She knew it wasn’t natural signing, and the group would often relax and switch to NZSL during breaks. Still, Susie recalls the performances having a strong impact, especially on hearing audiences who were moved by the group's energy and visual expressions.

NZSL story – Taonga source: Shona McGhie

Shona McGhie and the Magic of the Auckland Sign Singers

Shona McGhie reflects on her time with the Auckland Sign Singers, a group that helped raise awareness of Deaf culture and showed what Deaf performers could do. Rehearsals were often held at Dulcie McKie’s home, with support from Mac McKie and Gavin Gibbons. Shona recalls her favourite song and the challenge of remembering over 25 routines. It was a busy time full of travel, performance, and connection, and a chapter she looks back on fondly.

Des Powell

Dulcie McKie

Edith Tabrar

Josephine Beech

Josephine Beech

Len Tabrar

Lynne Smith

Sheila Gibbons (Claridge)

Sheila Gibbons (Claridge)

Shirley Withers

Shirley Withers

Susie (Suzanne) Ovens

Susie (Suzanne) Ovens

Taonga source:

Dulcie McKie

Produced by:

Stars on Sunday, Television New Zealand

Original format:

VHS

Reference number:

SignDNA – Deaf National Archive New Zealand, DM06-09-SP81

Copyright status:

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Note:

This item has been compressed and/or edited.

If you liked this, you might also like...

The Sign Singing Superstars

The Sign Singing Superstars

The Sign Singing Superstars

COLLECTIONS – CURATED BY SIGNDNA: DEAF NATIONAL ARCHIVE

The Sign Singing Superstars

Throughout the early 1980s, the New Zealand Deaf community created two sign singing supergroups: The Sign Singers from Auckland, and The Silent Singers from Christchurch. These two groups pioneered Sign Singing as an art form and gained considerable public admiration for their efforts. Both groups made appearances on national Telethon events, and the Auckland group also were regulars on the Stars on Sunday programme, making more appearances than any other single group.

publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Journal: June 1987 (Vol. 1, No. 2)

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-NFDHH.jpg" alt="National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-NFDHH.jpg" alt="National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing" />

video – Taonga source: Dulcie McKie

Sign Singers: ‘Born Free’

The Sign Singers perform the song 'Born Free' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in June 1982.

Dulcie McKie

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-dulciemckie.jpg" alt="Dulcie McKie" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-dulciemckie.jpg" alt="Dulcie McKie" />

video – Taonga source: Dulcie McKie

Sign Singers: ‘Harmony’

The Sign Singers perform 'Harmony' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in February 1983. They are introduced in sign language, in one of the first examples of a non-Deaf person signing on prime time television.

Dulcie McKie

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-dulciemckie.jpg" alt="Dulcie McKie" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-dulciemckie.jpg" alt="Dulcie McKie" />

video – Taonga source: Dulcie McKie

Sign Singers: ‘Sailing’

The Sign Singers perform the hit song 'Sailing' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in May 1982. Ian Watkins, introduces the group by saying “…and I’m delighted to welcome back to the programme the deaf sign singers.”

Dulcie McKie

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-dulciemckie.jpg" alt="Dulcie McKie" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-dulciemckie.jpg" alt="Dulcie McKie" />

The Sign Singing Superstars

The Sign Singing Superstars

The Sign Singing Superstars

The Sign Singing Superstars

Collection of archival items related to the Sign Singing Superstars, with videos, images, articles and NZSL stories!

article – Taonga source: NZ Woman’s Weekly

Mime put to use

Susie Ovens, born 97% deaf, uses mime as one of the many methods to relate to the hearing world. She is also a member of the “Deaf Sign Singers”, a group of 11 deaf people who perform sign language to music.

video – Taonga source: Ngaire Doherty

A ‘Mime and Masks’ show by Deaf Drama Group: A Visit to Kiwiland

A Deaf Drama group perfoms 'A Visit to Kiwiland' at Kelston with supporting acts by the Sign Singers. The evening fundraised $766.00 towards the purchase of a TTY and to sponsor two pupils from Kelston to attend the World Deaf Games in Christchurch 1989.

Ngaire Doherty

publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Journal: July 1988 (Vol. 2, No. 2)

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-NFDHH.jpg" alt="National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-NFDHH.jpg" alt="National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing" />

article – Taonga source: NZ Herald

Sign Language Puts The Deaf in Tune

The Deaf Sign Singers have a busy schedule this year with performances throughout the North Island.

publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Journal: March 1990 (Vol. 4, No. 1)

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

<img data-lazyloaded="1" data-placeholder-resp="128x128" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxMjgiIGhlaWdodD0iMTI4IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTI4IDEyOCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4=" width="128" height="128" data-src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-NFDHH.jpg" alt="National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing" /><noscript><img width="128" height="128" src="https://signdna.org/wp-content/uploads/taongasource-NFDHH.jpg" alt="National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing" />