"La grenouille qui veut se faire aussi grosse que le bœuf », fable by Jean de la Fontaine, harmonized for unisson voices choir by Dominic Faricier :
"By eating a very good meal, we — the choirmaster Caterine Duperray and I — had the idea of setting to music La Fontaine’s fable "La grenouille qui voulait se faire aussi grosse que le boeuf.” We were nervously trying to finish the Choralies’ "La Fontaine affabule” workshop.
We wrote a first G major version and included it in the songbook for children.
Soon after the workshop began, before they learn it, I felt that version did not really correspond with children who were here. We needed something less— something more— well, something different but keeping some part of it.
Then, I reworked it in my head, rolling near Vaison-la-Romaine, and the Mont Ventoux seemed to have fun and sympathize while looking at me.
A kindly driver yielded at the intersection, and then, "la grenouille” became a G minor sheet music and other things changed before I arrived.
Thanks to Catherine’s playful and clever teaching, as well as her amazing directing ideas, children liked it straightaway!
And we won!
In the course of the next rehearsals, the piano part changed again before we set it completely.
Harmonised for Equal choir (SSA) :
In my mind, this sheet music goes with all of those moments we lived during this workshop: they were creative, joyful, sparkling, funny, but also rigorous sometime — exploding two balloons exactly at the same time is not that easy.
I wish to every child, choirmaster, pianist, who would perform it beautiful moments of expression and creativity.”
Dominic FARICIER
This teaching sheet is sold individually as it is intended for children, and a single purchase for the teacher/choirmaster is quite feasible. We encourage you to buy the right number of sheets if you wish to involve your students.
