French Diction and Repertoire Notes and Suggestions

French Canadian folk songs

la claire fontaine,
Version one: Arr. George Coutts and Pierre Gallant
Version two: Arr. Violet Archer and Michael Baker
Papillon, tu es volage Arr. Oscar OBrien
Nol huron Arr.Healy Willan, and another anonymous arranger
Vive la Canadienne, arr. Hugh McLean

Jesous Ahatonia
The first Canadian Christmas carol
Father Jean de Brbeuf (15931649)
language of the Huron/Wendat people
to make the nativity story more understandable
Available in Royal Conservatory Voice Series, Voice Repertoire 1
Range: D4D5
translated into French by Paul Picard
http://www.alansim.com/canhtml/can023.html (French text)
Published 1907 - Ernest Myrand's Nols anciens de la Nouvelle-France. P.72
(this is in huron, but use the French words to it if you like).
http://www.archive.org/details/NolsAnciensDeLaNouvelle-france
Range: E4-E5
la claire fontaine
Version one: simpler
Ernest Gagnon, Chansons populaires du Canada, 22-23. This is in public
domain.
la claire fontaine, Arr. George Coutts
Available in The New Millenium Series 3 from Conservatory Canada
Range: D4D5,
la claire fontaine, Arr. Pierre Gallant
Available in Introductory Voice Repertoire, Voice Series, RCM, 3rd ed.
Range: E4E5
la claire fontaine, Version two
Range: E4F5, Key: C major
la claire fontaine, Arr. Violet Archer
Duet available from Berandol Music Limited
Solo available from CMC; from Four Canadian Folk Songs
Range: Soprano E4F5
Alto (for duet only) G#3C5
la claire fontaine, Arr. Michael Baker
From Five Canadian Folk Songs

Oscar OBrien (1892-1958), Papillon, tu es volage

Found in Chansons populaires du Canada by Ernest Gagnon
Range: G4F5
Papillon, tu es volage, Arr. Oscar OBrien
Range: Range: E4D5
Simple Art Songs:
Calixa Lavalle, L'absence (1881)
Medium difficulty Art Songs:
Maurice Dela, Ronde (1949)
Calixa Lavalle (1842-1891), Labsence (1881)
Text by Rmi Tremblay (1847-1926)
Moderato con espressivo, C
Range: D4D5
Available in Canadian Music Centre http://www.musiccentre.ca/node/22788
hand-written copy in the CMC is missing much of the text
published in: Songs II to French Texts
Available in many libraries including IU Music Library
two verses in Songs for Hobble-de-hoys and Giggle-de-Shes
Also available at the CMC http://www.musiccentre.ca/node/23957
first published with all verses in LAlbum musicale in 1881
available in pdf format at International Music Score Library Project
online. http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Lavall%C3%A9e,_Calixa
Maurice Dela (19191978) Ronde (1949)
Text by Victor Hugo (18021885)
Range: D4G5
http://www.musiccentre.ca/node/6148 (for loan)
Do viens-tu, Bergre?
Arrangements by Maria Molinari and Healy Willan
Range: G4E5, Range: F4D5 respectively
http://www.musiccentre.ca/node/107908 (CMC)
Willan, Healey, arr. Do viens-tu bergre? from Chansons Canadiennes. Vol.1.
Oakville, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1929.
Canadian Music Centre
http://www.musiccentre.ca/

Links to scores and recordings for loan, rent or purchase. Necessary to log in
to listen.
http://www.musiccentre.ca/about/services/publishing#sales (purchasing
information)

Royal Conservatory
Major musical educational organization in Canada
Launched a new series of books on their website, and on Amazon
Voice Repertoire 1 (Resonance)

Available from their website:

http://bookstore.rcmusic.ca/books2.html?cat=68
Available on Amazon. Search for Royal Conservatory Voice:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=searchalias%3Dstripbooks&fieldkeywords=Royal+Conservatory+Voice&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3ARoyal+C
onservatory+Voice
Available on sheetmusicplus.com
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/resonance-voice-repertoire-3-sheetmusic/19774636

