(The French B class the day after the performance. Source: The author.)

The French class took to the stage for the Gala!

Last Thursday, the Gala was held with an array of music and singing – many people participated to sing or play songs that convey messages of Hope. This year, students of the French class decided to sing a song as well – one that French B students were quite familiar with – La chanson des restos by Les Enfoirés.

It was something put together with Ms. Fert and the support of Mr. Kim. When we first started practicing for this song, it was rather rocky – many people did not know the words or how to sing along at the speed of the song. Therefore, Ms. Fert allocated the solo parts with this in mind; I had to sing the second verse with Eleez and Chirath.

I think that everyone took to the chorus of the song very quickly, it was very catchy and had an intense 80s disco vibe to it!

Along the way when practicing this song, Chirath, Eleez, and I were given an additional verse after the chorus due to some members of the French group dropping out. I admit, I found this verse a bit difficult at first as it was akin to reading very fast in French. But, with consistent practice, we were able to master it quite well.

When we did our stage rehearsal two days before the Gala, Ms. Fert taught us a bit about how our posture should be and how loud we should sing. Mr. Kim also challenged us to sing without our papers – something I think worked out for the best in the end!

It was delightful to see the French group’s progress over the past few weeks, and on the day of the Gala, everyone seemed equal parts nervous and excited for our turn. Of course, there were panic-recitals 2 minutes before we were due to go on stage.

I would say that our performance was actually quite good, although it was a bit nerve-wracking and humorous to see so many people I knew in the audience, I think that I did my best. I was quite relieved that no one made any (audible) mistakes when singing, and people seemed to be having fun.

My favourite part was probably when they lowered the disco ball when we were singing, I felt that it suited the song perfectly.

The audience reaction was amazing, so many people we knew stood up and started clapping. I heard that we got a standing ovation from some people, although truth be told, bowing, and leaving the stage all felt like a blur.

I’m proud of everyone’s contribution to this performance!

Here is the link to our performance. 

Learning outcome:

• LO2 – Challenge and skills
  • It was something very new to sing in front of an audience in French – I’d never done it before, but, was able to learn the skills to do this over the course of the last few weeks.
  • I took on the challenge of solo parts in addition to the chorus of the song, and this was something that was especially nerve-wracking on account of the fact that Mr. Kim took our lyric sheets away less than 48 hours before the Gala.
  • But, I think with determination and a lot of practicing, I overcame this challenge and gained new skills – versatile ones that can be applied to future French tests and speaking exams also maybe.

• LO4 – Working collaboratively with others
  • It was definitely a team effort that helped us come all the way here, everyone had to learn their parts efficiently and make sure that they sang loud enough to be heard over the music.
  • I had to communicate especially with Chirath and Eleez as we shared solo parts and had to match our tones and pace of singing.

• LO6 – Global engagement
  • This song was linked to our unit in French, Experiences, and related heavily to helping people in need and doing voluntary work. 
  • The song is part of a charity concert conducted every year, hosted by a foundation that carries out a large variety of service acts (such as handing out food, shelter, conducting sports activities, etc.). 
  • Therefore, I think that choosing this song really helped us to think about these acts of service and the message conveyed on a deeper level.