This post is for English-speaking churches who want to try singing hymns in French.
Photo: Flickr user Martin Addison
Why would we sing in French?
- To celebrate the world-wide church!
- At Pentecost, the apostles spoke in many languages. We can sing in many languages too.
- Maybe you have a francophone who attends your church. It would be great to all sing together in French.
- Maybe your church is located in a bilingual country or bilingual community. Singing in French is a simple first step to making the church more welcoming for francophones.
- It is beautiful and fun!
- God understands any language we sing.
A hymn in French is a "cantique". Singing a new "cantique" can be hard. People worry about sounding bad or looking stupid. You can help by making the experience simple and fun.
Photo Credit: Flickr user Amanda Slater
5 Simple Tips for Singing in French
If you see "l'Église universelle a pour roc Jésus Christ", you could write "l'É-glise un-i-ver-sell-e a pour roc Jé-sus Christ."
Fun fact: The word "universelle" normally has four syllables "un-i-ver-selle". When it is sung, the final "e" is pronounced, making five syllables: "un-i-ver-sell-e."
By separating words into syllables, you are helping your church to sing more fluidly. This makes a really big difference! If you need help with writing the syllables, listen to the song on Youtube or ask a francophone. Some hymn books already have the words divided by syllables and matched to music notes. These are a great place to start.
2. Start with French translations of popular English hymns.
If your church already knows and loves a hymn in English, it will be easier for them to learn it in French. This will build their confidence.
You could even sing a few verses in French and a few verses in English!
3. Build a repertoire.
People love familiar songs. Over several years at church, we may sing a well-loved hymn 10 or 20 or 100 times! At my church, we have the same blessing Every. Single Week.
Start with one simple song in French. Sing it over a few weeks, learning it along the way. Once your church knows the hymn, add it to a list of French songs you could sing anytime. It is ok if your church's list is small!
Singing a French song once is a novelty. Singing a French hymn 10 times or 30 times may help the song to enter into our hearts and minds.
4. Be a calm and confident teacher.
People want to learn new things, but they need encouragement and good teaching.
You don't want to force anyone to sing in French, but you do want to encourage. If you sense that many people at church are nervous, you could say something like this: "We're going to sing verses 1 and 2 in French. If you're really unsure about this, you could sing quietly in English or just hum along. But I know we can this! I want to challenge us to try singing in French. Even if it isn't perfect this time, we'll be learning and it will still be a beautiful song in God's ears!"
If possible, teach the song. You could pronounce the words so that your church hears them. You could sing a verse or ask someone else to sing it. Don't be afraid to learn slowly! Your church could sing one verse of a hymn a few times until you've all got it.
5. Consider beginning with children's songs.
In many parts of Canada (my home country!), children learn French. They may be going to francophone school, French immersion or core French. In many communities, children and youth are the most likely to be bilingual. This means that children's songs are a particularly good place to start when learning new hymns in French.
I have a post about children's songs on youtube: https://jesusetlesenfants.blogspot.com/2019/09/des-chansons-chretiennes-sur-youtube.html At the end of this post are some some particularly for English-speaking churches.
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