One Can Borrow the original, older series of RCM books on the Canadian Music
Centre website http://www.musiccentre.ca/
Type in Vocal Repertoire Album (title of original edition) in the search bar. The
different levels will pop up.
http://www.musiccentre.ca/search/node/Vocal%20Repertoire%20album
You can borrow these for free from their website you just have to make an account
with them. It is not complicated. The only cost is returning the materials.
Second Edition Do a search for Songbook Series Repertoire (You can try for
these on the CMC website, but I found only one)
Third Edition Do a search for Voice Repertoire Third Edition or Voice Series
Third Edition (I found none of these on the CMC website)
Many of these are available for purchase on Amazon. I have previously found other
music vendors that sell them in the US. These books contain graded repertoire that
goes from Grade One to Eight and beyond. Simpler French repertoire is in the earlier
grades. Be warned, sometimes these books have child themes with the assumption
that kids study solo voice.
French contents:
Royal Conservatory Vocal Repertoire Album: Introductory Songbook. Mississauga, ON:
The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1990.
McLean, Hugh, arr. Song of the Seagull / Chant de la mouette. Text in Inuit,
English and French.
Lillian Smith. Butterflies / Les papillons
Camille Ohlin. I Like Dogs! / Jaime les chiens

Royal Conservatory Vocal Repertoire Album. Vol. 1. Songbook Series. Mississauga,

ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, 1991.
McLean, Hugh, arr. Vive la Canadienne
Champagne, Claude, arr. Marianne sen va-t-au moulin
Milhaud, Darius. La pomme et lescargot
Royal Conservatory Vocal Repertoire Album. Vol. 2. Songbook Series. Mississauga,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1991.
Champagne, Claude, arr. Petit Jean
Royal Conservatory Vocal Repertoire Album. Vol. 3. Songbook Series. Mississauga,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1991.
MacMillan, Ernest. Mon doux berger
Royal Conservatory Vocal Repertoire Album. Vol. 4. Songbook Series. Mississauga,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1991.
Willan, Healy, arr. Sainte Marguerite
Ouchterlony, David. Berceuse
Royal Conservatory Vocal Repertoire Album. Vol. 5. Songbook Series. Mississauga,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1991.
Keel, Frederick, arr. Jardin damour
Willan, Healy, arr. La petite hirondelle
Ridout, Godfrey, arr. Jai cueilli la belle rose

Royal Conservatory Songbook Series Repertoire. Vol 6. Mississauga, ON: The Frederick
Harris Music Co., 1998.
OBrien, Oscar, arr. Papillon, tu es volage.
Jaque, Rhen. Un petit elephant

Royal Conservatory Voice Series Third Edition: Introductory Voice Repertoire.

Mississauga, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 2005.
Morrow, Arthur, arr. Trois canards
Northcote, Sydney, arr. Entre le boeuf et lne gris
Wiseman, Herbert, arr. Jai du bon tabac
Gallant, Pierre, arr. la claire fontaine.

Royal Conservatory Voice Series Third Edition: Voice Repertoire. Vol. 1. Mississauga,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 2005.
McLean, Hugh, arr. Vive la Canadienne.
Willan, Healy, arr. Jesous Ahatonia. (There are better, more traditional French
words online here (this one is not set well):
http://www.alansim.com/canhtml/can023.html )
Champagne, Claude. Mariann sen va-t-au moulin.
(Jesous Ahatonia Also arranged, perhaps by Ernest Myrand, on p. 72 of the 1907
Nols anciens de la Nouvelle-France by Myrand.
http://www.archive.org/details/NolsAnciensDeLaNouvelle-france )
Royal Conservatory Voice Series Third Edition: Voice Repertoire. Vol. 5. Mississauga,
ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 2005.
Keel, Frederick. Jardin damour
Willan, Healy, arr. La petite hirondelle
Creston, Paul, arr. Jai cueilli la belle rose.
Bernec, Claude. Petite souris

