French Diction
  • Susdem
    Posts: 36
    Hi all,

    What are your favorite resources for French diction? One of my high schoolers who is taking French as her language in high school requested that we sing a traditional French Christmas carol about the Christ child that's actually quite delightful. I found a very nice SSA arrangement and am going to have a group of middle school and high school girls sing it. I was planning to introduce IPA to them this year anyway so want to use this as a great teaching moment. French is the language I've worked with the least, though, so I'll definitely have to do some prep work myself.

    Thanks in advance!
    Susan
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,376
    just post it here and I'll speak it for you. The problem with french is that there is a disparity between how it is spoken and how it is sung. Silent syllables aren't quite so silent when sung.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Abbysmum
  • Susdem
    Posts: 36
    Thanks, ServiamScores. This is the score I'm using, available on the composer's website linked through CPDL. I do also want to use this as a lesson in French diction (writing it in their scores in IPA, etc...) and teaching the rules so still looking for recommendations on books for that as well.

    I read some translations of the text. It's a beautiful text!

    https://www.vocalpdf.nl/arr.htm#vrouwenkoor
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Susdem
    Posts: 36
    Looks like my attachment didn't attach. The carol is Entre le Boeuf et L'ane Gris and can be accessed through the website above.
  • Musicguy57
    Posts: 26
    There is a great classic called Singing in French by Thomas Grubb. was published by Schirmer
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,376
    This is a very lovely recording by a french choir. It is all correct (as one would expect).

    https://youtu.be/nc9a0AoNdw8?si=bIC8KSfZBvMd8Gzd

    Also attached, I speak through it. I looked at the first CPDL score which only set the first verse, but then go back and speak the rest.
    entre le boeuf et l ane gris pronunciation.mp3
    6M
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Susdem
    Posts: 36
    Thank you! It was very kind of you to speak through the text. This is outside my usual comfort zone but I LOVE that one of my choristers took the initiative to request that we take on the challenge of a carol in French. I also really like the piece.
    Thanked by 2ServiamScores CHGiffen
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 845
    The problem with french is that there is a disparity between how it is spoken and how it is sung. Silent syllables aren't quite so silent when sung.

    There’s also the issue of dialect. Are we singing Parisian French or Québécois French?

    I’ve tried to find a pronunciation guide for the Canadian National Anthem’s French lyrics, which are also the Catholic lyrics, for two years now. Singing the bilingual version from memory last minute is now expected of the chorus I’m in, but the only pronunciation instructions are “with a Québécois accent”. I have yet to find one. I have even gone so far as writing the Department of Heritage and requesting an official pronunciation guide.
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 3,376
    or Québécois French?
    doubtful. In any event, I'd recommend against it. American choirs generally seek to sing in "proper" English tones, and I'd recommend exactly the same treatment where French is concerned. (That is, sing in proper continental French, not a transatlantic dialect.)
  • Charles_Weaver
    Posts: 258
    I second the Grubb recommendation.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,791
    I always second grub(b).
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