Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Où est le cadeau?

Speak the words of Où est le cadeau? before learning the music. The repeated words make this song seem like a tongue twister.

The words will require clear diction.

Use expressive singing to tell the story.

• How will you show that you are excited?
• How will you change your vocal presentation when you receive your gift?
• How will you use your voice and face expressively to show that you really like your gift?

The words in parenthesis are optional. If you include them, you may use a speaking voice to say them. How will you use expressive speaking to deliver those words?

If you are singing in a small group or class, you may want to choose some solo speakers to say the words that are in parenthesis.

Où est le cadeau?

I needed a song for my young primary students to sing in the December Christmas concert. These young students were in their first year of school in a French immersion program. They needed a song that was melodically simple and they had a limited French vocabulary after only three months in school. I wrote J’ai un cadeau, playing with the feel of repeating the word “cadeau” multiple times. The students enjoyed singing the song and their performance was well received by the audience.

As sometimes happens with songs, I decided to tweak the lyrics of my original song and create slightly different lyrics to stretch the song to three verses. Eventually all the elements settled and the title became Où est le cadeau?

I was approached by Nikki Loney at FULL VOICE Music to see if I would be interested in my “cadeau” song being translated into Spanish. This was done by Tracey Ford and her sister, Andrea. I also wrote an English translation so the three translations could be used as a language study for young vocal studio students.

The need for a simple French song has turned into a 3-song language study, as well as three songs that stand on their own as good repertoire for young, beginning singers to perform at their first recital or concert. It always amazes me that such simple things can turn into much larger things!

Try out the English version of this song entitled A Gift for Me.

Où est le cadeau? / ¿Dónde está el regalo?, A Gift for Me by Donna Rhodenizer with Spanish lyrics by Tracey and Andrea Ford.

This secular holiday language study celebrates the excitement and anticipation of holiday surprises. The download includes lyrics in French, Spanish and English. A great song for young singing students or choir!

Go to Full Voice Music to get this fun language study.

You are invited to send us your performance of Où est le cadeau?

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

When you have enjoyed practicing and performing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a review on this page. Thanks!

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Regardez la neige.

Introduce the song

French language/vocabulary exploration

Identify and explain any unfamiliar vocabulary.

The teacher should model the pronunciation by singing the song and adding actions to assist students’ understanding of what the story is about.

Sing the song several times and have students listen for specific words. Asking them to raise their hand every time they hear a specific word helps them focus and listen carefully.

Add actions

Add actions to the words “qui tombe, tombe, tombe.”       

Actions help students remember the lyrics and keep them “on track.”

Reviewing the song

Help students practice the words by including activities that can seem like a game.

• Can any student remember the first words of the song?
• Show the students the actions for one of the verses and ask if anyone knows which verse of the song is being presented.
• Sing the song for the students and stop in specific spots and ask the students to provide the next word in the song.

Concert performance

Include Regardez la neige in a concert or recital.

Add a few costume items such as a scarf or mittens.

Include the actions learned in the music classroom or vocal studio to help young singers remember the lyrics for each verse. Actions also add visual interest for the audience.

Regardez la neige

I taught elementary music in a school that offered a French immersion program in addition to the regular English classes. Half of the classes I taught (from Kindergarten to grade 6) were French immersion students. I conducted my classes in English, but for concerts I would always try to include songs that were either a mix of French and English or totally in French. It was always a challenge to find French songs that were musically at the right level for my students and without overly difficult lyrics for both them and for me. We had a few songs that worked for the older students but finding songs for young singers who are also in the first year of French immersion was a tough task.

I started writing simple French songs for my Kindergarten to grade 2 students. It was a pretty good fit with their French skills and vocabulary being similar to mine. We both needed lots of repetitious words and easy vocabulary. Simple actions helped to keep us on track. When I started publishing my songs, I would get requests from anglophone music teachers with teaching assignments requiring French songs for immersion students for concert performances. I was glad to share my simple French songs with my teaching colleagues.

When I retired, I thought I had pretty much finished writing French songs. With all the song ideas I had rolling around in my head and written down in notebooks, I didn’t need to look for any new challenges by writing in French. However, as often happens, someone asked me for a simple French song and she had already sung ALL of the French songs I had to offer. So with that request and a reason to write, I pulled out a piece of paper and started jotting down some simple ideas. The result was Regardez la neige. It was a bit strange for me to write this without trying it out in my own classroom, but the teacher for whom I wrote it and other teaching colleagues have helped with the “workshopping” to hone this song so it could take its place in school concerts and vocal studios using French repertoire for their young singers.

You are invited to send us your performance of Regardez la neige.

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

When you have enjoyed practicing and performing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a review on this page. Thanks!