Conservatory Canada http://www.conservatorycanada.ca/

Newer major musical educational organization in Canada. They have published a
series of books called Conservatory Canada The New Millenium Series.
They are also graded and contain a variety of repertoire as do the above books. Again
stick to the earlier grades for the easier French repertoire.
Publications are listed on this page:
http://www.conservatorycanada.ca/publications
Instructions on how to order:
http://www.conservatorycanada.ca/publications/how-order
Following the link to Hal Leonard brings us here:
http://www.halleonard.com/search/search.do?subsiteid=1&keywords=Conservato
ry+Canada+Voice
If you google the title and the words Conservatory Canada, you can find these at
other vendors as well.
French Contents:
Conservatory Canada The New Millenium Series. Vol. 1. Waterloo, ON: Waterloo
Music Company, 1999.
Acadian Lullaby Roberta Stephen, arr. Folk Song
Jentends le moulin Stephen Fielder, arr. Folk Song
O Canada Calixa Lavalle D.F. Cook, arr.

Conservatory Canada The New Millenium Series. Vol. 2. Waterloo, ON: Waterloo
Music Company, 1999.
Sainte Marguerite W.H. Anderson, arr. Folk Song
Conservatory Canada The New Millenium Series. Vol. 3. Waterloo, ON: Waterloo
Music Company, 1999.
A la claire fontaine G. Coutts, arr. Folk Song
Auprs de ma blonde P. Creston, arr.
Bibliography
About. Conservatory Canada Online. http://www.conservatorycanada.ca/about
(accessed October 12, 2014).
Canadian Music Centre Online http://www.musiccentre.ca/ (accessed October 12,
2014).
Sheet Music from Canadas Past.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sheetmusic/index-e.html (accessed
October 12, 2014).
More Scores
Archer, Violet, arr. la claire fontaine. Duet. Scarborough, ON: Berandol Music,
1970.
, arr. Four Canadian Folk-songs for Voice and Pianoforte. Photocopy of
Manuscript. Canadian Music Centre, [1958].
, arr. O vas-tu mon ptit garon? For soprano, alto and piano
accompaniment. Photocopy of Manuscript. Canadian Music Centre, 1968.
Baker, Michael C., arr. Five Canadian Folk Songs. Photocopy of Manuscript.
Canadian Music Centre.
Boyer, Flix. Boire un petit coup. St dditions Musicales Internationales, 1947.
Dela, Maurice. La lettre. Voix leves. Toronto: BMI Canada, 1956.
. Ronde, voix moyennes (r-sol) / for medium voice (d-g). Toronto: BMI
Canada, 1951.
. Spleen: voix moyennes (E-F#). Toronto: BMI Canada, 1950.

Gagnon, Ernest. Chansons populaires du Canada: recueillies et publies avec

annotations, etc. Quebec City: Robert Morgan, diteur, 1880.
Lavalle, Calixa. Labsence. Complete Score.
http://imslp.org/wiki/L%27Absence_%28Lavall%C3%A9e,_Calixa%29
(accessed January 16, 2011).
. Labsence. In Songs for Hobble-de-Hoys & Giggle-de-Shes, 2nd ed. Edited
by Roberta Stephen. Calgary: Alberta Keys Music Publishing Co., 2002.
. National Anthem: O Canada. http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceemcced/symbl/ocanada-eng.cfm (accessed January 16, 2011).
MacMillan, Sir Ernest, ed. Vingt-et-une chansons canadiennes / Twenty-one Folksongs of French Canada. Arranged by Achille Fortier, Alfred Lalibert, Oscar
OBrien, Leo Smith and Ernest MacMillan. Oakville, ON: The Frederick
Harris Music Co., [1928].
OBrien, Oscar, arr. Papillon tu es volage.
La Libert, Alfred, arr. Sainte Marguerite.
Fortier, Achille, arr. Jai cueilli la belle rose.
Molinari, Maria, arr. Auprs de ma blonde. Photocopy of Manuscript. Canadian
Music Centre, [2002].
. Do viens-tu bergre? Photocopy of Manuscript. Canadian Music Centre,
[2002].
Poirier, Lucien, ed. Songs II to French Texts 17. The Canadian Musical Heritage / Le
patrimoine musical canadien. Ottawa: Canadian Musical Heritage Society,
1987.
. Songs III to French Texts 12. The Canadian Musical Heritage / Le patrimoine
musical canadien. Ottawa: Canadian Musical Heritage Society, 1992.
Ridout, Godfrey, arr. Folk Songs of Eastern Canada. Folk Songs of Eastern Canada
Arranged for Soprano and Piano. Toronto: Gordon V. Thompson, 1970.
Jai cueilli la belle rose.
Ah! Si mon moine voulait danser
Rudman, Michael J., arr. Folksongs from Canada. Photocopy of Manuscript.
Canadian Music Centre, 1981.
Un canadien errant

