A Believer, Free from Care in Tonic Solfa
A Believer, Free from Care in Tonic Solfa to HOLLINGSIDE, doh is D: the solfa with the words, staff notation, 4 verses and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mA-sBe--lliev--ser,- | sfree--ffrommcare,--- |
| d'May-tin-lchains,-sor- | mdun--dgeons,-rsing,--- |
| mIf-sthe-lLord-sbe- | swith--fhimmthere;--- |
| mAnd-fhe-mhap--rpier- | mthan--radking:--- |
| dPaul-fand-mSi--flas- | tathus-lcon--sfined,--- |
| lThough-ltheir-tbacks-d'were- | ftorn-mby-rwhips,--- |
| mYet-spos--lsess--sing- | speace--fofmmind,--- |
| mSung-fhis-mpraise-rwish- | mjoy---rfuldlips.--- |
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- Key
- D major
- Doh
- D
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (F♯)
- Range
- d to d' (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- HOLLINGSIDE
- Words
- John Newton
- Music
- John Bacchus Dykes
Tune HOLLINGSIDE by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876); words by John Newton (1725–1807). Sources and licences.
The solfa line by line
The same solfa as plain text, a line of the hymn at a time, with the words of the first verse under it — easy to copy into your own notes or a message to the choir. To print it, download the solfa as a PDF.
Doh is D · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in D major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
A Believer, free from care,
May in chains, or dungeons, sing,
If the Lord be with him there;
And he happier than a king:
Paul and Silas thus confined,
Though their backs were torn by whips,
Yet possessing peace of mind,
Sung his praise wish joyful lips.
Suddenly the prison shook,
Open flew the iron doors;
And the jailer, terror-struck,
Now his captives' help implores:
Trembling at their feet he fell,
"Tell me, Sirs, what must I do
To be saved from guilt and hell?
None can tell me this but you."
"Look to Jesus, they replied,
If on Him thou canst believe;
By the death which he has died,
Thou salvation shalt receive:"
While the living word he heard,
Faith sprung up within his heart;
And released from all he feared,
In their joy his soul had part.
Sinners, Christ is still the same,
O that you could likewise fear!
Then the mention of his name
Would be music to your ear:
Jesus rescues Satan's slaves,
His dear wounds still plead, "Forgive!"
Jesus to the utmost saves;
Sinners, look to him and live.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum D and sing d r m f s up from it, so the whole choir has the key in their ears before you start.
- Pitch the first note. The tune starts on m (F♯).
- Count the time. 4/4 means four crotchet beats in each bar. In the grid every cell is half a crotchet: a dash (–) holds the note before it, and _ is a rest.
- Know the notes. The tune uses d r m f s l t and the chromatic ta. A comma after a note (s,) is the octave below; an apostrophe (d') is the octave above.
New to solfa? Read how to read Tonic Solfa and how to find the doh of a song.
About the hymn
John Newton wrote these words. They were printed in Olney Hymns (London, 1779), Book I, hymn 123, “The trembling jailer. Acts 16:29,30”.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked Sevens Double (7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7), to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to HOLLINGSIDE; any other Sevens Double tune fits them as well.
- Words: John Newton (1725–1807)
- Music (1861): John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876)
Tune HOLLINGSIDE by John Bacchus Dykes (1823–1876); words by John Newton (1725–1807).
Sung to the same tune: After All That I Have Done, Depth of Mercy! Can There Be, Does the Gospel-word Proclaim, Fix My Heart and Eyes on Thine, Hark! the Song of Jubilee, Let Us Join, ('Tis God Commands), Let Us Join, as God Commands, Lord, Have Mercy When We Pray, Lord, in Heaven, Thy Dwelling-place, Pilgrim, Burdened with Thy Sin, See How Great a Flame Aspires.
Questions about A Believer, Free from Care
What is the doh of A Believer, Free from Care?
In this version, in D major, doh is D. If your choir sings it in another key, doh moves to the new key note and every solfa syllable stays the same — that is what movable doh means.
What note does A Believer, Free from Care start on?
It starts on m (F♯ in D major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is A Believer, Free from Care in the public domain?
Yes. John Newton died in 1807, John Bacchus Dykes died in 1876; the words were in print by 1779 and the music in 1861. Everyone named died before 1955 and both were published before 1929, so the hymn is out of copyright in the UK, the EU, the United States and Nigeria. Modern arrangements and translations can still be under copyright.