Somervell, Arthur, arr. Twelve Ancient French-Canadian Folk Songs. Boosey & Co.,
Ltd, 1927. Contains 12 songs, including:
Do viens-tu, bergre?
Stephen, Roberta, ed. Songs for Hobble-de-Hoys & Giggle-de-Shes. Calgary: Alberta
Keys Music Publishing, 1996.
Weckerlin, J.B., arr. Bergerettes Romances et chansons du XVIIIe Siecle. Heugel,
1894.
http://imslp.org/wiki/Bergerettes,_Romances_et_Chansons_du_XVIIIe_si%C3%
A8cle_%28Weckerlin,_Jean-Baptiste%29 (accessed October 12, 2014).

Jeunes fillettes

Willan, Healey, arr. Chansons Canadiennes (French-Canadian Folk Songs). 3 vols.

Oakville, ON: The Frederick Harris Music Co., 1929.
Do viens-tu bergre? Chansons Canadiennes. Vol.1.
Sainte Marguerite. Chansons Canadiennes. Vol. 1
Le miroir. Chansons Canadiennes. Vol. 2.
La plainte du coureur des bois. Chansons Canadiennes. Vol. 2.
Rossignolet sauvage. Chansons Canadiennes. Vol. 2.
Diction Resources
Understanding French Verse - by David Hunter
A Handbook of Diction for Singers - David Adams (more approp as teacher's manual than
as required text), but it is out of print
Handbook of the International Phonetic Association by International Phonetic
Association
Pronouncing dictionaries - no definitions, just pronunciation
Journal of Singing - Leslie de'Ath
Jan-Feb 1999 21-42 - Dictionaries of Pronunciation
Mar/Apr 99
Pocket Coach publications - http://www.pocketcoach.com/
Half.com
Francis Poulenc: The Man and his Songs Pierre Bernac (really good)
(Bernac at tail end of pre IPA period, but comes up with good system)
Pronunciation of French - Jeanne Varney Pleasants (Articulation and Intonation; - has 3
indexes - really useful - not for singing specifically, but very useful)

Sing French Diction for Singers - Eileen Davis

Dictionary of French Pronunciation: Dictionnaire de la pronunciation franaise - Leon
Warnant
Dictionnaire de la prononciation franaise dans sa norme actuelle Leon Warnant
(Amazon says out of print)
Musical Diction: An Orthologic Method for Acquiring a Perfect Pronunciation in the
Speaking and Especially in the Singing of the French Language - Camille Thurwanger
(Kessinger publishing)
The Singers Guide to Languages - Marcie Stapp
(She covers the basic 4 languages)
MT 872. 873 at IU Music Library / Not too expensive on Amazon right now.
French Diction for Singers and Speakers - William Harkness Arnold
The Singers Manual of German and French Diction - Dr. Richard Cox
Martial Singhere - French Poems
CD - recorded spoken poetry to 106 French poems - www.pocketcoach.com - get
inflections and cadences
A book comes with text and translations separately
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections/performing-arts/pamss25
IPASource.com - IPA transliterations
Singing Early Music: The Pronunciation of European Languages in the Late Middle Ages
and Renaissance - Timothy McGee (He discusses singing early French around 1250,
French still had 5 nasal vowels, for example - 'en' 'an' were different)
Advanced French Lyric Diction Workbook Cheri Montgomery (she has a useful
website)

Diction Rules and tips:

Teach [y] as a segue into nuit [] [i] + [u] = [y]
Note, if you see ou, that is [u]
If you see u or that is [y], never [u], never [ju]

Spelling eu is usually [] or []. - the exception is the

pass simple of avoir :
eu [y]

eusse [ys]

eus, emes, etes, eurent, eusse, eusses, et, eussions,

eussiez, eussent
[] - To make this sound extend the sound [y], and then move onto
the next vowel:
Puis [pyi] but shorten the [y] now [pi]
-like extended [y], and not like [w] at all
Nasal Vowels
[] from []
[ from []
[] from [o] (note some books say [])
[ ] from []
Note that [] is not [].
Moriarty p. 190: In French conversation, a more open vowel [ ] is
usually used. In singing, however, the use of [closed] [], based on the
vowel [o], avoids a possible confusion with the sound [].

[]
-final am, an or before another consonant = [];

champ []
gallant [g 'l]

cependant [s p 'd]
an []

-am, an before vowel or another m or n are not nasal, but are

pronounced [am] and [an]; tamis, damne, manifest, animer
- final em, en or before another consonant = [];

temps [t]
enfant [ 'f]

ensemble [ 's l]
encore [ 'k r]

-em, en before vowel or another m or n are not nasal, but are

pronounced [e m] or [ m] or [ m]; emission, nervant, tenir, mule,
cne, tennis.
Except: initial emm is nasal: emmancher, emmler []; emmancher,
emmler
Except: femme = ['fa m]
-en after i = []; bien, rien, combien, reviens
-Verb endings ent are not nasal, but just a schwa. All other -ent endings
are nasal []

[]
Reminder - [] is not [].
-final om, on or before another consonant = [];
gondola [g do la]

donc [dk]

nom [n]
Except: monsieur [m 'sj], Bonheur [b 'nr]
-om, on before a vowel or another m or n are not nasal, but [m] or [n]:
homme, donne, madone, honorer, domaine, automne

 If the vowel + n, m, ng is final or before another consonant, it is nasal

vowel + n, m, ng before a vowel or another m or n are not nasal
Notice
entendons [ t d] (you will make a different vowel here)
Some random tips/reminders:
oy ,uy, etc. in more than one syllable:
Foyer, voyerz, fuyer, essuyer, appuyez, etc.
Foyer foi ier [fwa je]
voyer voi ier [vwa je]
fuyez fui iez [fi je]
voyage voi iage [vwa ja]
ayant -ai iant [ j ]
Certain pronouns - les, mes, tes, etc.
Six monophongs:
mes, tes, des, ces, ses, les- closed in speech,
trad'n to open slightly for poetry tradition to open for singing
Gary Arvin and Mona --- at IU prefer to teach closed (useful for resonance too)
Random tip []:
onion is lower in mouth than mignon which is higher and more forward in mouth
Random tip er
verbs ending in -er [e]
nouns - 'hiver' - open [er] - nouns can go either way, check dictionary
magister [ma i st:r]
Extra rules: -er is usually [e] in nouns and adjectives ending in er, -ier, -yer
boulanger [e]
baiser (noun)[e]
foyer [e]
danger [e]
but: fier [fj:r (adjective)

Random tip b p
Before unvoiced consonants, b becomes [p] - [p] is dry like in Italian
obtien [p tj ]
subtil [syp til]
Seul, aujourdhui,
je
pleure ton
[sl ourdi
pl:
t
(Labsence Calixa Lavalle)

absence,
naps:s]

Random tip
vowel length - [r v vr z z (azure)]
vowel in stressed position followed by [r v vr z z (azure)] is lengthened
amour, reve, louvre, gaz, beige
~2x as long as their shorter counterparts
Careful+Q rule
careful + q - The underlined consonants are pronounced at the end of a syllable or word.
except "ouest" (these are the final consonants that are pronounced - st is usually not
pronounced)
Exceptions p. 202 Moriarty pronounce st and t in:
Est (east) [st]
Soit! (as an exclamation) [swat]
#s p. 202 Moriarty cinq, sept, huit, neuf, dix pronounced when standing alone, but
silent when modifying nouns
Il en avait cinq [I l na v sk]
cinq livres [s li vr]

Liaison

elision is the taking away of a potentially mute e

la porte est [la pr t]

liaison adds a sound when we need it
Dans ton coeur dort un clair de lune [d t kr d r klr d ly n]
Liaison
Must know the grammar unfortunately
There are obligatory and optional liaisons.

No Liaison:
1) over punctuation, rest, or implied punctuation (i.e. pause)
or if there is no relationship in meaning (i.e. clauses, sentences)
Liaison is forbidden over rhythmic groups:
Jai des_amis / aux_Etats-Unis
2) Never before 'oui' or after 'et' ex: "mais oui"
3) if the second word is a number (if the word is before a number)
except: "il est_onze heures" and "les_uns"
4) 'h aspire' - check dictionary
"les / hautes" but "les_hommes"

5) when a noun ends in a nasal vowel: "le vent / a chang"

Troublait
mes sens, / exaltait mon amour? Group, and
this rule
[trubl me s:s gzalt m namu:r] (Labsence)
Son amant
va la
voir
Le matin
soir,
[s nam
va la
vwa:r
l mat
swa:r]
(Six bergerettes du Bas Canada, MacMillan)

et

le

/e

6) noun+ prposition - "doux yeux / Manon

except if it is a modifying clause: "tes yeux_ couleur bleu"
Mathurin
Mathurine, (Ronde diss p. 105)
[maty

/a matyin

Must do liaison
when there is a relationship between words (grammatical or meaning)
1) drop the schwa in liaison - "les roses ont" [ro z]
2) s, x end of word pronounce [z]
"les yeux_amoureuses"
les_enfants [le z f]
parlez_en [par le z]
deux_enfants [
f]
except beware some words such as "sens" which has [s] sound at end
3) rd, rt, rs - tie the 'r' - "part une void" [pa ryn vwa]
but - "quad part-on" is [par t] because of hyphen
Te
souvient-il quand ta
chre
[t
suvj
til k
ta
( Labsence , diss. P. 126)

prsence
prez:s]

"vers" - if noun, liaison

- if conjunction, don't tie it.
"Si mes vers_avaient des ailes" = French speaker wouldn't prononce s in
liaison of "vers avaient" - just r
but tradition is to [z] the s in liaison
4) Nasalized vowels
Every nasal sound maintains its nasality, but the consonant will sound and
tie with the next vowel.
un_ami [ nami]
Except: -ain, -ein, divin, moyen, ancient lose nasalization in liaison
divin_enfant [divi nf]
en plain_air [ pl nr]
Normally, one might expect a liaison from Mathurin Mathurine in the
song Ronde by Maurice Dela that I sang earlier. However, Moriarty (p.
217) says not to do the liaison when moving from a noun or pronoun to
a preposition.
Mathurin
Mathurine, (diss p. 105)
[maty

/a matyin

Mathurine
[matyin a maty]

Mathurin.

Pronunciation when liaison

1) s & x become [z] as shown above
2) r & n
dernier_espoire [dr nje rs pwa r]
un_ami [ nami]
3) t & d [t]
un petit_homme [ pti t m]
un grand_homme [ gr t m]
4) trop & beaucoup
trop_aimable [tro p ma l]
beaucoup_ faire [ o ku pa fr]
5) g [g]
long usage [ l gy a ]
6) f [v]
neuf ans [n v ]

Special Words with Liaison Grubb, Singing in French

grey area donc pg 92
Donc
Sound the final c as [k] only if
1) followed within the line by a vowel sound
Mais o donc_est lamour? [m zu d k la mur]
(Fianailles pour rire, Poulenc-Vilmorin)
but
O donc les vents lont-ils chasse? [u d / l v l ti la se]
(Romance Debussy-Bourget)
2) initial in line, for emphasis (though I think this is optional)
Donc, ce sera par un clair jour dete [dk s s ra par ]
(La Bonne Chanson, Paul Verlaine)
3) but never when final
Frappe-moi donc! [fra p mwa d]
(Carmen, Bizet)
there are optional liaisons
nuit et jour - generally not after noun in singular, but here, do liaison
because the 2 words fit together like a groupe fig
liaison 'aimer et mourir" [ me (r)e mu rir]- optional - make sure vowel stays
closed if you do liaison
When doing a liaison with er, whether obligatory or not, the vowel stays
closed it does not become open e.
rver en paix [r ve r p]

The next table is taken from my undergraduate phonetics notes

(La Phonetique p. 42-43)
Translation of terms:
Pronom pronoun
Nom Noun
Noms propres proper nouns
participe pass past participle
groupes figs groups that cannot be broken apart or worded in any
different order

Some random tips/reminders:

oy and uy in more than one syllable:
As a French speaker, I didnt have to work as hard as some to learn
tricks to memorize all the rules. So, this rule didnt stick in my head, but
it seems to be a useful tool to remember not to pronounce words the
English way.
Foyer, voyez, fuyer, essuyer, appuyez, etc.
oy is problematic for English people who will say
foyer [f:i je X
Its actually pretty close, but not correct. If you know how this divides
syllabically, it is easy to figure out how to pronounce.
Foyer foi ier [fwa je]
voyer voi ier [vwa je]
fuyez fui iez [fi je]
voyage [vwa ja]
ayant -= like 'ai iant' = open e + ja nasal
Certain pronouns - les, mes, tes, etc.
Six monophongs:
mes, tes, des, ces, ses, les- closed in speech,
trad'n to open slightly for poetry - tradn open for singing
Arvin teaches them closed and insists at least his halfway symbol - open e,
upward arrow - more closed than open
I always spoke them that way, singers tend to open them, but the French
coach IU used for one of the operas I was in had us close them (but she is a
speech expert). I would say use what works best for your resonance and with
the rest of the line. I like the closed version better unless Im above the staff.
(Moriarty p. 180 says must be open, but Ill go with G Arvin)
Random tip []:
onion is lower in mouth than mignon which is higher and more forward in
mouth

Random tip er
verbs ending in -er [e]
nouns - 'hiver' - open [er] - nouns can go either way, check dictionary
Ronde: magister [ma i st:r]
p. 194 Wall
Extra rules: -er is usually [e] in nouns and adjectives ending in er, -ier, -yer
boulanger [e]
baiser (noun)[e]
foyer [e]
danger [e]
"fier" [fj:r (adjective)
Random tip b p
[b] is spelled and sounds like English
Before unvoiced consonants, it becomes [p]
obtien [p tj ]
subtil [syp til] (p. 203 Mor)
[p] is dry like in Italian
(Labsence p. 126 chp 2 diss)
Unstressed vowels
watch unstressed vowels - Americans are sloppy with those
French vowels don't contaminate one another - that's hard for English
speakers because we don't pay attn to unstressed syllables
French don't throw away unstressed syllables - everything even
Vowel harmony (this is a choice)
bien-aime - aime - vowel harmony leads both vowels to be closed
heureuse - same deal - both closed for vowel harmony
In the song Labsence, baiser would normally be open/closed, but can
be both closed vowels for vowel harmony.

Random tip
vowel length - [r v vr z z (azure)]
any vowel in stressed position followed by these cons is lengthened
amour, reve, louvre, gaz, beige
~2x as long as their shorter counterparts
use vowel lengtheners after each of your vowels
Random tips
oeil en - liaison w [j] not L
If there are too many [z] sounds in the phrase, as in azure, the French
dont like that because it sounds like baby talk to them.